In response to high demand, Sinclair Community College adds medical assistant certificate program
The demand for trained and certified medical assistants has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. SCC officials added the training certification program to help meet that need and offer another avenue to employment for prospective students.
A new certification program will be offered at Sinclair Community College in response to growing demand. The one-year program will train students to become medical assistants and prepare them for a certification test. The college recognized the opportunity to provide students with a program that could launch a career in healthcare in a short amount of time while meeting a community demand for medical assistants from healthcare offices and organizations. The program offered by Sinclair Community College will also allow students to segue into an associates program after completion, meaning students can start their careers while earning an additional degree.
Even prior to the pandemic, the medical assistant field was growing, with a figure from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics from 2019 predicting over 20% growth in available jobs by 2028. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, that demand is even more evident. In an announcement from SCC about the new program, Director of the Sinclair College Medical Assistant Technology Program Deborah Atkinson said, "Skilled medical assistants are desperately needed as a result of the pandemic and Sinclair can help address that need through the 1-year technical certificate. Sinclair students receive the vital training they need to begin a career in this high-demand field with the option of continuing their education to complete the medical assistant associate degree."
Students who complete the program can expect to find jobs in a variety of settings including urgent care centers, specialty clinics, and ambulatory care centers. The program is designed to be able to be completed in three terms with full-time enrollment. Sinclair Community College is in the process of seeking accreditation for this new program from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.