Oklahoma Accredited Medical Assistant Schools and Programs
Medical assistants in Oklahoma are in hot demand. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a career as a medical assistant is one of the fastest-growing medical occupations. Moreover, the median annual income for medical assistants in Oklahoma is around $30,000. The increasing demand, coupled with the fact that the state’s cost of living is lower than most, makes Oklahoma a viable option to begin your career as a medical assistant.
The three largest metropolitan areas – Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Lawton – are home to numerous hospitals, clinics and medical facilities. This opens many doors for prospective medical assistants.
Medical assistant certification isn’t a legal requirement in Oklahoma; however, it’s preferred by many employers. Obtaining certification will also set you apart from non-certified medical assistants. To obtain certification, you must graduate from an accredited program and pass a required examination governed by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
Most training programs take from nine months to a year to complete. A key factor when looking for a school is to make sure that they are accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
List of Oklahoma Medical Assisting Programs
1. Moore Norman Technology Center
Campus Location: Norman
Moore Norman Technology Center offers students a diploma program that provides the necessary skills to become a professional medical assistant. This nationally accredited program offers classroom instruction as well as clinical rotations at medical offices and clinics. Courses include anatomy and medical terminology as well as instrumentation and patient coding. Upon graduation, students are qualified to take the coveted medical assistant certification examination.
2. Community Care College
Campus Location: Tulsa
The medical assistant program at Community Care College was accredited in 1998 and offers a medical assistant diploma and a two-year associate of applied science degree for students who are looking to expand their education. Both programs provide courses on procedures, techniques and clinical skills required for medical assistants. The clinical skills section of the curriculum takes place at a variety of medical settings in the Tulsa area. Graduates of both educational tracks can take the AAMA national certification exam.
3. Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Campus Location: Oklahoma City
Full-time students can complete the medical assistant diploma program at Frances Tuttle Technology Center in just nine months. Through a cooperative agreement, classes taken at this institution are transferable toward an associate of applied science degree at Oklahoma City Community College. Both programs provide courses related to administrative and clinical duties required by working medical assistants. Graduates are also eligible to sit for the AAMA certification exam.
4. Med Noc Training College
Campus Location: Oklahoma City
Med Noc Training College is a private, for-profit medical career training institution that offers students an affordable Medical Assistant Certificate program that’s comprised of 448-clock hours (288 class/lab hours and 160 clinical externship hours). The program focuses on the clinical aspects of medical assisting and incorporates a mixture of in-class instruction, hands-on lab practice and skill training, and a clinical externship to ready its students. Students can complete the program in as little as thirteen weeks if they opt for the weekday program, or eighteen weeks for the weekend option. Key skills that the program seeks to develop in students include communication and interpersonal abilities, infection control, some administrative skills, as well as a wide variety of technical and clinical skills.
5. Oklahoma City Community College
Campus Location: Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Community College is a public college that offers a 65 credit-hour Associate in Applied Science in Medical Assistant (A.A.S.) program that can be completed in as little as four semesters, or about two years. The program utilizes a mixture of in-class lecture, hands-on lab practice, and a clinical externship to prepare students for future careers in healthcare. Upon the successful completion of the program, students will be well prepared to seek entry-level employment as a medical assistant in places like medical/doctor’s offices, insurance companies, hospitals and more. Courses that students should be prepared to encounter while enrolled in the program include medical terminology, psychology, human anatomy and physiology, and others.
6. Autry Technical Center
Campus Location: Enid
Autry Technology Center is a private, for-profit career college that offers an accredited Medical Assistant Certification program that trains multi-skilled healthcare professionals who work mainly in ambulatory settings like medical offices and clinicals. During the 525 contact-hour program, students learn skills like how to take patients’ vitals, record medical histories, draw blood, administer medication, and more. The program itself is composed of a combination of in-class instruction, hands-on lab/skills practice, and a clinical externship. Courses meet Monday through Friday during the day.
7. Pioneer Technology Center
Campus Location: Ponca
Pioneer Technology Center is a public career and technology education institute which offers students a 1050 contact-hour Medical Assistant Certificate program to prepare them for entry-level work in the healthcare field. Throughout the program, students learn a wide variety of both clinical and clerical/administrative skills and techniques which include taking vitals, appointment scheduling, phlebotomy, ECG, medical insurance billing, and others. Students should be prepared to take courses like anatomy, medical coding, law and ethics, and more.
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.