Medical Assisting is a Certificate program (Hybrid) offered by Midwest Institute in Earth City, MO. The program takes 35 weeks by day; 51 weeks evening or online/blended to complete, with a total tuition of $15,580.
Program Overview
Midwest Institute’s Medical Assisting certificate prepares students to support physicians in the medical office with both clinical and administrative work. The program trains students in five areas: anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, assisting procedures, laboratory techniques and front office administrative procedures, and it closes with a supervised internship in a physician’s office, clinic, hospital or laboratory.
Students learn to take patient histories and vital signs, prepare patients for examinations, give injections as directed, perform CPR and first aid, sterilize instruments, run hematology, urinalysis and electrocardiography tests, and handle bookkeeping, filing, insurance forms and scheduling. Medication administration is a major focus, ending with the Math for Meds exam.
The program is offered at the Earth City campus by day or in the evening, or in an online/blended format that combines live remote classes with weekly labs on campus. Graduates receive a certificate. Missouri does not require certification to work as a medical assistant, and the school says graduates are eligible to apply to take the national Certified Medical Assistant examination.
What sets this Program apart
- Day, evening or blended. Morning classes run Monday to Thursday, evening classes three nights a week, and the blended format moves most coursework online with weekly labs on campus.
- Real lab equipment. Students practise in medical exam rooms and laboratory classrooms with microscopes, centrifuges, electrocardiograph machines and IV equipment.
- A 250-hour internship. Every student finishes in a physician’s office, clinic, hospital or laboratory, arranged by the school within 75 miles of campus.
- Long local track record. The school has placed graduates in St. Louis medical offices since 1965, and placement help continues after graduation.
Admission Requirements and Process
At Midwest Institute, we admit students into career training programs in medical assisting, veterinary technician, dental assisting, massage therapy, and surgical technology. We evaluate your interest, motivation, and readiness so you can succeed in your chosen path. Our Admissions counselors carefully determine how you will benefit from the career path you have chosen.
General Requirements
- Minimum Age 17Applicants must be at least 17 years of age.
- High School Diploma or GEDApplicants must have proof of a high school diploma or GED. High school diploma must be from an accredited high school recognized by the Department of Education.
- No Felony ConvictionsApplicants cannot have a felony conviction, a felony will make them ineligible for all programs.
- Admissions InterviewPersons interested in applying to Midwest Institute may submit an application on the Midwest Institute website, phone, email, or write for an interview appointment. All students…
- Entrance ExamAll prospective students must pass an entrance exam prior to enrollment.
- Online Readiness AssessmentOnline/blended programs: An online assessment must be completed and the student must meet the appropriate indicator levels prior to enrollment. All students must certify that they…
Application Process
- 1Contact AdmissionsReach out to Midwest Institute online, by phone, email, or in writing to set up an interview appointment with an Admissions counselor.
- 2Interview with AdmissionsMeet with an Admissions counselor, who will determine how you will benefit from the career path you have chosen. Entrance requirements may include an interview with the Director of Education.
- 3Complete Your ApplicationFollowing the interview, the applicant must complete an application for review and evaluation by a school official. Ask Admissions for the application.
- 4Pass the Entrance ExamAll prospective students must pass an entrance exam prior to enrollment. Online/blended students also complete an online readiness assessment.
- 5Complete the FAFSAFill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Midwest Institute's Financial Aid Office will guide you step by step through Pell Grants, Direct Loans, scholarships, VA benefits, or WIOA funding.FAFSA Code for Earth City: 014528Fill Out the FAFSA
- 6Acceptance and RegistrationAdmission is based to a great extent on the applicant’s interest in the paramedical field, responsible attitude, and maturity. A registration fee of $75 is required upon acceptance to a program.
Program Schedule
The Medical Assisting certificate is 810 contact hours and 35 semester credits. Day students normally finish in 35 weeks; evening and online/blended students take about 51 weeks. Classroom training comes first, followed by a 250-hour internship that should be completed in about seven weeks and must be done during the day, generally 30 to 40 hours a week. The online/blended format delivers about 72 percent of the program online and 28 percent on campus.
| Program and session | Class times |
|---|---|
| Medical Assisting, morning | 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday |
| Medical Assisting, evening | 6 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday |
| Dental Assisting, morning | 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday |
| Dental Assisting, evening | 6 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday |
| Massage Therapy, morning | 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday to Friday |
| Massage Therapy, evening | 6 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., Monday, Tuesday and Thursday |
| Veterinary Technician, morning | 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday |
Lab times on campus are scheduled within each program’s class hours and may change. The school is closed for New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Thanksgiving and the following Friday, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On weather closings, classes move to Zoom. The catalog addendum lists start dates.
Campus Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
When you attend an accredited institution, you attend a school that has been independently evaluated for educational quality.
Midwest Institute is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). It is approved to operate by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.
- A reliable indicator of quality
- Approved program of study
- Qualified instructors
- Recognition by employers nationwide
Accreditations
Student Demographics
These are demographics for all students at the Earth City Campus (IPEDS, 2024).
