how to become a medical assistant

What Are the Best-Reviewed Online Medical Assistant Degrees?

fotografixx/Getty Images

Online medical assistant programs make it easier and more convenient for people to earn a degree and start a career in the medical field, especially for those who already have jobs. Medical assistants perform a host of tasks that help contribute to the efficiency of healthcare facilities, such as nursing homes, doctor's offices and hospitals. Depending on the type of facility, a medical assistant may need to take on multiple responsibilities, including administrative functions, measuring a patient's vital signs, recording a patient's history and assisting doctors in medical examinations.

For anyone who wants to earn a degree as a medical assistant, these are the best-reviewed online programs.

Herzing University

Herzing offers a medical assistant diploma (DMA) online program. It takes approximately 10 months to complete and has coursework that includes courses in administrative skills for the medical office, medical terminology, pharmacology and medical clinical Assisting. The school's medical assisting associate degree takes between 16 to 24 months, or four to five semesters, depending on the student's pace. The American Medical Technologists Association handles the certification exams. Herzing University's online medical assistant program gets its accreditation from the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools. The university itself has won awards for its online programs, including "Best Online Bachelor's Program" from U.S. News and World Report.

@HerzingUniv/Twitter

Keiser University

With several locations in the state of Florida, Keiser University offers a 60-credit medical assistant degree with prerequisite courses in medical assistance, clinical education and general education. To earn a medical assistant degree and be elligible for an externship, students need at least a "C" in lectures and procedures. The net price for the program is approximately $26,000, which is on the high side when it comes to tuition fee averages for online medical assistants. However, students also get to enjoy support services for online students like career preparation and counseling. Keiser is one of the best-reviewed online medical assistant degrees because it boasts some of the highest graduation, part-time and full-time retention rates.

@KeiserU/Twitter

Alexandria Technical and Community College

Alexandria Technical and Community College (ATCC) offers online programs geared toward adult learner students. ATCC is one of the best colleges in the state of Minnesota in terms of retention, graduation and job placement rates and has a 60-credit medical assistant program that includes four semesters of coursework. This includes classes in healthcare systems and practices, technical writing, medical records keeping and medical terminology. The ATCC online medical assistant program is also one of the more budget-friendly options out there, with a net price of slightly more than $13,000.

StartupStockPhotos/Pixabay

Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Over the past several years, Minnesota West Community and Technical College (MWTC) has won various awards for being one of the best colleges both state- and nationwide. MWTC's online programs, including its medical assistant programs, have comprehensive support for distance learners, such as an online library, bookstore and technical support. The coursework for the college's medical administrative secretary AAS degree requires 60 credits with prerequisites in general education and elective courses, which is fairly standard. MWTC also has one of the lowest net costs for an online medical assistant program at approximately $9,400.

@MinnesotaWest/Twitter

Olney Central College

Olney Central College (OCC) has 45 online programs and counting, which is a testament to its proficiency in educating and assisting distance learners. Students in its medical office assistant degree program are among an average of 450 online students each semester. The program includes 68 credits with coursework in basic clinical competencies and training in administrative work. Another advantage of OCC's online medical office assistant degree program is that it has one of the lowest net costs at about $1,700.

@OlneyCentral/Twitter

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics places the job growth outlook for medical assistants at 23 percent, which is faster than the national average. The median pay for medical assistants as of 2018 was around $33,000.