Medical Assistant Class Forming at Penn College's North Campus

The next Medical Assistant class at Pennsylvania College of Technology's North Campus, located three miles east of Wellsboro, is scheduled to begin in August.

The Medical Assistant program consists of classroom and laboratory instruction to prepare participants to perform general administrative, receptionist and basic clinical procedures in doctor's offices, clinics, medical facilities and human-service agencies. Medical assistants primarily work in outpatient settings, keeping offices and clinics running smoothly.

Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations as the health-services industry expands. Due to technological advances in medicine and a growing and aging population, medical assistant is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States.

Medical assistants are trained for a variety of entry-level medical-office positions such as transcriptionist, billing and insurance clerk, office technician, information or personnel clerk, and phlebotomist.

Students in the daytime course complete 800 hours of classroom instruction and 160 hours in a medical-office setting. They will begin on Aug. 28 and are scheduled to finish the program on May 15.

Graduates are eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant certification exam offered by the Association of American Medical Technologists. The program was designed specifically for the North Campus by Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Penn College.

Applications will be accepted until the class is full. Applicants for the program must have a high school diploma or GED, a recent Pennsylvania State Police criminal-background check and a medical examination, including specific immunizations. Financial assistance may be available to those who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

To request a packet of information, call the North Campus at (570) 724-7703 or send e-mail .