Medical Assistant Diploma Program

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

St. Augustine College at Lewis University’s Medical Assistant Program 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 in comprehensive health 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.

Why Choose St. Augustine College at Lewis University’s Medical Assistant Program?

• Comprehensive Hands-On Training – Learn essential clinical and administrative skills in this comprehensive medical assistant training program, including phlebotomy, electrocardiograms, injections, medical coding, and electronic health records management.

• Real-World Clinical Experience – Complete a 160-hour externship in a healthcare facility. This real-world clinical experience for all medical assistants allows students to gain hands-on experience and valuable industry connections.
• Accelerated Path to Employment – Finish your medical assistant training and receive a diploma in just 44 weeks, and enter a high-growth field with strong job opportunities and employer demand.

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 St. Augustine College at Lewis University’s clinical medical assistant program and begin your journey at St. Augustine College.

*This health program will have in-person classes for the clinical skills classes as well as the 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 the fecal occult blood test, the 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 – assisting 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:

St. Augustine’s College’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 SAC.

Will be applying for specialized program accreditation soon.

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 the 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 least the first dose of the three series has been administered before the start of externship
      2. COVID-19 vaccines – primary doses as well as booster doses
      3. MMR, tetanus vaccines
      4. TB testing – Quantiferon or PPD test

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.

Programa de Asistente Médico en Español — Chicago

¿Quieres trabajar en el campo de la salud pero tu inglés aún está en desarrollo? En St. Augustine College, puedes comenzar el Programa de Diploma de Asistente Médico completamente en español. Aprenderás anatomía, procedimientos clínicos, atención al paciente, y vocabulario médico esencial — todo en tu idioma, mientras perfeccionas tu inglés a tu propio ritmo.

Por qué estudiar Asistente Médico en St. Augustine

• Instrucción bilingüe — comienza en español, transiciona al inglés a tu propio ritmo
• El 95% del cuerpo docente y personal es bilingüe — siempre habrá apoyo en español
• Horarios flexibles diseñados para adultos que trabajan o tienen familia

St. Augustine’s Medical Assistant Diploma Program is one of the only pathways in the United States where Spanish-dominant learners can complete clinical healthcare training in Spanish and graduate with the English-language skills and credentials needed to enter Chicago’s healthcare workforce.