Medical Assisting (AS or certificate)

What is A Medical Assisting (AS or certificate) Degree?

The medical profession largely involves the caring for and comforting of humans and animals using scientifically determined ethical methods and procedures.  The human element is as important as the scientific one in the field.  One way to be involved in the healthcare field with two years of college-level training involves earning an Associate’s (AS) degree in Medical Assisting.  Some schools offer certificates in medical assisting, too, which can be completed in about a year.

Medical Assistants with the AS degree or certificate work in doctor’s offices, clinics, or hospitals, doing things like taking patient’s vital signs, assisting with minor surgical procedures, taking x-rays, scheduling appointments, or keeping patients’ records.  If you work in a hospital, you may focus on performing primarily one or two of these tasks.  In an AS program, in addition to general education courses, you’ll study things like anatomy and physiology, phlebotomy, pharmacology, medical terminology, patient care, and administrative procedures—everything you’ll need to know to have a wide variety of contacts with patients and other staff.