Online Colleges and Universities for Medical Assistants: How to Choose

Medical assistants perform administrative duties in clinics and hospitals. Online college programs for medical assistants provide the training and knowledge needed to enter the profession. Medical assistant students enrolled in online programs are expected to supplement online instruction with hands-on job training in their chosen medical specialty.

How to Select an Online College for Medical Assistants

Award Levels

The certificate is a common level of training for medical assistants. Online schools and colleges offer programs in medical assisting at the certificate and diploma level. A diploma program may include some general education courses, while a certificate program is focused on the core subject. Programs may offer internship options which must be completed in-person.

Program Type

Online medical assistant programs are offered with two enrollment options: low-residency (hybrid) and full online immersion programs. Hybrid programs require students to spend at least part of the time on campus and provide more hands-on opportunities in basic medical training procedures required of all medical staff, such as measuring pulse, providing CPR, administering injections and performing basic ultrasounds.
Fully online programs offer complete instruction though online platforms and generally don't require students to take classes on campus. This can be beneficial for working professionals who need access to course materials at any time, day or night. However, because of the high requirement of hands-on training necessary for medical assisting, programs offered entirely online may be rare.

Technical Requirements

In order to participate in online programs, students need access to a computer with an Internet connection. Broadband speed is recommended for cases where students may need to download video lectures or other large files.

Online Medical Assistant Programs

Medical Assistant Certificate Program

A certificate program for medical assistants typically takes from a few months to little over a year to complete. The program is often offered as a hybrid that requires some on-campus training. Online programs may substitute hands-on training with virtual labs and video demonstrations though the Web. Program coursework includes classes in human biology and psychology in addition to courses that focus on administrative aspects of the job, such as office technology, insurance coding, keyboarding and formatting.
Students in a medical assistant program become acquainted with medical terminology and medical office procedures as well as administrative office programs and codes. Although a specific concentration in administrative, optometric or clinical medical assisting is not offered for medical assistants, students have a chance to participate in an internship program where they can deepen their knowledge in a chosen concentration of medical assisting.