Medical Assistant (MA)

Medical assistants play an important role in healthcare by supporting both patients and medical providers. Through hands-on training, classroom instruction and a supervised clinical externship, Pima Medical Institute's Medical Assistant program helps students develop the clinical and administrative skills commonly used in physician offices, clinics and outpatient healthcare settings.

Program objective. Pima Medical's Medical Assistant certificate program gives you the clinical and administrative foundation to launch an entry-level career. Through hands-on training, classroom instruction and a real-world clinical externship, you can be job-ready in as few as nine months and prepared to pursue nationally recognized credentials including the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) or the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through American Medical Technologists (AMT).

The program covers both sides of the medical assistant role, from clinical skills like taking vital signs, drawing blood, performing injections and collecting lab specimens, to administrative skills like scheduling appointments, managing patient records and handling billing and insurance forms. You will train in real-world settings alongside experienced instructors and complete a clinical externship that puts your skills to work before graduation.

Core skills you’ll develop.

• Clinical: Taking vital signs, recording patient medical histories, preparing exam rooms, assisting physicians during exams, infection prevention and control and EKG procedures
• Administrative: Scheduling appointments, patient intake procedures, medical office management and operations
• Financial: Insurance verification, medical billing support, coding and reimbursement
• Technology: Managing electronic health records and other health information management systems
• Pharmacology: Medications, injections, specimen collection and basic laboratory procedures
• Professional: Healthcare communication, patient interaction, team collaboration, professionalism in healthcare settings and workplace readiness

Continuing your education. At Pima Medical Institute, your Medical Assistant Certificate is just the beginning. We offer an online Associate Degree in Health Care Administration to help you supplement your clinical foundation with administrative skill sets, an online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration for those ready to pursue leadership opportunities and an online Master of Science in Organizational Leadership for those pursuing executive or management-level roles in health care. Get the skills you need to move up, with the flexibility to work on your schedule from anywhere.

Here are some additional healthcare education opportunities to consider:

• Nursing
• Radiography
• Respiratory Therapy
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• Surgical Technology

About Pima Medical Institute. Pima Medical Institute started changing lives in 1972, when Richard L. Luebke, Sr., and his wife, JoAnn, opened the first campus in Tucson, Arizona. Over 175,000 graduates have since advanced their education, and many are serving their communities through meaningful health care careers. The school’s mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives by providing the best value in medical career education.

Eligibility requirements.

• Possess a high school diploma or recognized equivalency
• Additional requirements may apply by campus

High school verification. Proof of valid high school completion or equivalent must be submitted (high school diploma or transcript, GED report and certificate, or an official associate or bachelor’s degree transcript). Pima Medical Institute does not enroll ability-to-benefit students, and applicants under the legal age must have written approval of a parent or legal guardian.

Entrance exams. Applicants for non-degree programs are required to take the Wonderlic SLE and receive a minimum score of 14. The exam may be waived for applicants who submit official transcripts that document completion of an associate degree or higher.

Background check, drug testing and vaccinations. Depending on the program, a background check and/or drug screening may be required prior to enrollment, during the program, and/or prior to externship/clinical training; the cost of the background check/drug screen is an out-of-pocket expense. The cost of required vaccinations and titers is also an out-of-pocket expense, and students are required to follow all clinical experience vaccination requests and policies.

At a glance. Course length: 9 Months (approximate); Lab hours: 230-270; Class hours: 330; Externship hours: 160-200. Hybrid education options not available at all campuses. Hours vary by location.

El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, Albuquerque, East Valley, Las Vegas, Mesa, Phoenix and Tucson campuses. The 2026 tuition price list shows 32 semester credits and 800 clock hours over 35 weeks, including 4 externship credits (200 hours).

El Paso class times. Morning classes 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Monday through Friday; afternoon classes 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday; night classes 5:40 PM - 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday.

Houston class times. Morning classes 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, late morning classes 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM and afternoon classes 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday; night classes 5:50 PM - 10:10 PM. Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, Veterinary Assistant, Veterinary Technology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography externships are 40 hours per week.

San Antonio class times. Morning classes 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM and afternoon classes 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday; night classes 5:40 PM - 10:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Degree program class schedules vary; refer to the schedules provided by the program.

Hybrid learning options. All courses are taught on campus to ensure you get the hands-on clinical experience this program requires. For students who need more flexibility in their schedules, hybrid learning options are available at select campuses, combining in-person instruction two days a week with online learning three days a week. Externship hours are completed fully in person.

• Certification: Pima Medical Institute's Medical Assistant certificate program prepares graduates to apply to sit for a certification based on campus location, such as NCCT, NHA, CMA, RMA, CCMA, or NCMA.*
• Find out more: Entry-level roles
• Career advancement: Move into office management, administrative support roles or become a medical assisting instructor.

Certification and state registration requirements vary.

Careers. The Medical Assistant certificate program prepares students to apply for roles and other related career opportunities including:

• Medical assistant
• Clinical medical assistant
• Administrative medical assistant
• Medical office assistant
• Administrative support roles within health care organizations
• Medical billing and insurance claims processing
• Educating future medical assistants

These careers may exist in a variety of health care environments, such as physicians' offices, hospitals and health systems, outpatient clinics and urgent care centers, specialty medical practices and community health centers.

Job outlook. 12% Growth — The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects this occupation to grow much faster than average over the next 10 years, with a median pay of $44,200 per year. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Medical Assistants, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm (visited June 07, 2026).

Career Services. When you’re a Pima Medical Institute student, you get access to our Career Services team—here for you when you need extra help with finding the right job opportunities, building a resume, strengthening your interview skills or just looking for general guidance.

Clinical externships. At Pima Medical Institute, most programs allow students to work in their field through clinical externships—a chance to be mentored by full-time professionals and interface with real patients.

In addition to real-world experience, clinical externships offer students resume-worthy opportunities, letters of recommendation from supervisors and sometimes job placement directly after graduation.

Student Services. Our team of student service professionals are on hand to see students through the challenges they might face during their academic career. We offer guidance and resources to ultimately help build employable medical professionals.

Application process.

• Submit the form below. A few quick details so we can get to know you before we connect.
• Chat with our team. They'll ask about your goals, your background and what's drawing you to healthcare. From there, they'll help you find the right program and campus for where you are in life right now.
• Attend your campus tour. Experience Pima Medical in person and picture yourself in a career that matters. We'll walk you through programs and what to expect.
• We help you complete your application. Our team guides you through every step, including enrollment and financial services, so nothing stands between you and getting started.