Medical Assisting Certificate
- Cost
- $7,175* (estimated)
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Perform essential patient care
Collaborate with health care practitioners while delivering high-quality administrative and clinical care for patients in the outpatient setting. As a medical assistant, you will work in physician offices or other outpatient medical office settings assisting the provider with patient exams, obtaining vital signs, recording patient histories, obtaining samples for diagnostic testing, performing electrocardiograms, giving vaccinations and many other exciting job functions.
Your certificate in medical assisting will prepare you for work in the fast-growing health care field providing the administrative and clinical skills required to succeed in your new career. With a projected industry growth of 15%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, you can be confident your future is bright.
Program accreditation
The Medical Assisting program at the College of Lake County in Waukegan, Illinois, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Upon completion of the program, graduates are prepared to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) CMA Certification Examination, where, upon passing the examination, the individual earns the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential.
The goal of the Medical Assisting Program is to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. The Medical Assisting program is proud to highlight a 5-year (2020-2024) exam pass rate of 83.72%.
What can you do with a certificate in Medical Assisting?
A certificate in Medical Assisting prepares you for the entry-level psychomotor, cognitive and affective competencies required to obtain certification as a medical assistant, allowing you to sit for the CMA examination offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and to begin work in the field as a medical assistant. Medical Assistants typically work in the outpatient medical setting in areas such as physician offices, outpatient care centers and immediate care centers.
Administrative duties include:
- scheduling and receiving patients
- preparing and maintaining patient records
- submitting insurance claims
- handling telephone calls and written correspondence
- performing medical transcription
- maintaining practice finances
Clinical duties include:
- performing first aid and CPR
- collecting and processing specimens
- taking patient histories and vital signs
- assisting physicians with examinations and treatments
- performing select diagnostic tests
- giving medications as directed by the physician and as permitted by state law
See what students love about the medical assisting program at CLC. Picture yourself here:
Highlights
Other Criteria - MOA Externship
*Estimated cost is based on recommended pathway credit hours for full-time students for academic year 2025-2026. This includes in-district tuition and comprehensive fees, before financial aid, including grants, loans, and scholarships, is applied. Actual cost may vary to include additional fees, materials, and other cost of attendance factors such as living expenses, transportation, etc. Explore opportunities for financial assistance at CLC. Learn more about the Cost of Attendance.
Career Outlook
Need help getting started?
Ask us for help. Your College & Career Navigator (CCN) will help you:
- complete the admission process
- choose an academic program
- enroll in first-semester classes
- get access to helpful resources
Recommended Pathway
This pathway serves as a guide for students to complete the degree or certificate assuming full-time enrollment (registered in 12 or more credit hours per semester) with Semester 1 typically representing a Fall term.
Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their College and Career Navigator (CCN) to identify coursework that will meet degree requirements based on individual academic goals. For a more comprehensive list of course options and degree requirements, see the CLC college catalog.
Medical Assisting at CLC
Get the bigger picture
The medical assisting certificate is just one possible way to study biological and health sciences. Get the bigger picture—degrees, credentials and extra options.
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Complete the application form to begin your program.
After you apply, a Career and College Navigator (CCN) will reach out to answer your questions, guide your next steps and help you get enrolled. Explore steps to apply at CLC.
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