10 Best Medical Assistant Programs in Connecticut – 2024

Written By: Editorial Staff @ NursingProcess.org

As a graduate of one of the medical assistant programs in Connecticut, you should never have a problem finding a great-paying job. Demand for MAs is expected to increase by 16.72 percent over the next 10 years, and medical assistants in the Nutmeg State make $43,920 annually. Graduating from an accredited medical assistant school will help prepare you to earn an MA credential, and an MA credential could boost your earnings even higher. Get a jump-start on a dynamic new career! Keep reading to find out all the inside information on the 10 best medical assistant programs in Connecticut for 2024.

WHAT ARE THE BEST MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROGRAMS IN CONNECTICUT?

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

1) Lincoln Technical Institute - New Britain

In 1996, Lincoln Technical Institute added medical assisting program to its list of educational offerings, and since then its medical assistant school in Connecticut has been producing quality professionals and making a remarkable contribution to the healthcare community.

Lincoln’s diploma program has flexible scheduling options. If you choose to study in daytime, then you can complete the program in about 40 weeks, whereas if you choose evening classes as a part-time learner, then it may take you up to 71 weeks to obtain your diploma. The 34-credit curriculum comprises of 900 hours of coursework, which is further classified into 370 lecture hours, 350 hours of lab sessions, and a 180-hour externship. This 6-week externship requires you to devote 30 hours each week, and it will take place only during daytime for both full-time and part-time students. Graduates of this program will be eligible to take the RMA exam administered by the AMT.

2) Stone Academy - East Hartford, Waterbury & West Haven

If you want to become a medical assistant in CT, then Stone Academy can provide you a solid base of medical assisting skills through its diploma program offered at its three campuses in the state of Connecticut.

The coursework of this 54-credit program contains 20 core medical assisting courses of 45 contact hours each, which will be taught on-campus in classroom and laboratory settings, and a 240-hour clinical practicum will be held at a real healthcare facility center. In addition to this, you will be required to devote some time in self-studies, approximately 370 homework hours. Depending upon the time convenient for you to attend the classes, you can opt for either day or evening classes; however, the number of courses and completion time for both will remain the same, i.e., one year (10 months for core courses delivered on-campus and two months for practicum).

3) Porter and Chester Institute - Hamden, New London, Rocky Hill, Stratford & Waterbury

Porter and Chester Institute has been offering medical assisting education since 1992. To meet the growing demand of this profession, PCI facilitates you to complete this education at any of its five campuses spread across the state of Connecticut. Apart from location convenience, the institute also simplifies learning options through day and evening classes, and in a blended format.

The medical assisting program of PCI is a combination of on-campus and online learnings and appropriate for both full-time and part-time students. If you are a full-time student, you can opt for the day classes and complete the coursework in nine months, whereas if you have work or family commitments and can opt only for the evening classes, then it will take you 15 months to complete this diploma program. The curriculum of both contains 900 hours of coursework, which is divided into six modules for daytime students, and five terms for evening students. These modules or terms are independent and can be delivered in different sequential order to the students.

Please Note: New London campus does not offer a blended format for this program.

4) American Institute - West Hartford

American Institute is equipped with state-of-the-art simulation laboratories and interactive classrooms that enable effective and convenient learning solutions to medical assisting students. Another noteworthy point of pursuing the medical assisting course from American Institute is that you will receive job search assistance from the career services specialists after you graduate.

The medical assistant program of the Institute is quite comprehensive in nature. The didactic coursework includes clinical and administrative functions of medical assisting in developing holistic professional skills among the students. The clinical part of the curriculum will train you on performing laboratory tests, preparing patients for treatments and examinations, assisting healthcare staff in a medical office, as well as providing first aid to patients or performing phlebotomy. The administrative part of the curriculum will teach you about front office procedures such as greeting patients, booking appointments, and filing insurance claims, among others.

5) Goodwin College - East Hartford

Goodwin College enrolls eligible medical assisting aspirants in the certificate and the degree programs at the same time, providing them a wonderful opportunity to pursue their medical assisting education with seamless ease. Also, the classes start six times a year, which means you do not have to wait to get started. Furthermore, education is a mix of on-campus training and online studies, and flexible day & evening classes are also offered to make your learning more convenient.

Certificate: The 36-credit curriculum of certificate program consists of 6-credit medical terms & anatomy (non-major core requirements); followed with the first semester of 12 credits that include medical law/ethics and insurance billing. In the second semester, you will learn about diagnostic and laboratory procedures, and in the third and final semester, you will go through a 160-hour internship in a real working environment.

Degree: The 60-credit curriculum of degree program includes the entire coursework of the certificate program. In addition to that, the degree curriculum also includes 21-credit general education courses and an elective course on health science. You can earn your degree in about 12 to 16 months, depending upon the options you choose between fast-paced track and regular pace track.

6) Branford Hall Career Institute - Branford & Southington

At Branford Hall Career Institute, you can learn about the clinical and administrative aspects of medical assisting and prepare yourself for the NCMA and RMA exams to become a certified or registered professional in the allied health field.
There are two scheduling options for this 45-credit medical assisting program offered at Branford – you either can enter the day program (30 weeks), or can take up evening program (56.25 weeks). The 900-clock-hour curriculum is quite comprehensive and skillfully designed and distributed the coursework with 510 theory classroom hours, 210 lab hours, and 180 externship hours. The core medical assisting courses will teach you about the human structures and its functionalities, pharmacology, aseptic techniques, and medical terminologies, among others. Upon completion of this program, you will gain sufficient knowledge to perform EKGs, phlebotomy, medical billing, and other tasks required to assist registered nurses or physicians in a healthcare environment.

7) Quinebaug Valley Community College - Danielson

Quinebaug Valley Community College provides aspirants an excellent opportunity to flourish in the healthcare career by completing the medical assisting degree program offered at College’s Danielson campus.

The 60-credit curriculum of this program gives you in-depth knowledge of medical assisting procedures in terms of its clinical and administrative aspects, which includes principles of pharmacology, medical terminology, healthcare law & ethics, and electronic medical records management among others. The curriculum also covers core general education courses that will enhance your communication and patient interaction skills, in addition to this, you will study subjects like Math (Algebra or Precalculus) and science (biology, anatomy, and physiology). Apart from this, you will also receive exposure to real-world working condition in a healthcare setting through the medical assisting practicum (externship). All this and more, you will be able to complete in about two and a half years.

8) Gateway Community College - New Haven

At its New Haven Campus, Gateway Community College offers extensive medical assistant programs in CT –

Medical office assistant training certificate: This 18-week program will give you quick insight into the medical terminologies, human structures, MS Word & Excel, Medicare reimbursement system, and medical insurance procedures, amongst others. Upon completion of this short-term course, you can look for employment opportunities in medical clinics or medical insurance organizations.

Medical Administrative Assistant Certificate: This 3-semester certificate program contains coursework of 31-32 credits. You will learn about all types of medical front office procedures, as well as receive exposure to 125-hour medical administrative practicum in a real-world work setting.

Medical Administrative Assistant Option, AS: This 4-semester degree program is designed to impart a higher level of expertise in the administrative aspect of medical assisting. You will be required to complete 61-62 credits of coursework to obtain your degree.

9) Norwalk Community College – Norwalk

Norwalk Community College offers a certificate program in medical assisting, which will prepare you for the CMA exam offered by the American Association of medical assistants. In addition to this, you can also transfer the credits earned in this program to the associate degree program in medical office management.

The coursework of this certificate program mainly covers two aspects of medical assisting – clinical and clerical. The clinical aspect of this curriculum will train you on performing phlebotomy, EKGs, and conducting laboratory tests. You will also learn about nutrition values, disease identifications, and pharmacology. The clerical aspect (part of coursework) includes front office receptionist duties, insurance monitoring, and bookkeeping, among others. The coursework will finish with a 175-hour practicum in a real-world setting, which will give you hands-on clinical experience before your graduation.

10) Capital Community College - Hartford

With a mission to cater to the needs of the healthcare community, Capital Community College is continuously thriving to provide an outstanding education to medical assisting students and prepare them for a booming healthcare career.

Capital CC offers an associate in science degree in medical assisting that emphasizes on imparting complete clinical as well as clerical skills required to work effectively in a medical office. The 60-credit coursework is divided into four semesters – first semester (16 credits), second semester (15 credits), third semester (12 credits), and fourth semester (13 credits). After completing this coursework with grade “C” or above, you will go through a 4-credit medical assisting externship, where you will enhance your skills acquired during lecture sessions and practical training. Graduates will be fully prepared to take the CMA or RMA exam administered by AAMA and AMT, respectively.


VIEW OUR RANKING METHODOLOGY


Nearby States


Popular Related Articles