Medical Assistant Training Program

Next class starts July 22, 2024.

Train for an exciting and high demand career as a Medical Assistant. Vista Community Clinic (VCC) and Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Extended Learning are partnering in a healthcare grant to develop certificated Medical Assistants. Upon completion, CSUSM will issue a Certificate of Completion of the Medical Assistant Training Program. Successful completion can lead to sitting for the Certified Clinical Medial Assistant exam. The program will be open to any applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Able to provide proof of GED or HS Diploma
• Have active health insurance (by start of program)

Career pathway:

Certified medical assistants most often work in a doctor’s office, a nursing care center, or another medical facility such as a hospital, nursing home, or pharmacy. Their responsibilities include providing patient care, working with doctors and nurses to meet the needs of patients, and performing administrative and clerical duties in an office environment. They greet and assist patients with paperwork, show patients to their exam rooms, and take patients’ vitals and draw blood. A typical work week usually includes a full-time schedule during regular business hours, although duration of shifts vary depending on medical facility. Some of the common work tasks of a Medical Assistant may be:

• Administer vaccinations
• Prepare patients for clinical procedures
• Draw blood
• Interview and record patients’ medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
• Collect, prepare and log blood, tissue or other laboratory specimens.
• Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.
• May assist with administrative duties including scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding for insurance purposes.

The six-month program combines classroom instruction and clinical experience to prepare students to work as medical assistants in a variety of health care settings. Students will complete 160 hours of unpaid internship/externship during the course of the program. The total cost of the program is $4,000 and includes textbooks, scrubs, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, and additional support services. All students are required to obtain CPR Basic Life Support Provider Card prior to the start of the program. Tuition assistance is available for a limited number of students who qualify. Job placement assistance is available for those who successfully complete the program. Rates show more than 70% of our graduates get hired!

Classes for the Medical Assistant Training Program are held during the week on Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 5:30pm-9:30pm (held virtually by Zoom until further notice), and Saturdays from 8am-5pm (4-hours in-person in sub-clinical groups and 4 hours virtually) at VCC: North River, 4700 North River Road in Oceanside.

To apply for tuition assistance, apply by the Priority Deadline: March 29th, 2024. If you miss this deadline, you’ll still have time to apply until April 12th, 2024. Apply early to reserve your spot! For more information, call Vista Community Clinic by phone at (760) 631-5000 ext 7146 or send an email to MAProgram@vcc.org.
You can download the general (non-employee) application by clicking HERE

*Dates to remember:

• Priority application (TA) deadline: March 29th, 2024
• Closing application deadline: April 12th, 2024
• First day of class: July 22, 2024
• Last day of class: January 4th, 2025 (followed by 80 hour externship)
• Holiday’s Observed
  • Labor Day: Monday, 9/2/24
  • Veteran’s Day: Monday, 11/11/24
  • Thanksgiving: Thursday, 11/28/24
  • Holiday Break: Monday, 12/23/24 to Thursday, 1/2/2025

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)