10 Best Medical Assistant Programs in Colorado – 4


Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

Colorado needs its medical assistants! Over the next decade, the medical assisting profession in the Centennial State is poised to grow by a whopping 36 percent. You can prepare yourself to take advantage of this surge in demand by enrolling in one of the many medical assistant programs in Colorado. Colorado medical assistants average $44,220 a year, and as a certified MA, you may earn even more than that. But you can’t be a certified medical assistant in Colorado without a degree from an accredited MA program. What are you waiting for? You’ll find the information you need about the 10 best medical assistant programs in Colorado for 2024 below.





WHAT ARE THE BEST MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMS IN COLORADO?

(Based on our Ranking Methodology, below are the 10 best Medical Assistant programs in Colorado. The list includes both campus-based and online programs.)


1) Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction


Aligned with the changing needs of the healthcare industry, the medical assistant education offered by Colorado Mesa University focuses on training students under real-world conditions. This not only helps students to gain confidence but also helps them to achieve greater heights in their professional career. The college currently is offering two programs -

Technical Certificate Program: The one-year medical office assistant certificate program consists of 41-credit hours and has been divided into three semesters - fall semester (17-credit hours), spring semester (18-credit hours), and summer semester (6-credit hours). In the fall semester, subjects like medical terminology, office administration, and basics of Medical Sciences will be covered while in the spring semester, the focus of the curriculum will shift to imparting laboratory and clinical skills to students. You are required to score at least “C” grade in each of the courses to graduate.

Associate of Applied Science: The two-year degree program consists of 61-credit hours, and the curriculum has been divided into essential subjects (15-credit hours), required subjects (2-credit), and degree-specific subjects (44-credit). In the first year (fall and spring semester), you will receive education in subjects like English, mathematics, and basics of medical sciences and administration. The curriculum in the second year will be delivered in three semesters (fall, spring, and summer) and consists of subjects like pharmacology, the medical science terminology, and clinical skills, among others. In the summer semester, an internship is scheduled.


2) Red Rocks Community College, Arvada


The medical assisting education offered by Red Rocks Community College helps students to develop multi-tasking skills for performing a variety of jobs in the healthcare domain. This enables aspirants to have diverse functional capabilities and perform effectively as cross-functional teams.

Practical Certificate : The medical assistant certificate program is a 37-credit course with a curriculum consisting of subjects like basics of medical terminology and assistance, human body and anatomy, clinical and laboratory skills, pharmacology, financial, and legal and ethical issues in the healthcare field. To graduate, you must score at least "C" grade in each course, and upon graduation, you will be eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam administered by American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

A.A.S. Degree: The degree program consists of a total of 60-credit hours. The curriculum is divided into general education courses (15-credit hours) and medical assisting specific courses (45-credit hours). During the training, you will gain knowledge on the basics of anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, clinical skills, effective communication, and medical terminology. You will also undergo an internship during the program that will help you to get exposure to real-life working conditions.


3) Pima Medical Institute, Aurora, Colorado Springs & Denver


Pima Medical Institute offers medical assisting education at three campuses, which provides choice flexibility to students. The training aims to help students learn the skills and expertise required for becoming a successful professional.

Medical Assistant Certificate Program: The medical assistant certificate course is available in both day class (35-week) and night class (40-week) formats. The program consists of 34 credits and has been divided into career preparation (6.5 credits), professional sequence I (6 credits), professional sequence II (5.5 credits), professional sequence III (6 credits), professional sequence IV (6 credits), and externship (4-credits). During the training, you will receive education on various techniques for examining patients, handling the billing and coding procedures, critical aspects involved in the surgical operations, and key procedural requirements while working in the laboratory. Towards the end of the program, you will undergo an externship in a hospital, private clinic, or nursing home, among others. This training exercise will provide you an opportunity to have hands-on experience of working in real-life conditions.

Medical Administrative Assistant Certificate Program: The medical administrative assistant program is available in two formats - day program (30 weeks) and a night program (34 weeks). The course consists of 29 credits which have been divided into career preparation (6.5 credits), professional sequence I (6.0 credits), professional sequence II (5.5 credits), professional sequence III (6.0 credits), and externship (5.0 credits). The curriculum contains a total of 265 theory hours, 215 lab hours, and 240 externship hours. Upon graduation, you can find a work opportunity in a range of healthcare settings including hospitals, research organization, nursing homes, and private clinics, among others.


4) Concorde Career College, Aurora


For achieving the goal of a sustainable community, the medical assisting course offered by Concorde Career College emphasizes on the development of social and technical skills among students. The program covers both theoretical and practical aspects of medical assisting education to help aspirants turn into competent professionals.

The 8-month, full-time medical assistant training is available in both daytime and evening class formats. The course consists of 26-credits and is delivered in 30 weeks. The curriculum contains 795 contact hours, which are further divided into 330 theory hours, 240 laboratory hours, and 225 externship hours. During the training, career path courses are delivered online, while subjects related to medical assisting are taught in classrooms. Additional, course delivery methods include lab practical and an externship in a healthcare center. Upon graduation, you can start working as a medical assistant in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, private clinics, and rehabilitation centers, among others.


5) Emily Griffith Technical College, Denver


The medical assisting program offered by Emily Griffith Technical College helps students to have a rewarding career in the healthcare industry. The focus of training is on equipping the aspirants with clinical and administrative skills that are required to perform efficiently at work.