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
| Charge (2026-27) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $15,580 |
| Registration fee | $75 |
| Medical Assisting lab fees | $200 |
| Books | $681 |
| Total | $16,536 |
The addendum prints a total of $15,655 for tuition and the registration fee; the lab fees and books are listed separately and are added here. Book prices are set by the publisher and can change. Students also furnish scrubs and approved tennis shoes, estimated at about $150.
Financial aid. Midwest Institute takes part in the federal student aid programs: eligible students can receive Federal Pell Grants and Federal Direct Loans. The school is approved for VA education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and eligible students may also qualify for military tuition assistance, scholarships or Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding. The school does not publish its federal school code. Tuition can be paid without interest while you attend, and the balance must be paid in full before your diploma or transcripts are released. Use the school’s net price calculator for a personal estimate.
Cancellation and refunds. You can cancel within three working days of signing the enrollment contract and making a first payment, by letter postmarked within that period or in person, and receive everything you paid within 30 days. If the school does not accept your application, all money paid is refunded. After the three-day period and before classes begin, cancelling forfeits the $75 registration fee. Once classes start, a student who withdraws within the first 10 percent of the days is charged 10 percent of the tuition, within 25 percent is charged 25 percent, and before 50 percent is charged 50 percent; there is no refund after half of the program or academic year. Tuition is charged per academic year: certificate programs have one academic year and the associate degree has two.
Curriculum
Eight required courses, 810 contact hours and 35 semester credits: math for medicine, medical administrative procedures, laboratory procedures, anatomy and physiology with terminology, medical assisting procedures, psychology, employment preparation and a 250-hour internship. Hours and credits follow the catalog’s course descriptions. Employment Preparation is counted at its 19 classroom hours, which is how the courses add up to the program’s 810 contact hours; the catalog also lists 17.5 hours of outside work for that course.
The required courses below are from Midwest Institute's published catalog.
Required Courses
| Subject # | Name | External | Total | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATH:101 | Math for Medicine | 45 | 3 | |
| MA:104 | Medical Administrative Procedures | 45 | 2.5 | |
| MA:115 | Laboratory Procedures | 115 | 4.5 | |
| MA:126 | Anatomy and Physiology/Terminology | 115 | 7.5 | |
| MA:158 | Employment Preparation | 19 | 1 | |
| MA:159 | Medical Assisting Procedures | 176 | 8 | |
| PSYCH:101 | Psychology | 45 | 3 | |
| Externship | 250 | 250 | 5.5 | |
| Totals | 250 | 810 | 35 |
Required Courses
| Subject # | Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH:101 | Math for Medicine | 3 |
| MA:104 | Medical Administrative Procedures | 2.5 |
| MA:115 | Laboratory Procedures | 4.5 |
| MA:126 | Anatomy and Physiology/Terminology | 7.5 |
| MA:158 | Employment Preparation | 1 |
| MA:159 | Medical Assisting Procedures | 8 |
| PSYCH:101 | Psychology | 3 |
| Externship | 5.5 | |
| Totals | 35 |
Career Outcomes
Graduates work in physicians’ offices, clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals, and in the offices of chiropractors, optometrists and podiatrists, handling both clinical and administrative duties. The school says graduates are eligible to apply to take the national Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) examination; certification is not required to work in Missouri, and the school has not determined whether the program meets other states’ requirements.
Published rates. For July 2024 to June 2025, Midwest Institute reports a 77 percent graduation rate and a 93 percent placement rate for Medical Assisting, calculated with the ABHES formula.
Placement help includes resume and interview coaching, employer networking and job referrals, and it continues after graduation. The school cannot guarantee placement.
What to expect as a Midwest Institute student
Midwest Institute has trained medical, dental, veterinary and massage professionals in the St. Louis area since it opened in Kirkwood in 1965. Its Earth City campus, off the Earth City Expressway near I-70, has classrooms, medical and dental exam rooms, massage therapy rooms, laboratory classrooms with microscopes, centrifuges, electrocardiograph and IV equipment, a surgical operatory lab, a complete veterinary clinic and a farm. The campus is accessible, and administrative offices are generally open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Attendance is taken seriously: an absence is an absence, whether excused or not, and arriving late or leaving early takes 2 percent off each course grade, up to 10 percent. Blended students attend their remote classes in real time on the residential schedule and must come to every scheduled lab on campus; missing more than two lab days in a module means withdrawal. Students wear scrubs and approved tennis shoes. To graduate, students complete all assignments, hold at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and settle their accounts. One-on-one tutoring, help finding housing and placement assistance are available, and graduates can return for placement help at any time, although the school cannot guarantee a job.
Midwest Institute of Massage Therapy in Belleville, Illinois, is a different school and is not affiliated with Midwest Institute.
About Surgical Technology. The catalog also lists a Surgical Technology Associate of Applied Science degree. ABHES withdrew that program’s approval from the school’s grant of accreditation in August 2022 and the school did not appeal; the January 2026 catalog says the program is in the process of approval for initial programmatic accreditation through ABHES. It is not listed here until that approval is confirmed.