Online Resources for Medical Assistant Students

Regardless of the credential type or study format you choose, successfully completing a medical assistant program will likely require some outside help – from your school, your peers, professional groups, and other sources. And that need for support continues once you’ve earned your credential and set out to launch your career. We’ve put together this guide to help you locate the best school and online resources to support you at all points along your medical assisting education and career path. Keep reading to see where you can turn to for quality help as a medical assistant student.

Medical Assistant Student Support Centers and Services

Your first stop for help on your medical assistant education and career path should be your school. And that’s the case whether you’re just beginning your medical assistant program search, needing help with coursework, looking for student housing, or finishing up your program and seeking your first medical assistant job. On some campuses, student support services are housed together in a single office. Other schools spread out their services in separate campus locations. And almost all schools provide information about their support services on their websites. It’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with your school’s student support services as soon as possible. Remember, supporting your success is what they’re there for.

The following three colleges offer noteworthy support service packages to their medical assistant students. We’ve spotlighted them to give you an idea of what you might expect to find at your school.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College offers its Medical Assistant Technical Diploma program in three-semester, full-time and five-semester, part-time formats on both its Green Bay and Marinette campuses. To support its medical assistant students, NWTC provides a substantial package of resources, including academic and financial coaching, career and personal counseling, help finding and paying for housing, food assistance and student emergency funding, and more. The Student Support Services department also sponsors events such as scholarship workshops and its Money Smart Week. Students can also join the school’s Medical Assistants Club. Detailed information on these resources can be found on the Student Support Services and Student Experience webpages.

Sinclair College

Sinclair College’s Medical Assistant Technology department offers programs for both a two-year AAS in Medical Assistant Technology and a one-year Medical Assistant Technical Certificate on its Dayton, Ohio campus. Information on the numerous student academic, career, financial, and personal resources can be found using the search engine on the college’s The Welcome Center webpage. In addition, Sinclair students with demonstrated academic need who meet certain other pre-requisites can access a full-range of supplemental support resources (counseling, mentoring, tutoring, etc.) through the federally-funded TRIO Student Support Services program. Medical assistant students are also invited to participate in the campus-sponsored chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Southwestern Community College

Southwestern Community College offers both Medical Assistant AAS and Certificate programs on its main campus in Sylva, North Carolina. Students in these programs can take advantage of the college’s substantial support resources, a list of which can be found at the bottom of the SCC website’s home page. Resources of note include career coaching and employment services, in-house and online tutoring, help finding off-campus housing, and much more. Southwestern is home to a TRIO Student Support Services program where medical assistant students with a demonstrated need for academic support can get additional help in meeting their academic and career goals.

Resources for Online Medical Assistant Students

The continued growth of quality distance education programs at the college level has carried over to the medical assisting field. Today, students have access to medical assistant degrees, diplomas, and certificates through fully-online and partially-online formatted programs. For many students, pursuing a medical assistant credential online will be their first venture into the virtual learning environment, bringing with it its own challenges. Fortunately, the increasing popularity of online education has brought with it a wealth of helpful resources for online students. Below are six resources that support current and prospective medical assistant students in making a successful transition to online learning, finding ways to pay for school, and preparing for professional certification.

Medical Assisting Professional Associations

One of the best things any student can do to successfully prepare themselves for the professional world is to join one or more student organizations or professional associations. Membership can unlock excellent learning and networking opportunities which can lead to valuable career advancement opportunities. Below are six professional groups that all medical assistants should get to know.

Online Communities and Networking Sites for Medical Assistants

Online communities and networking sites offer medical assistants a great place to interact with their peers where they can offer and receive professional advice, exchange leads on job and other career opportunities, or simply get to know each other and socialize. Here are six of the most popular online communities and networking sites bringing together medical assistants and other like-minded individuals:

Medical Assisting Blogs, Magazines, Podcasts, and Videos

Online networks and communities are not the only virtual sources of information for medical assistant students and professionals. There are plenty of other online media resources – books, magazines, podcasts, etc. – providing the most current information and advice for medical assistants. And the majority of these resources can be accessed free-of-charge. Here are six examples: