Wyoming's Best Medical Assistant Programs: Online & Campus

If you’ve thought about a career in health services, now may be the time to consider enrolling in one of the many quality campus-based and online medical assistant (MA) programs in Wyoming. Medical assistants play critical roles in aiding doctors, nurses, and other health team members in providing direct care to patients in a variety of medical settings. MAs earn solid pay and enjoy exceptionally high job security and growth potential. Plus, being a medical assistant provides the foundation to move your career into a number of advanced practice roles (licensed practical nurse, for example) in the future.

Launching your medical assistant career in Wyoming requires some formal education, the kind you can get through an on-campus or online medical assistant program in Wyoming. This guide shows you how to get started on your Wyoming MA program search. You’ll find useful information and advice on what medical assistants do, how much they earn, MA program costs, and a whole lot more. To get you going, we’ve spotlighted two quality online medical assistant programs in Wyoming to show you how you can get the training you need through the convenience of online study. Ready? Let’s get started.

Popular Online Medical Assistant Programs in Wyoming

Your success as a medical assistant starts with choosing the campus or online medical assistant program in Wyoming that’s right for you. Look for a combination of program components that best suits your unique academic needs and career goals. Those components include proper accreditation, generous admission requirements, study flexibility and convenience, affordability, a curriculum that provides the skills you’ll need as a working MA, and access to quality academic and career support services. You’ll also want a program that qualifies you to obtain one or more important medical assistant professional certifications.

Wyoming has several campus-based MA programs to choose from. But if online study is what you’re after, then you’ll most likely be looking to the two online medical assistant programs in Wyoming spotlighted below.

Herzing University

Herzing University is a private, nonprofit school that offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate programs online and at several campuses throughout the United States. Herzing University offers diploma and associate degree options through its online medical assistant program in Wyoming. The medical assisting diploma program requires 24 credits of core healthcare-related and clinical coursework completed over three semesters (12 months) of part-time study. The associate of science/associate of applied science in medical assisting services includes the coursework needed for the diploma program along with general education and additional healthcare courses. Completion of the 60-credit associate degree program requires four semesters (20 months full-time). However, students may be able to shorten their program lengths by transferring in credits for previously completed college coursework.

Academic coursework in both the diploma and associate degree programs is delivered 100% online via livestreamed classes. Both daytime and evening classes are offered. Additionally, students complete hands-on clinical labs and externships at program-affiliated medical practice facilities in Wyoming. Admission requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Estimated total program costs (tuition and fees with no credit transfers) are $13,995 for the diploma and $33,080 for the associate degree. A number of scholarship, grant, and other financial aid resources are available to qualifying students. Six program start dates are available throughout the year.

Northwest College

Northwest College (NWC) is a public community college with locations in Powell and Cody, Wyoming. The NWC certified medical assistant (CMA) certificate program is offered in a hybrid format that features a combination of online and on-campus courses. Students complete 32 credit hours that include two MA-specific courses (clinical medical assistant and medical office assistant) and six courses in healthcare-related and general education subjects. The two MA courses are offered in person on NWC’s Cody campus and include hands-on practice experiences in program-affiliated healthcare/medical office settings. All other courses are delivered entirely online in an asynchronous format that allows students to log in and complete their studies at any time.

Current total tuition costs (not including additional fees) for Northwest’s CMA program are $3,360 for Wyoming residents, $5,056 for students eligible for the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), and $10,080 for nonresident students. Nonresident students with a parent or guardian who graduated from NWC or any other Wyoming public community college may be eligible for Wyoming resident rates. The program is eligible for Wyoming Works grants, which can substantially reduce the total cost for qualifying state residents.

Salary & Career Potential for Wyoming’s Medical Assistants

Salary and job growth potential are major factors for anyone making a career choice, including anyone considering an online medical assistant program in Wyoming. We’ve gathered recent data from the U.S. Department of Labor on both wages and projected job growth for Wyoming medical assistants to give you a good idea on what you can expect as a working MA in the state.

The first table lists average annual wages for MAs in the U.S. and Wyoming in general and for two of the state’s biggest job markets. These figures show, for the most part, that medical assistants in the state earn salaries that are comparable to, though slightly lower than, those in the nation overall. Bear in mind, though, that what you actually earn in your Wyoming medical assistant position will depend on a number of variables, including your specific employer and job responsibilities, geographic location, and total years of professional work experience.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023

This second table lists recent long-term job growth estimates for medical assistants in the U.S. generally and Wyoming specifically. In both cases, the figures indicate exceptional growth potential and job security for MAs, particularly in comparison to the current estimated job growth rate of 4% for all occupations combined as projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source: Projections Central, 2022-2032

Answers to Your Questions

How do I know if an MA program is accredited?

Accreditation is an important consideration in your search of campus-based and online medical assistant programs in WY. Accreditation provides a way for you to be sure that a program meets important standards of academic quality. It’s also important because most medical assistant professional certifications require completion of an accredited MA program.

There are two basic forms of accreditation to look for: institutional and programmatic. Institutional accreditation has to do with the academic quality of a postsecondary institution as a whole. Accreditation of U.S. schools is administered by regional and national independent accreditation agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Programmatic accreditation focuses on assuring the academic quality of programs in a specific discipline. The two organizations that oversee the accreditation of medical assistant programs in the U.S. are the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

You should be able to find accreditation information for any online medical assistant program in Wyoming on a program’s or its school’s website. You can also check accreditation status by using this search engine sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.

How much does a medical assistant program cost?

Program affordability is a major concern for most MA students. The costs of campus and online medical assistant programs in Wyoming vary, sometimes substantially, depending on the specific credential awarded and the school (public or private) awarding it. You’ll find that MA programs offered by Wyoming public community college system schools all charge the same state-mandated per-credit tuition rates ($105 for Wyoming residents, $158 for WUE students, and $315 for all others), making their certificate programs among the most affordable in the state.

On the other end of the spectrum are private colleges, such as Herzing University (also spotlighted above), whose estimated total costs (tuition and fees) are just under $14,000 for its diploma program and just over $33,000 for its associate degree program. Again, bear in mind that you can expect to pay more for diploma and associate degree options that offer more extensive coursework with longer completion times. And don’t forget that you may be able to significantly reduce the cost of your online medical assistant program in Wyoming by taking advantage of the financial aid resources available to students.

How do I pass the certified medical assistant exam?

The medical assistant field offers a number of professional certifications, each with its own specific education and experience requirements. One of the most popular is the CMA certification from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). The AAMA requires students to have successfully completed an accredited medical assistant education program to sit for its CMA exam. However, you’ll want to spend some time and effort specifically preparing for the exam on top of completing your online MA program in Wyoming . The AAMA offers several test prep resources including practice exams, textbooks, review courses, and this exam content outline. Additional free and paid resources are available online.

Can a medical assistant program be entirely online?

Yes, it can. But while there are fully online programs elsewhere, as of now none of the online medical assistant programs in Wyoming can be completed entirely online. As discussed in the spotlights above, NWC’s CMA program requires on-campus attendance for two of the certificate’s eight required courses. And although Herzing University’s features 100% online academic coursework, students must still complete lab and externship requirements in person at a program-approved medical facility in the state.

Scope of Practice for Medical Assistants in WY

In the simplest of terms, medical assistants do exactly what the job title says: They assist physicians, nurses, and other licensed medical team members in providing care and treatment to patients. They’re employed in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physician’s offices, urgent care clinics, palliative care facilities, and virtually anywhere and everywhere else healthcare services are practiced. MAs are also employed in nontreatment settings such as diagnostic labs and medical research facilities, as well as with insurance companies and health services-related administrative agencies.

Medical assistant job duties and responsibilities fall into two general categories: clinical and administrative. According to the AAMA, Wyoming MAs can perform any task that a licensed medical provider delegates to them, as long as they have the skills. Here’s a look at some of the most common tasks for MAs to perform:

Clinical:

• Show patients into the exam room.
• Ask patients to describe their issues and symptoms and record their responses in their medical records.
• Take and record vital signs, including temperature, blood pressure, pulse, height, and weight.
• Describe treatment and examination procedures.
• Assist physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other licensed medical staff with patient examinations and treatment.
• Collect, label, and store blood samples, urine samples, and other samples for testing.
• Perform basic medical and lab tests.
• Apply and change dressings and bandages.
• Administer vaccinations and dispense medications under the direct supervision of a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or other authorized medical staff member.
• Instruct patients and their families on home use of prescribed medications, home care and treatment, special diets, etc.

Administrative:

• Oversee the office front desk. Answer phone calls and respond to practice-related emails and texts.
• Schedule appointments.
• File and manage office records.
• Perform other common office management tasks such as opening and sorting mail, preparing invoices, taking and recording patient insurance information, basic bookkeeping, and ordering and managing office and medical supplies.