VCC and CSUSM accept applications for medical assistant training program

VISTA – Vista Community Clinic and California State University San Marcos Extended Learning's partnership continues as they prepare to welcome the 16th cohort for the medical assistant training program. The six-month program combines classroom instruction and clinical experience to prepare students to work as medical assistants in a variety of health care settings.

Students will learn to provide patient care, work with doctors and nurses to meet the needs of patients, and perform administrative and clerical duties in an office environment. They also greet and assist patients with paperwork, show patients to their exam rooms and take patients' vitals and draw blood.

The medical assistant training program is accepting applications through Friday, April 12, with the priority consideration deadline for tuition assistance Friday, March 29. Enrollment in the program is $4,000, which includes textbooks, scrubs, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and additional support services.

Tuition assistance is available for a limited number of students who qualify. Job placement assistance is available for those who complete the program. Rates show more than 70% of the program graduates get hired, according to the clinic.

Cohort 11 graduate Stefani S. shared why they enrolled in the Medical Assistant training program.

"I have worked various jobs in different fields from clerical to warehouse settings," Stefani S. said. "Although I have learned a lot in every position I worked in, I never felt a connection to the work that I was doing. I wanted to enter the health care field to better myself, help people, and have a fulfilling career with opportunities for growth."

The medical assistant training program starts July 22, 2024, and runs through Jan. 4, 2025. Program information and a downloadable application are available at http://vistacommunityclinic.org/medical-assistant-program. For questions, email [email protected].

Submitted by Vista Community Clinic.