Montgomery County Community College’s Medical Assisting Program was ranked as the top program in Pennsylvania for 2019 by Medical Assistant Advice.

The rankings are based on several factors, including the number of students enrolled in the program, graduation rate, Niche.com ratings and review, full-time retention, admission rate, average net price and student-to-faculty ratio. Medical Assistant Advice is a team of educators and medical assistants who provide research and information for medical assistants.

Through MCCC’s Medical Assisting Program, students are prepared for national certifications, including the American Medical Technologist’s (AMT) Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) national credential, as well as the National Healthcare Association’s (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential.   

Offered at both MCCC’s West Campus in Pottstown and Central Campus in Blue Bell, the program has been preparing students for this growing field for more than 15 years. During that time, Director of Medical Office Professions Kathy Schreiner has seen the demand for graduates grown for several reasons.

“The population in this area is growing, and our region is home to some of the largest health care entities in the country, making them among the area’s largest employers. The state has the third-largest aging population, with nearly 17 percent of the population being over 65 and in greater need of health care. Also, many nurses have moved into hospital nursing and away from the physician office jobs that are currently being staffed by our graduates,” Schreiner said.

“The job market is phenomenal, and salaries have risen as their roles have expanded,” she said. “Our students are well prepared, and they are valued members of the health care community.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of medical assistants/medical office assistants is projected to grow 29 percent by 2026, faster than the average for all occupations.

“The graduates of our program can practice anywhere in the United States,” said Schreiner. “In the past 9 years we’ve had a 100 percent pass rate on the Registered Medical Assisting (RMA) national certification examination and a 98.6 percent pass rate since the program started in 2003.”

MCCC’s agreements with more than 200 regional health care organizations and physician offices allow new medical assistants to find jobs in their field immediately. Often, their externship leads directly to an offer of employment.

 “Students are able to complete the Medical Assisting Program in one year and are prepared to begin an exciting and rewarding health care career. And, if they choose to continue, 19 of the credits they’ve earned are stackable to an associate degree in Health Services Management, which can be earned in approximately one and a half more years.”

For more information about MCCC’s Medical Assisting Program and other academic programs, visit mc3.edu. Students can register now for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 28.