South Carolina Accredited Medical Assistant Schools and Programs
Over the next eight to ten years, employment for medical assistants is expected to increase over 30% according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The market is wide open for well-trained medical assistants seeking employment in South Carolina.
South Carolina’s capital city, Columbia, has over 133,000 residents. Charleston, South Carolina is the second most populated city – with over 128,000 people. There are plenty of medical facilities for you to land a job in this blossoming healthcare field.
All working medical assistants need to have training to be equipped to take care of patients and handle other duties such as record-keeping, billing and assisting doctors. Depending on whether you choose a diploma or associate degree program, your education can take anywhere from nine months to two years to complete.
List of Accredited South Carolina Medical Assistant Programs
1. Greenville Technical College
Campus Location: Greenville
Students at Greenville Technical College can earn a medical assistant diploma. There are both day and night programs available for students. The day program course of study is Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00AM to 1:00PM. Students enrolled in this program must take 900 hours, and the instruction lasts 18 months.
The night program starts at 6:00PM to 9:00PM on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. The program is 900 hours and takes 14 months to complete. Once students successfully pass all the training requirements, they can register for the AAMA certification exam.
2. Spartanburg Community College
Campus Location: Spartanburg
The medical assistant program at Spartanburg Community College offers a medical assistant diploma and a two-year associate of applied science degree for students who are looking to enhance their education. Both programs provide courses on disease identification, pharmacology and clinical skills required for medical assistants.
The clinical skills section of the curriculum takes place at a variety of medical settings in the Spartanburg area. Graduates of both educational tracks can take the AAMA national certification exam.
3. Trident Technical College
Campus Location: Charleston
Trident College serves over 17,000 students and offers a variety of competitive career training options. The medical assistant diploma offered by the school requires students to complete 52 credits and takes just over one year to complete.
There is also a two-year associate of applied science degree program available for students wishing to gain additional education. Both programs contain courses in medical ethics, patient preparation, insurance, medical billing as well as skills required for administrative and clinical settings.
Students will also receive hands-on training in any one of the local participating medical facilities. After graduation, students are qualified to take the coveted medical assistant certification examination.
4. Midland Technical College
Campus Location: West Columbia
Students at Midland Technical College receive a medical assistant diploma, which takes about a year to complete. Students must successfully pass 39 units of curriculum containing courses in medical records, pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, English, computer practicum course and basic laboratory procedures.
After graduation, students are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) examination or the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam.
5. Aiken Technical College
Campus Location: Graniteville
Aiken Technical College is a public, two-year technical college that offers students a 40-credit hour Medical Assistant Certificate program. The program is designed to ready students to assist physicians in performing a variety of clinical and office procedures. During the program, which includes in-class lecture, hands-on lab practice, and a clinical internship, students will complete courses like Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Medical Assisting, Medical Terminology, and others. ATC reports that its Medical Assistant program has a retention rate of 81 percent, while in the last five years, employers who hire ATC graduates have reported a satisfaction rate of 100 percent.
6. Miller-Motte Technical College
Campus Location: North Charleston
Miller-Motte Technical College is a for-profit technical college that offers a hybrid online/in-class Medical Assistant Certificate program that can be completed in as little as fifteen months. MMTC’s program employs a combination of classroom instruction and real-world experience to prepare students for future entry-level careers in the healthcare field. Some courses that students will take during the program include Clinical Foundations, Medical Insurance Billing, Clinical Specialties, and others.
Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. She has been writing since 1994 and has been published both on-line and in print.