Medical assistants play a vital role in today’s healthcare system, working alongside providers in clinics, outpatient centers, and medical offices. Students are trained to perform both administrative and clinical duties, from scheduling and documentation to patient care and lab procedures.

Whether your goal is immediate employment or a pathway to continued education, our program prepares you to meet the evolving demands of healthcare with competence and confidence.

Iowa Central’s Medical Assistant Program provides the knowledge, hands-on training, and professional preparation needed to succeed in this fast-paced field. The program includes two semesters of classroom and lab instruction, followed by a 30-day summer practicum.

To progress in the program, students must earn a grade of “C” (76%) or higher in all Medical Assistant curriculum courses and fulfill prerequisite requirements.

Students seeking further education may choose to pursue an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Medical Assisting by completing an additional 13 credit hours of required coursework and 6 elective credits.

Graduation mandates successful completion of all diploma and AAS program courses with a grade of “C” or higher, along with receiving a “P” (pass) in the Practicum component. Upon completing the medical assistant diploma program successfully, students become eligible to sit for a national certification exam.

Program Admission Requirements:
Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:​

• Possess a high school diploma with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Achieve a GED score of at least 550
• Accumulate a minimum of 8 hours of college credit with a GPA of 2.0 or higher

Applicants must also demonstrate minimum proficiency in reading and writing, as determined by the current Mandatory Placement Chart, to be eligible for placement in ENG-105 Composition I. Alternatively, students who have graduated from high school within the past 10 years with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.799 may be considered for admission.

Student Responsibilities: 
Accepted students will be briefed on the following additional requirements during the Medical Assistant Program Orientation:

• Completion of a Pre-Entrance Medical Record
• Undergo a Criminal Background Search
• Conduct an Iowa Child/Dependent Adult Abuse Search
• Obtain AHA Health Care Providers or Red Cross BLS for the Professional Rescuer certification
• Complete Mandatory Reporter Child/Dependent Adult training and certification 
• Acquire Bloodborne Pathogens training and certification

Early application to the program is strongly encouraged. Admission is limited to twenty-five students each fall, with acceptance granted by the Program Coordinator to the first 25 applicants who meet the aforementioned admission criteria. Students may not begin Practicum until all admission criteria above have been fulfilled.

Accreditation:The Iowa Central Community College Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org.) upon the recommendation of Medical Assisting Education Review Board (www.maerb.org).

Enrollment Date: Fall Semester
Minimum Required Credits: 61.5
Campus: Fort Dodge
Department: Health Science
CIP#: 51.08010200

Program Outcomes:

1. To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.