Professional Medical Assistant

The goal of the Professional Medical Assistant (PMA) program is to introduce students to the specialized training needed for entry-level employment in medical offices, clinics, laboratories and hospitals. The course content includes theory and practical applications in both administrative and clinical procedures.

Content includes anatomy and physiology; clinical procedures such as vital signs, injections, venipuncture, urinalysis, hematocrits and electrocardiographs; emergency and surgical procedures; patient preparation; patient medical records; accounting and insurance claims processing using Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software; appointment scheduling; and effective telephone communications. Students are also taught to manage a medical office or healthcare facility.

IOT takes students from the classroom to front-line medical office support through a curriculum that combines theory and application. To enhance classroom experiences, IOT incorporates a 160-hour externship, completed at an affiliated medical office, clinic or hospital and required for graduation.

Areas emphasized include basic accounting and insurance claims processing, anatomy and physiology, electrocardiographs, emergency and surgical procedures, injections, medical office and health care facility management, venipuncture and urinalysis — all in a hybrid format offered at the Clovis, Modesto and Redding campuses.

All students interested in applying must first meet with an Admissions Representative and successfully pass a 12-minute assessment test. Students must be a minimum of 18 years of age, or 17 years of age with the written consent of a parent or guardian, and possess a high school diploma or equivalent, a valid government or state issued GED, or proof of completing an officially recognized and accredited home schooling program (home-school applicants must also pass an entrance examination). Foreign education documents that cannot be confirmed must be evaluated by a third-party agency at the applicant’s expense.

Non-ATB applicants take the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam; diploma programs require a minimum score of 10. Students with delinquent student loans must resolve them before being considered, and students who have defaulted on a student loan will not be considered for admission.

Hybrid (IDL) programs. Applicants must attest to their ability to succeed in a distance learning environment and pass the online “Computer Literacy and Internet Knowledge” (CLIK) pre-assessment with a score of 14 or higher. Minimum technology: a PC, laptop and/or tablet able to create documents in Microsoft or Google Docs, the ability to join Zoom or Microsoft Teams calls (speakers and microphone required), and continuous, reliable internet access.

No diploma or GED? Through a partnership with C4L Academy, students in an eligible career pathway program (ECPP) can earn a high school diploma while concurrently enrolled; ability-to-benefit applicants must pass the ACCUPLACER test (Reading 233, Writing 235, Arithmetic 230).

The program is 860 hours / 47.5 quarter credit hours. It is a hybrid or interactive distance learning (IDL) program: classes are a combination of on campus and online for 40 weeks, with on-campus classes two days per week.

Daily schedule. In a hybrid program, classes are conducted on campus and online; on-campus attendance is required two days per week, and online attendance events (a quiz, test, final exam or Discussion Board post) are monitored weekly. Each five-week module runs Monday through Sunday for four weeks and Monday through Thursday in week five. At the Clovis campus, Professional Development, CERM, HVAC, MBOA and PMA on-campus sessions are held Tuesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., or 6:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.; the Modesto campus also publishes a Monday/Wednesday hybrid schedule.

Graduates will be prepared to contribute in a broad range of entry-level occupations in the medical field, including Clinical Medical Assistant, Laboratory Assistant, EKG Assistant, Pharmacy Clerk, Hospital Unit Secretary, Radiology Secretary, Medical Biller, Admitting Representative, Medical Receptionist and Medical Records Clerk.

As a graduate of IOT, you may be eligible to sit for and obtain national certification as a medical assistant.

Coursework covers anatomy and physiology, patient preparation, emergency and medical procedures and more. Uniforms and supplies are required and are available for purchase; textbooks are provided as classroom resources or purchased by the student. A medical student dress code applies.

The 160-hour externship is completed at an affiliated medical office, clinic or hospital and is required for graduation. Students who successfully complete the program receive a diploma.