Connect with Self-Paced Medical Assistant Programs Online

Flexible Online Coursework

Most of your self-paced MA coursework happens online through video lectures, interactive modules, and reading materials you can access anytime.

Some programs set suggested timelines to keep you on track, but you generally control the daily schedule. Many allow you to submit assignments when you’re ready and take quizzes at your convenience.

Skills Labs & Hands-On Training

Even in a self-paced format, hands-on learning is a must. Some programs provide at-home practice kits and other basic equipment. Others require students to visit approved sites for supervised hands-on practice.

Depending on the site, in-person sessions can be scheduled around your availability. It’s your opportunity to practice clinical tasks like taking vitals or prepping exam rooms in simulation labs, on mannequins, and with fellow students.

Externships & Clinical Requirements

Most programs include an externship, typically in a clinic, hospital, or medical office. Some programs may leave it up to you to arrange this, while others offer support and checkpoints to keep you on track. This is where you’ll work with patients and providers in a real healthcare setting to apply what you’ve learned.

Advanced eClinical Training – Online Clinical Medical Assistant Certification

With this online, self-paced MA program, you get instant access to all course materials, and the coursework is available 24/7. You can finish in as little as six to eight weeks, though you have up to a year to complete the program should you need more time.

Advanced eClinical Training’s curriculum focuses on patient care skills to prepare you for real-world healthcare work. Along the way, you’ll have access to practice exams, patient simulations, and support from instructors.

Clinical partnerships are available nationwide to help arrange your externship when you’re ready. At the end of the program, you’ll sit for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam, which is included in your tuition.

• Program Format: Self-paced, fully online with externship requirement
• Program Length: As little as 6 weeks, with up to 12 months to complete

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) – Online Clinical Medical Assistant Certificate Program

In CSULB’s self-paced online medical assistant program, you work through 140 hours of coursework covering a variety of skills, such as vital signs, administering medication, phlebotomy, and electrocardiogram (EKG) placement. Enrollment is open year-round, so you can start the program whenever it fits your schedule.

Once completed, you’ll be eligible for a clinical externship at a local healthcare setting of your choice. A program coordinator is available to guide you through your program. After earning your certificate, you’ll be qualified to sit for the CCMA exam.

• Program Format: Self-paced, online with externship requirement
• Program Length: 140 hours of coursework at your own pace

Penn Foster – Online Medical Assistant Associate Degree

Instead of a certificate, Penn Foster offers an associate’s degree in medical assisting. You complete 60 credits in four semesters and cover various courses, including anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, medical coding, and surgical procedures.

The program is self-paced, and you may finish each semester in six months or take up to 11 months if you need more time. It’s also accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).

The 160-hour externship is built into the curriculum, and externship coordinators are available to help you find a placement.

• Program Format: Self-paced, fully online with externship requirement
• Program Length: 4 semesters, 6 to 11 months per semester, depending on your pace

Phlebotomy Career Training – Online Medical Assistant Certification

Phlebotomy Career Training offers one of the most comprehensive medical assisting programs at 996 hours of instruction plus a 204-hour clinical internship. (You may be able to skip the internship requirement if you have prior work experience.)

In this program, you go at your own pace and can finish the coursework in as little as six weeks or take as long as six months. You’ll learn clinical and administrative skills like taking vitals, assisting with minor procedures, performing EKGs and injections, and managing patient records.

You arrange your internship site, which gives you more control over where you train but requires some legwork on your part.

The program includes your chosen national certification exam fee if you complete your coursework in six months. You can pick between exams offered by the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA), the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), or the National Heath career Association (NHA).

• Program Format: Self-paced, fully online with student-arranged clinical internship
• Program Length: As little as 6 weeks, with up to 6 months

U.S. Career Institute – Online Medical Assistant Certificate Program

You can begin the U.S. Career Institute’s online medical assistant program anytime and finish in four to seven months. Unlike many others, this program is set up to be completed on a computer or via a mobile device. This DEAC-accredited, self-paced program focuses on clinical and administrative skills and prepares students for the CCMA exam and entry-level roles in healthcare.

After enrolling, you receive a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff for hands-on practice at home. Coursework includes videos, interactive exercises, and open-note quizzes, plus you receive one-on-one career coaching. The program prepares you for the CCMA exam, and it covers the cost of your certification exam, study guide, and practice test.

• Program Format: Self-paced, fully online with externship requirement
• Program Length: 4 to 7 months, part-time