Medical Assisting (AS)

A Medical Assistant is vital in the day-to-day work of most health care facilities such as doctors’ offices, immediate care facilities, nursing homes, clinics, and hospitals. Certified medical assistants perform both hands-on patient care, such as taking blood pressure and drawing blood, as well as handling administrative and clerical duties, including taking a patient’s medical history and scheduling appointments.

Through American National University’s 100% online Medical Assisting associate degree program, you will participate in clinical laboratory classes using our at-home lab kits to apply the knowledge you have learned in the classroom and build real-world skills today’s employers are looking for. You will also participate in a mandatory externship, which offers further opportunities to apply learned skills and competencies. Our hands-on medical assistant classes will give you the experience and confidence to succeed.

In addition to giving you the skills and techniques needed for employment as a medical assistant, our accelerated medical assistant program also serves as a strong foundation for pursing a bachelor’s degree in Medical and Health Services Management.

Your coursework includes hands-on medical assisting training to develop the skills you need, such as:

Working within an office environment. You will learn administrative skills, like scheduling and coordinating appointments for patients in inpatient or outpatient settings, or utilizing technology to access electronic health records, sensitive patient information, and handling accounts receivable. You will learn how to do all of their administrative tasks within legal and ethical boundaries as well as within federal and state healthcare legislation and regulations. Additionally, this includes working with other medical professionals like nurses, doctors, and other medical assistants.

Medical procedures training to cover areas such as taking patients’ vital signs, collecting laboratory specimens, performing routine tests such as electrocardiography (EKG), and administering therapeutic injections and vaccinations. You will also learn how to prepare patients for procedures and treatments as well as assist doctors and nurses with examinations, procedures, and treatments.