Four students graduate from Blinn College Clinical Medical Assistant Program
Job demand remains high, Bureau of Labor Statistics says
September 23, 2020
Four students – Bailey Elizondo, Gabriela Lopez, Kimberly Miller, and Shelby Pitts – recently completed Blinn College’s Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Program.
CMAs are medical support professionals who perform clinical and administrative duties under the direction of a physician. CMAs perform a variety of job duties, including maintaining patient medical records, scheduling appointments, administering medications, collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, and recording vital signs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national demand is expected to grow 19% between 2019 and 2029.
“Medical facilities have expanded the roles of clinical medical assistants to serve both in administrative and direct patient care roles,” said Karla Flanagan, Dean of Technical and Community Education. “This not only illustrates our community’s need for more clinical medical assistants, it also demonstrates their significance in the healthcare industry. Clinical medical assistants lay the foundation for quality care.”
Blinn’s 200-hour CMA Program is offered in Bryan and Brenham and consists of three courses. The first two courses take place in the classroom, introducing students to medical office operations, equipment, procedures, and how those apply in an ambulatory care setting. Students then apply specialized theory, skills, and concepts in a clinical setting under the direct supervision of a healthcare provider.
“Graduates of this program will find employment as health care professionals who support the work of physicians, physician assistants, and other health professions,” said Jay Anderson, Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences, Technical Education, and Community Programs.
To enroll in the Clinical Medical Assistant Program, students must first participate in a mandatory online healthcare information session.
The graduates will now take the National Healthcareer Association Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam.
For more information, visit www.blinn.edu/clinical-medical-assistant, call 979-830-4443, or email healthcare@blinn.edu.
