Medical Assistant

Edmonds College can prepare you to earn a certificate for a career in one of the fastest-growing professions in the healthcare industry in less than a year. Our Medical Assistant program will prepare you to work alongside medical providers in medical offices and clinics to provide the best possible care for patients and play an integral role in patient care management. Once you complete our program, you can provide clinical and administrative support in outpatient settings in the community, ambulatory care centers, and hospitals.

The program will prepare you to preform clinical duties, including how to assist with examinations and treatments, conducting medical histories, performing laboratory examinations and procedures, completing vital signs, sterilizing instruments and supplies, assisting with minor surgery, medical office administrative services, and administering medications.

You will also learn to do administrative duties, including managing patient schedules and supply inventories, handling billing and insurance-related tasks, updating and maintaining medical records, and assisting with overall office management.

Courses combine online learning with on-campus skills labs to learn the art of medical assisting and culminate in clinical externships that provide real-world experience in the profession.

Medical Assistant Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov), employment of Medical Assistants nationally is projected to grow 16% percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. The Washington State Employment Security Department (esd.wa.gov) projects an average annual growth rate of 1.7% from 2020 through 2030 for Medical Assistants in Snohomish County and 1.7% in Seattle-King County. As of 2022, the average hourly wages are $26.22 in Snohomish County and $26.43 in Seattle-King County.

Academic Planning

Quarter 1

Quarter 2

Quarter 3

Clinical Experiences/Externship Requirements

Participation in a clinical experience requires proof of vaccination for common infectious diseases including influenza and COVID-19. The Clinical Passport outlines the immunization requirements. Download a copy and keep it in a safe place. The CPNW-Clinical Passport Tutorial overviews each document section and will take 30 minutes to complete. If you have additional questions after completing the tutorial, please contact an Allied Health faculty advisor.

Background checks are also required to participate in clinical externships and must be completed before registering for a clinical externship class. The DSHS Secretary provides a list of Disqualifying Crimes and Negative Actions. If you have any concerns, please contact an Allied Health Faculty advisor.

All immunization and criminal background checks for allied health programs go through our online databank system CastleBranch. To place an order, enter package code EE78. The cost is $96 with an additional fee of $1.99. 

Advising

For program information and questions, please contact one of the following Medical Assistant / Allied Health program advisors:

Elizabeth Patterson | elizabeth.patterson@edmonds.edu | 425.640.1061
Cathy Dominguez | cathy.dominguez@edmonds.edu | 425.640.1242
Terri Glazewski | terri.glazewski@edmonds.edu | 425.640.1691

Take the Next Step:

Students who want to continue their studies in healthcare may apply the Medical Assistant coursework towards the Allied Health associate degree and the Integrated Healthcare Management Bachelor of Applied Science degree:

• Allied Health Education AAS-T
• Integrated Health Care Management Bachelor of Applied Science