San Jacinto College offers top-notch training for people interested in medical assisting, an allied health career field that is expanding rapidly, largely because training can be completed in one year.

San Jacinto College instructor Diana Houston (left) collaborates with student Jessica Elizondo during a medical assisting lab session.

“Demand is high for well-trained medical assistants,” commented Diana Houston, director of the medical assisting program at San Jacinto College North. “Employers are seeking and recruiting these allied health professionals because of their uniquely diverse clinical and administrative training. As the number of medical assistants grows, so does the recognition of their value in the marketplace.”

A medical assistant provides valuable services performing both administrative and clinical duties, and reports directly to an office manager, physician, or other health care practitioner. Administrative duties may include answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patient medical records, completing insurance forms, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping. Clinical duties may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting physicians during examination.

San Jacinto College’s program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Endowment Program, and graduating students are eligible to take the national Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam. The program requires students to complete 39 semester credit hours, which can be completed in one year.

Classrooms and lab facilities are well equipped with the latest technology so that students can keep pace with the latest trends and developments. Moreover, medical assisting students at San Jacinto College gain valuable hands-on experience through internships at Houston-area medical facilities, including Bayshore Family Practice, Gulfgate Community Health Center, Pasadena Health Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and private doctors’ offices.

Graduating medical assistant students at San Jacinto College consistently have high pass rates on the national exam to become a CMA and there is nearly always a 100 percent employment rate for graduating students.

According to the Texas Wage Information website http://www.texaswages.com/, the current entry wage for a medical assistant is $19,574 annually (or $9.41 per hour); an experienced worker can expect to receive approximately $27,498 annually (or $13.22 per hour); while the median wage is $24,497 annually (or $11.78 per hour).

San Jacinto College medical assisting student Jessica Elizondo says the program is opening doors of opportunity as she explores career paths.

“The program is very good at covering everything a medical assistant will encounter,” she commented. “When I first started, I had no idea of the courses I had to take or the skills I had to learn. Because of this program’s high standards of competence, I am able to set higher and better goals for myself. Not only is the program helping me become a medical assistant, but I’m also learning how I can educate others about certain diseases and conditions and how to prevent them.”

Elizondo says the College’s program is also helping her mature and grow as a person. “At first my goal was simply to graduate as a medical assistant,” she remarked. “With time, I realized I want to set higher career goals for myself. After experience as a medical assistant, I hope to become a pediatric nurse practitioner. What I like about this program is that I am able to do something I love doing, which is helping others. It gives me the chance to make a positive difference on someone’s life.”

For more information about San Jacinto College’s medical assisting program, please call 281-459-5410 or contact Diana Houston via e-mail at diana.houston@sjcd.edu.