Top 10 Medical Assistant Schools in Maryland – Medical Assisting MD
Possible upcoming changes in Medicare have doctor’s offices everywhere scrambling to hire certified Medical Assistants for their front office, clinical, and billing positions. In the meantime, states may begin to push for the certification of Medical Assistants, which would mean anyone with MA coursework and experience (an externship) would be on the preferred hire list for medical offices everywhere.
Maryland will see tremendous changes, since at present time certification is not required for working as a Medical Assistant. If you’re considering this field, below are the Top 10 medical assistant schools in Maryland, by city.
Medical Assistant Schools in Baltimore
Stein Academy
For students who want to attend a Medical Assisting program right in Baltimore, Stein Academy has day and evening classes leading to a certificate and qualification to take certifying exams.
The program is a 600-hour schedule of classes, including 160 hours of externship during the final phase. The length of the program is 24 weeks, which is 20 hours of classroom instruction followed by 4 weeks of externship, which is 40 hours per week. The only drawback of this program is that Federal Financial Aid is not offered, nor is any other type of aid. Tuition is $11,100.
Harford Community College
If you’re willing to drive 37 miles north of Baltimore, Harford Community College offers an excellent and very low-cost Medical Office Assistant program leading to an LD certificate. Running just 36 weeks, the evening-only program boasts a 75% job placement rate and costs just $1375…one of the most affordable programs available in the country.
Community College of Baltimore County
CCBC’s program lasts 36 weeks and has an impressive employment rate of 86%. Classes are offered during the day as well as in the evening and tuition is roughly $2400. Conveniently located just off I95 where it crosses 895, off Rossville Blvd, CCBC lies northeast of the center of Baltimore.
Fortis
Fortis has a Medical Assisting program just outside of Baltimore, in Towson. Fortis is accredited and offers MA programs all over the country with three locations in MD: Towson, Woodlawn, and Landover.
TESST College of Technology
TESST’s Baltimore campus has a Medical Assisting program- see below for a description of TESST’s Beltsville location, in the Columbia section.
Medical Assistant Schools in Columbia
TESST College of Technology
TESST College of Technology in Beltsville, MD is just 17 miles from Columbia and offers a Medical Assisting program that’s convenient and respected in the medical community. Students get bonus EKG training and when they complete the program may sit for certification exams. A practicum is included in the course of study, so students graduate with real-world study that’s vital for success when job seeking.
TESST students may apply for Federal Financial Aid, and they offer tuition assistance to military personnel and vets as well.
Medical Assistant Schools in Germantown
MedTech
Germantown is only 22 miles from Silver Spring, where there are several schools with medical assisting programs, including MedTech. MedTech, known around the country for its healthcare education programs, was formerly the Sanz School in Maryland.
The Sanz School was a foreign language school and even now that MedTech has taken the reins the language departments are especially strong…and popular. Students may with to hone language skills by taking some courses, all the better to improve their chances of landing a job later on.
Medical Assistant Schools in Silver Spring
TESST College of Technology
TESST College of Technology in Beltsville, MD is just eight and a half miles from Silver Spring and offers a Medical Assisting program. Refer above to the Columbia section for a description of the program.
Westwood College
Although not technically in Maryland, Westwood College in Arlington, VA is convenient to Silver Spring, which is only 12 miles away. Both a diploma and an AAS degree in Medical Assisting are available, and both include an externship for practical experience before students hit the job market.
Upon graduation, students are prepared to take the RMA certification exam, the cost of which is covered by tuition (AAS degree: $35,959 + $2,572 for books and supplies…up to $19,248 in federal loans are available, and Westwood offers up to $4,113 in loans). The AAS degree takes 17 months to complete and boasts a 77% job placement rate.
Medical Assistant Schools in Frederick
Kaplan University
Kaplan has a branch in Hagerstown, which is just 27 miles from Frederick, MD up Interstate 70. The campus is lovely and Kaplan regularly attracts international students, for a lively and diverse student population.
Kaplan has both a certificate program and an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting. The certificate program is 57 credits and the AAS degree is 92 credits and takes 15 to 18 months to complete. There is the option to complete the degree with a blend of online and campus-based coursework.
Frederick Community College
FCC’s program lasts 40 weeks and leads to what they call an “LD Certificate”. Tuition is reasonable, at just over $4000 including books and fees. They offer both day and evening classes and the program consists of 33-34 credit hours. Graduates may sit for a certification exam. The program takes 10 months to complete when students study full time (the program can be done on a part-time basis too).
Worth noting: FCC’s program may be taken completely online.
FCC also offers a “Medical Administrative Specialist” certificate program for those more interested in the business side of things. This program is much shorter at six months.
Hagerstown Community College
An LD certificate is also available at Hagerstown CC, whose tuition is only slightly higher than FCC’s. The program is technically called “Medical Office Assistant/Specialist” but trains just like any other MA program, in the administrative as well as clinical aspects of the job. Employment rate is 75% and courses are offered both during the day and in the evening.
Duration is 68 to 104 weeks, depending on whether you go for the certificate or the AAS degree. They also offer a certificate in Medical Coding and Reimbursement Specialist, as well as nursing programs should students want to transition directly into the higher field of study
