Medical Assistant Diploma Program

Launch Your Healthcare Career as a Medical Assistant in Less Than a Year

Offered by Lewis University at the St. Augustine College Location

Lewis University’s Medical Assistant Program, offered at the St. Augustine College location, prepares students for essential roles in healthcare, equipping them with the clinical and administrative skills needed to succeed in physicians’ offices, hospitals, and outpatient facilities. Medical assistants are vital members of the healthcare team and are part of an in-demand career field. Assisting with patient care, medical procedures, and office management are all skills essential to stand out during the job search process and prove your qualifications as a medical assistant.

With demand for medical assistants projected to grow 14% by 2032, this 11-month program is designed to provide students with the hands-on training and real-world experience needed to enter the workforce quickly and confidently. A 160-hour externship ensures students gain practical skills in professional medical settings.

Lewis University’s Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to be offered at the Chicago campus of Lewis University. Small class sizes, experienced faculty, and a curriculum designed to meet employer needs prepare students to make an immediate impact in the healthcare industry.

Start Your Career in Healthcare Today

If you’re ready to take the next step toward a career as a medical assistant, apply today to Lewis University’s clinical medical assistant program and begin your journey at Lewis University.

*This program will have in-person classes for the clinical skills classes as well as Externship.

Medical Assistant Diploma Program Details:

Program Length: 44 weeks (11 months) including 160 hours of externship – 37 credit hours

The Medical Assistant Program will prepare you to learn the following clinical and administrative skills in preparation for a successful career:

1. 1. Administer intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal injections with the supervision of a licensed physician
   2. Perform phlebotomy for lab testing
   3. Perform urinalysis
   4. Perform electrocardiogram
   5. Perform other basic tests such as fecal occult blood test, pulmonary function tests
   6. Perform basic medical coding and billing
   7. Manage patients’ electronic health records
   8. Have basic knowledge of patients’ insurances
   9. Will be trained in basic life support (CPR)

When it comes to job opportunities for medical assistants, more than half of all certified medical assistants work in physicians’ offices – assist physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants. Other facilities that Medical Assistants can work in are Immediate Care facilities, hospital outpatient departments, and phlebotomy facilities.

The largest employers of medical assistants are the following:

1. 1. Physicians’ offices – 59%
   2. Hospitals – state, local, and private – 15%
   3. Offices of other health practitioners – 10%
   4. Outpatient care centers – 7%

Accreditations:

Lewis University’s Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and the Medical Assistant program has been approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education to be offered at the Chicago campus of Lewis University.

Will be applying for specialized program accreditation soon with the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Admission Requirements:

1. General Admission Requirements
   
   1. Be 17 years of age or older
   2. Be a high school graduate or hold an official transcript of the General Education Development (GED) test.
   3. Lewis University requires all students to take placement exams in English and Mathematics as part of the admission process. These no-pass, no-fail tests are designed to ensure that students are ready to enroll in the English and Mathematics courses that are required in the Medical Assistant program.
2. Other Requirements:
   
   1. Have an acceptable criminal background check. Some healthcare facilities will require background checks before starting externship
   2. Physical Examination form will be provided by the Director of Allied Health, which will be filled out by the student’s primary care physician.
   3. The vaccinations and tests that will be required by clinical sites are the following:
      
      1. Hepatitis B vaccine – 3 series; at lease the first dose of the three series have been administered before the start of externship
      2. COVID-19 vaccines – primary doses as well as the booster doses
      3. MMR, tetanus vaccines
      4. TB testing – Quantiferon or PPD test

Medical Assistant Diploma Program Academic Requirements:

General Education Requirements:

1. ENGL 11100: College Writing 1

Program Core Requirements

1. HUPR 19500-001(3 credit hours) – Medical Terminology
2. MDAS 105 (3 credit hours) – Law and Ethics
3. HLSC 101 (3 credit hours) – General Anatomy and Physiology Lecture
4. HLSC 102 (3 credit hours)  – General Anatomy and Physiology Lab
5. MDAS 120 (3 credit hours) – Math and Healthcare Professionals
6. MDAS 109 (3 credit hours) – Introduction to Medical Coding
7. MDAS 101 (3 credit hours) – Electronic Health Records
8. MDAS 125 (3 credit hours) – Medical Office Procedures
9. MDAS 135 (4 Credit Hours) – Clinical Medical Assisting
10. MDAS 220 (3 credit hours) – Laboratory Procedures and Pharmacology
11. MDAS 210 (4 credit hours) – Medical Assisting Externship

Medical Assistant Career Outlook:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook 2022 edition, employment for Certified Medical Assistants is projected to grow 14%, much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 through 2032. In Illinois, medical assistant jobs are projected to grow by 12% according to www.career.onestop.org and the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s website shows that there is a high demand for Medical assistant jobs. There are 764,400 jobs available for Medical Assistants in 2022. On average, about 114,600 new job openings for medical assistants are projected each year, highlighting the strong demand for graduates of medical assistant training programs.