Objectives
The Medical Assisting program consists of 1060 hours of instruction (56 quarter credit hours) and is available in two schedules. Both the Day and Evening sessions require ten months (40 weeks) for completion on the basis of approximately 24 hours of instruction per week. The first five modules of the program are independent, thus the sequence in which they are offered to students may vary.
This program is taught in a Blended format (didactic/lecture material on-line and hands-on skills on-campus). As part of their materials, students receive a device which is fully compatible with the Learning Management System (LMS) used in the distance learning portion of courses.
Students will need approximately 24 hours per week for on-line instruction, activities and simulations and for on-campus lab work, with an additional six hours per week for reading assignments and other homework activities. Campus lab hours are 9-1 and 6-10. Students taking either day or evening labs need to plan on 2 lab sessions per week, based on course needs, and an occasional Saturday lab from 8-2. Lab schedules will be distributed to students prior to the start of each term. Course materials, assignments, and homework are accessible in an asynchronous format 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week through the Learning Management System (LMS).
This program intensively covers both the administrative and clinical functions performed by medical assistants. Students will develop an understanding of anatomy and physiology, disease processes and prevention, medical terminology, billing and records management, and the skills involved in vital signs, charting, lab work and specimen collections, examinations, CPR and first aid. Emphasis is placed on day-to-day operational skills along with the personal, professional and customer service skills needed to be a contributing member of a medical practice.
The sixth module of the program provides credentialing exam review where students will prepare to successfully pass the national exam. The final term of the program consists of 300 hours of externship and 40 hours of Professional Readiness where students practice their skills in a commercial or non-profit medical setting. It may be necessary for day and evening medical assisting students to accomplish their externships at a facility operating on a schedule of only daytime hours. Externships are unpaid. Students should be aware that some Externship sites will require background checks, drug tests and/or updated immunizations, including COVID, all of which would be the student’s financial responsibility. Externship sites are generally within a sixty (60) mile radius of campus.
The Medical Assisting classrooms and labs are equipped with the same kinds of medical, diagnostic, and administrative office equipment currently in use in physician’s offices, hospitals, and clinics. Computer workstations, EKG machines, blood and urine analyzers, adult and child mannequins, centrifuges, phlebotomy equipment, autoclaves, and microscopes are used by the students. The learning environment is enhanced through a variety of anatomical charts, models, and skeletons.
The program is taught over six 5-week modules and one 10-week term.
The maximum number of students being taught in an on campus classroom or lab is twenty, and the maximum number of students in an on-line class is twenty-five.
Graduates receive a diploma in Medical Assisting and will have sufficient knowledge and skills for entry-level employment as a medical assistant in medical offices, hospitals, clinics and other allied health environments.
For students who, under unusual circumstances, need to access the LMS Using something other than their school issued device, the technology requirements are:
Microsoft: Windows 10 (Need to use Chrome Browser or Firefox - current versions as released only)
iOS Devices: Current iOS release as issued by Apple
ChromeOS: Current version of ChromeOS as released by Google
Required Software: PDF viewing software - Adobe Acrobat Reader recommended
Bandwidth: recommend minimum of 5Mbps download and 1Mbps upload as tested on www.speedtest.net
Required Tools, Books & Supplies
There are certain tools, books and supplies that students will need to successfully master the skills and information taught in their program. For the most part, this equipment consists of items that will also be used when the student graduates and begins work in the occupation for which he or she has been prepared.
The Materials Fee covers all books, devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, supplies, and other materials and services that the students will receive from PCI during the course of their attendance in their program. (Any Ebooks issued are usually permanent once the student downloads them to their device. On-line access is usually limited to one year commencing with the day the E-book is activated. E-book access limits are based on publisher requirements and not within PCI’s control. E-book license limits are subject to change by the publisher without notice.) The amount of the Materials Fee is specified at the time the student submits his or her application. Even if costs increase, students will never pay more than the fee specified in their Enrollment Agreement.
The Graduation and Employment Rates reported to our institutional accrediting agency, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) in the 2025 Annual Report are found at the end of this catalog. The rates reported on the 2025 Annual Report to the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES), the programmatic accreditor of the Medical Assisting program through February 2025, use a different formula and a different time frame. By campus they are:
Worcester:
Graduation 76%
Employment 77%
Veterans’ Benefits are not currently available for this program.
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