The seven-month medical assisting course consists of 39.5-program credits - 35-course credits and 4.5-internship credits. This full-time program has classes scheduled from Monday to Thursday and internship is scheduled at the end of the course. During the classroom instructions, you will receive education on subjects like fundamental of medical sciences, clinical and office administration skills, medical terminology, laboratory skills play, and ethical and legal considerations for medical professionals. The internship exercise, on the other hand, provides you an opportunity to apply theory into practice and work under a trained supervisor in real-world conditions. Upon graduation, you become eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant Exam.


6) IntelliTec College, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction & Pueblo


One of the well-known medical assistant schools in Colorado, IntelliTec College, focuses on producing quality professionals. The medical assistant program encourages teamwork and emphasizes experiential learning to ensure that students can meet the challenges of changing professional challenges.

The 10.5 months certificate program consists of 50 credit hours. The curriculum covers important aspects of medical assisting education comprehensively and contains a number of theory subjects. You’ll receive education on clinical and administrative aspects of medical assistance, cardiovascular diseases, immune system, pharmacology, pathology, pediatrics, reproductive, respiratory, and urinary system, and geriatric, among others. For a hands-on experience, you will work under the supervision of a trained medical practitioner in real-world settings during your externship. The program is offered at multiple locations, which provides you the choice flexibility while selecting the campus for the study.


7) IBMC College, Fort Collins, Greeley & Longmont


Focused on building a strong foundational base, the medical assisting program offered by IBMC College comprehensively covers clinical and administrative aspects of this field. The hands-on training experience during the course is provided by industry professionals, which presents a great learning opportunity for students.

The 10-month clinical medical assistant course consists of 47-credit hours and begins every 5th week. A total of 14 classes are scheduled, and during the training, you will receive education on medical terminology, fundamentals of the healthcare system, introduction to the clinical and medical assisting skills, pharmacology, and specialties related to the lifespan. In order to impart quality education, the college maintains a low student to faculty ratio, i.e., theory classes - 30:1 and lab practical - 16:1. Additionally, the college also provides you an opportunity to apply the skills in real-world community events such as Fall Feast, Weld Project, and 9News Fair. For practical experience, you will undergo a 5-week externship at the end of the course. Upon graduation, you become eligible to take a test for following certifications: Nationally certified medical assistant (NCMA), Nationally Registered Phlebotomy Technician, and Basic Life Support (BLS).


8) Morgan Community College, Fort Morgan


With a focus on cross-functional training, medical assisting programs offered by Morgan Community College prepare students to handle a variety of clinical and administrative tasks.

Medical Assistant Certificate: The 42 credit hours medical assisting certificate program begins in the spring semester each academic year and has been divided into four semesters - semester I (12 credit hours), semester II (13 credit hours), semester III (11 credit hours), and semester IV (6 credit hours). You will receive education on a number of clinical and administrative subjects, which include physiology and anatomy, pharmacology, communication skills, mathematics, emergency response system, and customer care services in the healthcare industry. In the last semester, you will undergo an internship under a trained industry mentor to help you learn the intricacies of working in real-world conditions.

Associate of Applied Science: The 60 credit hours degree program begins in the fall semester every year and has been divided into a total of five semesters - semester I (14 credit hours), semester II (14 credit hours), semester III (13 credit hours), semester IV (13 credit hours), and semester V (6 credit hours). In the last semester, you will receive practical exposure through an internship which is arranged in a variety of healthcare centers. Besides the hands-on training, the college will also help you to prepare for the Medical Assistant National certification exams.


9) Pueblo Community College, Pueblo


By providing a conducive learning environment to aspirants, the medical assisting education offered by Pueblo Community College has carved out a niche for itself. The college boasts of experienced faculty members, which coupled with state-of-the-art infrastructure, help students to realize their professional goals.

Certificate program: The 45-week medical assistant program in CO is a full-time course which begins in the fall semester each year. The course consists of 47-credit hours and to impart quality education; the college maintains a small class size of 18-20 students. During the fall semester, you will receive education on the basics of medical sciences and terminology while in the spring semester, courses like clinical and laboratory skills will be delivered. In the final summer semester, you will be taking a course on the health and nutrition besides undergoing an internship in medical assisting.

Degree program: The four-semester, full-time associate in applied science program consists of 62-credit hours. The curriculum is divided into general education courses (15-credit hours), elective courses (6-credit hours), and core courses (29-credit hours). The core courses will be delivered in three semesters - fall semester (17-credit hours), spring semester (17-credit hours), and summer semester (6-credit hours). Upon graduation, you will be eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant National Examination (RMA) administered by the American Medical Technologist (AMT).


10) CollegeAmerica - Colorado Springs, Denver & Fort Collins


If you are exploring the possibility to become a medical assistant in CO, then the associate degree program offered by CollegeAmerica could be considered. The college provides focused and personalized attention to students, thanks to its comparatively smaller size than other traditional universities and institutions.

The 20-month associate of occupational studies is a 94-credit program and offers candidates the flexibility to choose from three different locations to pursue their studies. The course will train you on the crucial aspects of administrative functioning and clinical procedures. The curriculum contains a variety of courses including pharmacology, legal and ethical issues involved in the healthcare field, communication skills, psychological well-being, muscular and respiratory system, and concepts related to motivation and professional growth. A 5.0 credit externship is also a part of the coursework and will help you to gain an understanding of working in real-world conditions.


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