Medical Assistant Diploma Program

Launch Your Healthcare Career in Less Than a Year

The Medical Assistant Diploma Program at St. Augustine College 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, assisting with patient care, medical procedures, and office management.

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.

• Accelerated Path to Employment – Finish your diploma in just 44 weeks and enter a high-growth field with strong job opportunities and employer demand.

The Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. With small class sizes, experienced faculty, and a curriculum designed to meet employer needs, students graduate ready to make an 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 and begin your journey at St. Augustine College.

*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 – 35 credit hours

The Medical Assistant Program will prepare you to learn the following clinical and administrative skills:

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)

More than half of all 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. Have an acceptable level of English and Math proficiency
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. BIO 115 (3 credit hours) – Medical Terminology
2. MAA 105 (3 credit hours) – Law and Ethics
3. BIOL 10800 (3 credit hours) – Introduction to Human Biology
4. MAA 120 (3 credit hours)  – Math for Healthcare Professionals
5. HIT 109 (3 credit hours) – Introduction to Medical Coding
6. HIT 101 (3 credit hours) – Electronic Health Records
7. MAA 125 (3 credit hours) – Medical Office Procedures
8. MAA 135 (4 credit hours) – Clinical Medical Assisting
9. MAA 220 (3 credit hours) – Laboratory Procedures and Pharmacology
10. MAA 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 of Medical Assistants is expected to grow 14% much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 through 2032. In Illinois the growth rate will be 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 Assisting jobs. There are 764,400 jobs available for Medical Assistants in 2022. About 114,600 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade.