Best Online Iowa School Programs for Medical Assistants: Discover the Right Choice for You
Medical assisting programs online in Iowa are great for launching a prosperous career. Discover top schools and find your match.
Medical assisting is a great choice for those looking to get into the medical field quickly, without years of education. Online medical assistant programs in Iowa help students start on a path full of diverse opportunities for specialization, abundant growth potential, and meaningful ways to help others in need.
Medical assistants are often considered the liaison between medical personnel and patients. They assist doctors and nurses with medical procedures, take patients’ vital signs, and perform administrative tasks to help keep the clinic running smoothly — something that’s not always an easy feat.
If becoming a medical assistant seems like the right fit for you, you may be wondering, “What now?” If so, you’re in the right place. This guide covers online MA programs in Iowa, certification testing, and growth opportunities within the state. All of this information will help you start out strong as you begin the journey toward a medical assisting career.
Read on to learn what your path might look like from here on out.
Popular Online Medical Assistant Programs in Iowa
A great way to get an overview of what to expect in an online medical assistant program in Iowa is to look at real-life examples. Below, we’ve highlighted three programs and their course formats, learning topics, cost, and length to help you see the differences and zero in on what’s most important to you.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges has three campuses across the state. The medical assisting program can be completed in less than a year of full-time study, offering students a diploma upon graduation. The hybrid program requires students to be on campus two days a week for labs, with all other coursework available online.
Throughout the course, students learn basic anatomy and physiology, medical law and ethics, and psychology. They also learn clinical skills in examination, testing, and treatment. This knowledge is put to the test through a 160-hour externship to help students gain concrete experience. Students may even be eligible for Iowa’s Last-Dollar scholarship to help pay their tuition.
The medical assisting diploma program consists of 32 credit hours and rates among the best online medical assistant programs in Iowa for students looking to move into more advanced healthcare careers in the future, such as nursing, surgical technology, respiratory therapy, and more.
Iowa Western
The standout medical assistant curriculum at Iowa Western, in partnership with CareerStep, is a great online MA program that ensures students are well-prepared for their future careers. With a focus on thoroughly training students on both routine patient care and clinical office procedures, the program requires 100 hours’ worth of experience working in a clinical setting at one of Iowa Western’s vast network of partners. The education and experience is designed to help students earn their certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA), certified phlebotomy technician, and certified EKG technician credentials.
The program consists of 320 hours of online, self-paced study and an externship that all can be completed in as little as one year. Students graduate ready to work in a variety of healthcare settings, equipped with knowledge in anatomy and physiology, phlebotomy, EKGs, electronic medical records, and patient care. Students also learn about venipuncture; one perk of this online medical assistant program in IA is that students receive a venipuncture kit as part of the program.
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa medical assistant hospital-based training program is one of the most unique online MA programs in Iowa. The program is designed to prepare you for a career as a medical assistant through interactive laboratory time, observational experiences, and clinical hours at University of Iowa healthcare locations. Students will be prepared to take the National Health Career Association’s certificate exam to become certified as CCMAs. Upon graduation, students apply for medical assistant positions within the University of Iowa healthcare system.
This online medical assistant program in IA includes four eight-week sessions and a 160-hour practicum, during which students apply the knowledge they’ve gained. Classes are mostly delivered in a hybrid format, with in-person meetings in the evenings. The cost of the program is $7,800 and can be paid in two installments. Tuition assistance is not available at this time.
Admission requirements include a completed application, a high school diploma or equivalent, a criminal background check, University of Iowa healthcare employee health screening, availability for on-site for courses and experiential hours in the Iowa City area, and legal authorization to work in the United States.
Salaries & Careers for Medical Assistants in Iowa
| Area | 10th Percentile | Mean Annual Wage | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | $33,500 | $43,350 | $56,480 |
| Iowa | $35,470 | $42,660 | $50,340 |
| Ames, IA | $37,440 | $43,680 | $48,700 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $36,200 | $43,680 | $53,360 |
| Davenport, IA | $34,850 | $41,060 | $47,700 |
| Des Moines, IA | $37,970 | $45,840 | $53,540 |
| Dubuque, IA | $35,730 | $41,880 | $50,230 |
| Iowa City, IA | $38,240 | $43,470 | $54,950 |
| Sioux City, IA | $34,400 | $40,350 | $47,560 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $36,860 | $42,270 | $48,560 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023
| Area | New Jobs | Job Growth Rate | Avg. Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 132,600 | 18.4% | 104,400 |
| Iowa | 1,430 | 27.4% | 830 |
Source: Projections Central, 2020-2030
The demand for medical assistants is projected to increase significantly in Iowa over the next ten years. The anticipated 27.4% growth rate is nearly 10% higher than in the rest of the United States. If you’re looking for a medical assistant job, Iowa is a great place to start.
The mean annual salary for a medical assistant in Iowa is $42,660, which is slightly lower than the United States mean of $43,350. However, in some of the larger cities in Iowa, the annual wage meets or exceeds the national average. Typically, the larger the city and its population, the higher the demand for healthcare personnel. This increased demand creates competitive wages, which means you can expect to earn more in these areas. Ames, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City all have mean medical assistant salaries that exceed the national mean while mean salaries in Des Moines can go as high as $45,000. Sioux City pays the lowest mean salary, sitting at just above $40,000.
Experienced medical assistants are likely to get paid the most in Iowa City, though no city in the state pays quite as much as the 90th percentile national average. However, Iowa is a great place for new medical assistants to start working, with every major city paying medical assistants in the 10th percentile more than the national average for that percentile. Overall, salaries for medical assistants in Iowa can be as low as $34,000 and as high as $55,000, depending on the area and your experience.
Your Questions, Answered
How do I become a certified clinical medical assistant in Iowa?
The first step tobecoming a certified medical assistant is to complete an accredited online medical assistant program in Iowa. This usually includes laboratory time and a certain number of hours in an externship. That prepares you to take a nationally recognized exam (i.e. CCMA) to receive your certification as a medical assistant. While the state of Iowa doesn’t require a license to practice, most employers require certification or registration to work. Becoming licensed increases your chance of employment and higher wages. You’ll need to maintain your medical assistant certification through periodic exams or continued education.
How long does a medical assistant program take?
In Iowa, an online MA program generally takes a year to complete. However, this time can change depending on whether you’re attending school full-time or part-time or receiving a diploma or a degree. Some universities offer accelerated courses that allow you to complete the program in six months or less.
Can a medical assistant program be completed online?
The short answer is “mostly.” Many Iowa online medical assisting programs offer coursework and lectures online. However, labs, externships, and practicums are almost always required to be attended in person to help students gain real-life, hands-on experience. Always check to see if the program you’re interested in requires laboratory time or an in-person externship.
How can I check if a school is accredited?
There are multiple kinds of accreditation to look for. There’s accreditation on an institutional level and also more specialized accreditation for individual colleges and programs. You should be able to find a school’s institutional-level accreditation on its website under the “About” or “Accreditation” page. Typing “accreditation” in the search bar could provide the answers you’re looking for. Always check to see if a school is accredited while researching online medical assistant programs in IA.
For programmatic accreditation, look for accredited medical assisting programs on the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs webpage or look on the school’s main medical assisting website.
Scope of Practice for Medical Assistants
“Scope of practice” refers to what actions and procedures a medical professional is permitted to do. This ensures medical professionals are operating safely and lawfully. Operating outside your scope of practice could mean termination and legal liability. Medical assistants are considered unlicensed professionals; their duties are limited and require supervision under a licensed physician or nurse.
The general guideline for a medical assistant is any task delegated under the supervision of a licensed physician or nurse. These will be tasks that don’t require specialized skills or judgment, have a predictable outcome, and can be performed safely with no risk to the patient. The supervising nurse or physician is responsible for delegating safe and appropriate tasks. Iowa does not have specific regulations.
Medical assistants are exactly what their title says: assistants to the supervising physician. They handle routine tasks a nurse or physician doesn’t have time for. Medical assistants prepare exam rooms, update patient records, take patient vital signs, clean and sterilize medical equipment, handle billing and coding of insurance forms, schedule appointments, change wound dressings, collect blood and urine samples for testing, administer medications, and relay diet and medication instructions from the physician or nurse.
Medical assistants aren’t allowed to treat or diagnose patients, interpret test results, prescribe medication, advise patients about their condition, perform physical therapy, administer intravenous (IV) medication, or perform invasive techniques such as spinal taps or colonoscopies. Any tasks requiring needles, such as injections or IVs, are typically not expected of a medical assistant unless they have been specially trained. Medical assistants usually deal with routine procedures and patients and don’t attend patients in critical condition.
