Program Details Page Medical Assistant Certificate, AAS and AAS-T

Here is a general overview of what your classes will look like following each quarter. This information may change. Please contact your advisor for more information regarding the courses. To see which materials are needed for your courses, click this bookstore link (Links to an external site.) and enter the course information.

What is I-BEST?

General Overview

When can I start? Fall (September) or Winter (January)

How long is the program?

4 quarters (11 months) with 70 credits for the certificate
6 quarters (17 to 18 months) with 90 total credits for the AAS or AAS-T degree

When do classes meet? Daytime: Tuesday - Thursday. Evening: Monday - Wednesday. Check class schedule online. Both daytime and evening options are hybrid

Are summer classes required? Yes. You cannot complete the certificate or degree without attending classes during summer quarter (July and early August).

Medical Assistants work in the frontlines of medical care, helping physicians and specialists with medical procedures and administrative duties. You will learn to work with patients for a variety of procedures: drawing blood, performing EKGs, giving medications or immunizations, assisting doctors with minor surgeries, and explaining medical insurance and billing. The program includes a clinical practicum where students will practice their skills in the field. You will be prepared to take all four nationally recognized medical assistant credentialing exams such as the Registered Medical Assistant certification exam, which is required for work.

You can learn more about the MEDA program in our $25 class CCP 045 Bridge to Allied Health and Human Services.

What does a medical assistant do?

Learn more about Medical Assistant Technical Standards (physical requirements, working conditions, and job duties) and Occupational Risks.

What is the average salary?

$52,620 annually in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area. Most medical assistants earn at least $44,410; there is a wide salary range.

Who can I contact with questions?

New students, please visit our Zoom lobby (Links to an external site.) to talk with someone by video chat, or e-mail our advising department.
For current students, please visit RTC's advising page (Links to an external site and look for the faculty counselor assigned to Medical Assistant.

(Links to an external site.)

Overall Materials Needed:

Access to a functioning laptop or computer (you may use computers in the RTC Library or Learning Resource Center)
Webcam
Working internet connection
CastleBranch account ($106), with immunizations and background check
Malpractice and liability insurance ($14.62)
Personal health insurance
Two sets of scrubs ($50 each)
Clinical supplies (stethoscope with a pressure cuff, $50; watch with a second hand, $20; disposable gloves, $20)
Textbooks and software codes ($365 for program classes; $75 additional for AAS and AAS-T General Education classes)

Note: Students must complete 160 hours in a clinic during the fourth quarter of the program to meet the licensing criteria for Washington State.

Minimum GPA or grades to graduate

You need to earn a 2.7 in COL 101 and all MEDA classes for the certificate. You can earn a 2.0 or better in each general education class needed for a degree. Finally, your overall or cumulative GPA must be 2.0 or higher.

Materials Warning

Some materials on this page are listed as TBD, which means that the materials have yet to be determined. Please consult your instructor on what textbooks or materials are required for the class. If you rent a textbook, make sure you return it by the deadline. If you purchase a textbook, you can sell it back to the RTC bookstore -- but make sure that you won't need the book again for classes in the future!

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Fall

Quarter 1

[Fall] Quarter 1 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,391**
**Description:** You will study medical terminology with a focus on common diseases. You also learn safe ways to take a patient's vital signs, fill out their medical chart, conduct ear and eye exams, and disinfect and sterilize the room and equipment. Your math class focuses on arithmetic, fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, and medication dosages.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
COL 101	College Success	NO	2
MEDA 117	Medical Terminology and the Human Body	YES	4
MEDA 125	Introduction to Clinical Procedures	YES	6
MEDA 171	Communications and Human Relations in Healthcare	NO	4
MEDA 168	Healthcare Mathematics	NO	4

Quarter 2

[Winter] Quarter 2 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,426**
**Description**: You will learn how to interview patients and use Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR) software. Your first anatomy and physiology class focuses on the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems, and your first clinical procedures class teaches you to collect and process biological specimens. You also study public health, the spread of diseases, ethical work behavior, and healthcare CPR.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
MEDA 102	BLS Provider CPR/AED	NO	1
MEDA 108	Anatomy and Physiology I	NO	4
MEDA 121	Administrative Medical Procedures	NO	4
MEDA 126	Clinical Procedures I	NO	6
MEDA 132	Introduction to Disease Prevention and Health Promotion	NO	3
MEDA 150	Medical Law and Ethics	NO	2

Quarter 3

[Spring] Quarter 3 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $2,305**
**Description**: You will study the endocrine, cardiovascular, immune, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems and their related clinical procedures. You also explore symptoms of different diseases and the impact of chronic disease on a patient's mental health. Finally, you will learn basic medical billing and coding.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
MEDA 109	Anatomy and Physiology II	NO	4
MEDA 122	Introduction to Medical Insurance and Coding	NO	5
MEDA 127	Clinical Procedures II	NO	6
MEDA 133	Human Health, Disease, and Treatment	NO	3

Quarter 4

[Summer] Quarter 4 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,732**
**Description:** Your practicum includes 160 hours of supervised experience in a real medical office. You explore symptoms of different diseases and the impact of chronic disease on a patient's mental health and you prepare for the national certification exam for medical assistants, the NHA exam.
**It's time to apply for your certificate!**
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
MEDA 130	Career and National Exam Preparation	NO	2
MEDA 192	Practicum	NO	7
MEDA 193	Practicum Seminar	NO	3

Total Estimated Cost for Your Medical Assistant Certificate: $9,418

Additional costs: Licensing fee in Washington state ($145)

You can continue with Quarter 5 and Quarter 6 to earn your AAS or AAS-T degree.

Quarter 5

[Fall] Quarter 5 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,436 for 10 credits (AAS) and $1,841 for 15 credits (AAS-T)**
**Description:** You will take two General Education classes this quarter for your AAS degree and two or three for your AAS-T, depending on your mathematics placement.
Both degrees require a social science class and a communication or humanities class. You must take ENGL&101 for the AAS-T degree, and you may need AMATH 190 as a prerequisite for your MATH& class in quarter 6. Learn more about English and math placement options.
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
PSYC& 200	Lifespan Psychology (recommended) or any social science class	YES	5
ENGL& 101	English Composition (required for AAS-T) or any communication or humanities class for the AAS	varies by choice	5
AAS-T only: AMATH 190	Financial Algebra (if needed as a prerequisite for AAS-T math next quarter)	NO	(5)

Quarter 6

[Winter] Quarter 6 Course Information
**Estimated Tuition and Fees: $1,436**
**Description:** You will take two General Education classes (10 credits) this quarter. You get to choose any General Education course options for the AAS degree; recommended classes are listed below. You must take a transfer mathematic class for the AAS-T, along with a General Education elective.
It's time to apply for graduation!
Course ID	Course Name	Materials	Credits
AAS and AAS-T: BIOL& 160 or CHEM& 121	General Biology (recommended) or Introduction to Chemistry	YES	5
AAS: NUTR& 101 AAS-T: MATH& 146 or MATH& 107	Human Nutrition (recommended) Introduction to Statistics (recommended) `or Math in Society	YES	5

Total Estimated Cost for Your Medical Assistant AAS Degree: $12,289

Total Estimated Cost for Your Medical Assistant AAS-T Degree: $12,694

Continue your education! You can choose from applied bachelor programs in healthcare.

Winter