Medical Assistant

The Medical Assistant program includes administrative and clinical competencies expected of entry-level positions in a variety of health care settings. Students develop skills in front office administration including patient scheduling and management, triage and patient history and accurately measuring and recording vital signs, including temperature, respiration, and blood pressure. Students also develop skills in effective patient communication and how to maintain a professional demeanor in all interactions.

Medical Assistants are multi-skilled allied health professionals that demonstrate proficiency in entry-level ambulatory health care settings. A Medical Assistant will perform both administrative and clinical roles while assisting physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other healthcare professionals.

An externship is included in this program to provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life situations in a healthcare setting. At ACI we do not perform injections or blood draws on people or animals. All injections, needle practice, and blood-draw simulations are conducted only on injection pads and phlebotomy training arms.

Program objectives.

• Demonstrate professional communication, customer service, and appropriate work habits in a healthcare setting.
• Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and common medical conditions to medical assisting duties.
• Perform basic clinical procedures, including vital signs, patient rooming, specimen collection and testing, ECG procedures, and assistance with examinations and office procedures.
• Apply infection control, sterilization, safety, and emergency procedures appropriate to the medical office.
• Maintain patient documentation and electronic health records while following applicable healthcare regulations and confidentiality requirements.
• Perform administrative medical office functions, including scheduling, billing, coding, insurance procedures, and collection of patient payments.
• Demonstrate the clinical and administrative competencies expected of an entry-level medical assistant during the externship experience.

Certification review. There is also a capstone review at the end of the class to prepare students for the Medical Assistant certification exam. Medical Assistant graduates will be qualified to test for the NRCMA - Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant. ACI funds one test per student. If the student fails the NRCMA test and wants to retake the test, the student is responsible for paying the testing fee.

Externship. After the 7-month training, our students are placed in a medical office or hospital for 150 hours to become familiar with working in a live medical environment where they put their skills to use. Students are not permitted to be paid for work performed during their externship experience. Medical Assistants are also required to complete the 150-hour Externship and receive a satisfactory evaluation from the Externship Site Supervisor to graduate.

Language of delivery. English. This MA program is not available in Spanish at this time; the certification exam is only offered in English.

• 771-hour (8-month/32-week) Diploma Program
• Flexible class schedules available
• Learn how to work as a MA using ACI’s real clinic setting
• Learn how to measure vitals such as blood pressure
• Learn about office procedures, billing and coding
• Learn how to perform ECG’s
• Learn how to assist with all medical specialties

Interested applicants can call or visit ACI to set up an appointment with an Admissions Representative. Applicants are encouraged to visit to see the facilities firsthand and meet the staff. Applicants must be 17 or older, have a Diploma or GED, speak English or Spanish, complete an Application for Admissions and meet with an Admissions Representative. Only after the applicant has satisfied all the admissions requirements will the applicant be provided with an enrollment agreement, which lists the program description, the program hours, class schedule, academic delivery and cost for program completion.

This MA program is not available in Spanish at this time. The certification exam is only offered in English.

In order to enroll in a program with a digital instruction component, students must have access to a computer with the minimum requirements.

The program is 771 clock hours, scheduled at 24 hours per week for approximately 32 weeks (the stated length is an estimate). Both Traditional and Hybrid modalities require the students to attend school 24 hours per week.

Class hours. ACI’s Cameron campus holds classes from 8:00am to 11:00pm Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 7:00pm on Saturdays, and 7:00am to 1:00pm on Sundays (excluding holidays). Office hours are 9:00am – 6:00pm Monday – Thursday, Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am – 1:00pm.

Schedules. Flexible class schedules; mornings, evenings, weekends.

Start dates. ACI does not publish a start-date calendar; contact admissions to check when the next classes start.

Hybrid format. Hybrid is when a student attends the laboratory portion of the program in person at the physical campus location and the lecture portion of the program is completed online within our cloud-based Learning Management System. Students in Hybrid program must ensure that they complete the number of online hours per week required for the program in order to graduate. Note from the catalog’s attendance policy: “Currently all the online portions of the hybrid programs must be completed in class in traditional format. This means that students registered in hybrid programs attend classes in traditional format.”

Program costs. Registration (non-refundable) $100.00; Tuition $15,775.65; Digital Books Subscription for Program Length & Supplies $119.35; Total Cost $15,995.00. The catalog lists the same costs for the Hybrid and Traditional formats.

Books. Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Procedures, 7th Edition ISBN 978-1-26-047703-0. Program book price: $119.35.

Estimated cost of attendance (2026-27 Title IV cost of attendance, effective 7/1/2025). Living costs for the program length — Food and Housing: $15,344.00 dependent (with parent) / $19,880.00 independent (off campus); Transportation: $7,888.00 dependent (with parent) / $9,832.00 independent (off campus); Personal: $4,768.00 dependent (with parent) / $14,648.00 independent (off campus); Total Estimated Cost of Attendance: $44,095.00 dependent (with parent) / $60,355.00 independent (off campus).

Federal financial aid. ACI offers Title IV Federal Student Aid awards for those who are eligible which include Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loans. The first step toward qualifying for these programs is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), which serves as an application for all federal – and most state – student aid programs. ACI’s Federal School Code is 042825. Title IV Loans require repayment starting 6 months after a student's last date of attendance.

Veterans and workforce funding. ACI accepts Veteran Educational Benefits for those Veterans that are approved for Education benefits through the VA (Montgomery GI Bill®, Post-9/11 GI Bill®, MyCAA). ACI is approved by the State Approving Agency – Texas Veterans Commission and is a vendor to Texas Workforce Solutions.

Payment plans. Helcim Payment Plans are offered by ACI for those that qualify for payment plans, and payments begin while in school. Full Cash Pay students are required to pay half of the total cost as a deposit and the remaining balance will be set up on a monthly payment plan. Payment plans are available for self-pay students.

Cancellation. A full refund will be made to any student who cancels the enrollment contract within 72 hours (until midnight of the third day excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) after the enrollment contract is signed.

Net Price Calculator. https://solutions.campusivy.com/Apps/NPC/NPCWizard?institutionId=64400

Most Medical Assistants work in physicians' offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Medical Assistants record patient’s medical history, vital stats or information such as test results and medical records, interview patients to obtain medical information and measure vital signs, weight, height, etc., prepare treatment rooms for patient exams and provide clinical care.

The median annual wage for medical assistants was $44,200 in May 2024. The median pay per hour before overtime in 2024 was $21.25. The Medical Assistant Profession is still a growing field, with a predicted growth of 15 percent from 2023 to 2033.

Most of our students take advantage of our Job Placement Assistance and get hired before their scheduled graduation date.

Placement assistance. ACI offers placement assistance. ACI works closely with local employers to assist in placement of the students after graduation at no charge to the graduate, including resume preparation, assistance with creating accounts for online job matching platforms and contact data for placement service personnel. ACI does not guarantee graduate employment.

At Austin Career Institute, our Student Career Services department is committed to supporting our students through the transition from a student to qualified professional. We offer job search strategies, resume assistance, soft skills training and interviewing techniques, and access to resources, job listings, and local career fairs to both students and alumni.

We understand that life can be demanding for our students and real-life issues arise. Here at Austin Career Institute, we’ve partnered with local organizations that can assist qualified students with support services. ACI provides services that support the students' efforts to succeed academically, vocationally, and personally, including individual advising, academic tutoring, and assistance in locating needed social services.