Medical Assisting

Medical Assisting Program Mission.

The Medical Assisting Program is dedicated to preparing competent, entry-level paraprofessionals to serve healthcare needs by engaging students in current scholarly and hands-on education.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

9355 113th Street North, Suite 7709 Seminole, FL 33775 727-210-2350 www.caahep.org

Program learning objectives.

• Demonstrate entry-level skills in all cognitive objectives and in all psychomotor and affective competencies as specified in the current core curriculum of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board.
• Effectively communicate with all members of the healthcare team, the patients, and their families using written, verbal, and nonverbal skills.
• Treat patients with respect, dignity, and understanding with sensitivity to disability, culture, or socioeconomic status.
• Be proficient in the use of technology applied in healthcare settings.
• Apply research, critical thinking and problem-based learning skills to resolve healthcare issues.
• Develop a confident and ethical professional image to meet the constant challenges and changing needs of the classroom, the profession, and the community.

The Associate in Applied Science degree program in Medical Assisting provides graduates with the clinical and administrative skills necessary to be a successful allied health care professional. Medical Assistants work primarily in physicians’ offices and medical clinics. Students in this allied health program will learn how to prepare patients for various examinations, assist physicians with minor office surgeries, draw blood, perform tests and treatments, administer injections and medications, maintain medical records, and perform administrative tasks.

The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam is required as part of the Medical Assistant Internship. At Central Penn, those matriculated in the Medical Assisting program may sit for the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) exam.

The Medical Assisting Program, Associate Degree, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB; www.maerb.org).

To be considered for admission into a degree or professional certificate program, students must be a high school graduate or have received a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), Pennsylvania Home School Diploma or other recognized equivalency diploma. High School Students applying with an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher may be considered for regular admission. Students applying with a GPA below a 2.0 in high school or from another college or university, if accepted, will be admitted conditionally. Please submit an application for admission and a copy of high school and/or college transcript(s). Some applicants may be required to attend a personal interview with the Admissions Office.

An admission essay may be deemed optional for all applicants whose GPA meets or exceeds the minimum for acceptance into the desired program. For certificates and degrees in the Schools of Humanities and Business, the minimum GPA for acceptance is 2.0. For most Health Sciences certificates and degrees, unless otherwise specified, the minimum GPA is 2.2.

Admission Requirements.

Applicants for the Medical Assisting program must have a minimum GPA of a 2.20 from the official transcripts from the last school attended to be considered for acceptance. In addition, applicants must have successfully completed two sciences (C or higher) and one math course (C or higher) in high school or college. GED scores will be accepted. Applicants are required to submit two reference forms. Reference forms can be attained through the Admissions Office. If the student does not meet this criteria they are able to file an appeal for acceptance to the Program Director. Demonstration of Psychomotor & Affective Competencies (as part of that course) is required before a course can be transferred into the program.

Courses are offered at a variety of times Monday through Friday. Online classes are also available. Typical courses run for an 11-week term. The College operates on a year-round schedule of quarterly, 11-week terms enabling students to complete their degrees faster, if they choose to go full-time each term.

This program has Winter and Summer starts. Upcoming start dates: January 11, 2027, July 12, 2027, January 10, 2028.

Tuition and fees. Undergraduate tuition is $525 per credit for all majors. A Student/Technology Fee of $510 per term (5 or more credits) or $315 (4 or fewer credits) is required. A one-time $150 graduation fee applies.

Program fees. Medical Assisting AAS lab fee, per term $250; Medical Assisting exam review course fee (one time) $63; Certified Medical Assistant exam fee (one time) $130.

Certification and other costs not covered by tuition. The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam is required as part of the Medical Assistant Internship; the CMA exam fee ($130) and exam review course fee ($63) are billed by the College. Medical Assisting internships are unpaid.

Books and other expenses. Variable expenses per term (estimates): textbooks $350–$450; course material fees approximately $50–$150 per course; personal $150–$250; transportation $150–$300. Uniforms (where required) are estimated at $100–$150.

Housing and meals. Campus housing per term: individual private bedroom $2,205, standard apartment bedroom $1,505, super suite bedroom $1,595, utilities $330. Meal plans per term range from $550 (Block 75) to $1,125 (14 Meal Plan); a $250 housing security deposit is required.

Financial aid. Central Penn College processes grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study through federal, state, private, and institutional sources to help eligible students meet some of those costs, including the Federal Pell Grant, PA State Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study and Federal Direct Stafford Loans. To apply for all federal and state financial aid programs, students must complete the FAFSA; Central Penn’s Federal School Code for FAFSA is 004890. To receive financial aid a student must be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program and be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (4 credits).

Payment options. Tuition and expenses are paid each term approximately three weeks before the term starts. Central Penn has a short-term three-month payment plan through CASHNet that divides the balance of the tuition owed by three payments; there is a $35 non-refundable application fee paid with the first payment. An Employer Reimbursement Tuition Agreement Plan lets students who receive tuition reimbursement from their employer defer payment until the specified dates.

Military benefits. Military benefits accepted include the Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapters 30 and 1606), Veterans Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31), the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) and Yellow Ribbon Program, Dependents’ Education Assistance (Chapter 35) and Tuition Assistance.

Net price calculator. Use Central Penn’s Net Price Calculator at https://npc.collegeboard.org/app/centralpenn for an early estimate of your total annual cost.

Careers you can pursue. Medical Assistant, Medical Office Assistant, Billing and Coding Aide.

Job placement. The associate degree’s cumulative 5-year percentage for 2020-2024 from the program’s final 2025 annual report for job placement is 86.67%.

Graduate outcomes. 66.7% of Medical Assisting graduates (3 graduates contacted) were employed in their field or continuing their education (One-Year Graduate Follow-up Report, graduates July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025).

College-wide outcome. 89.2% of Central Penn graduates were employed in their chosen field or continuing their education within one year of graduation (graduates July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025; One-Year Graduate Follow-up Report published July 1, 2026).