Stepful’s Medical Assistant program is designed for those looking to take the next step in their careers by becoming a certified medical assistant in Colorado.
Our online program prepares you to earn your Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification from the National Healthcareer Association and perform all the duties of medical assistants, including both those in the front office as well as working with patients.
Our Colorado Medical Assistant classes take 4 months to complete and cover all essential topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, healthcare systems, phlebotomy, EKG, patient care coordination, and much more.
The Stepful staff is here to support you at every stage of the journey. From career preparedness to help finding an in-person externship*, we're here to help you launch your career in healthcare.
*Please note, students must be available M-F, 9-5 p.m. to be eligible for externship support.
Medical assistant training programs, like ours at Stepful, and healthcare employers will require a copy of your diploma or equivalent before the first day of school or work.
Medical assisting courses teach students about basic anatomy and physiology, patient safety, infection control, documentation, and healthcare laws. Here at Stepful we offer a 4 month program that prepares you to get certified and get a job.
Some training programs include externships as part of their curriculum. During an externship, students will spend between 40 and 140 hours working with an experienced medical assistant.
Stepful offers direct support to help students get exterships interviews and get you closer to the job market. Organizations in Colorado that offer externship opportunities to medical assistants may include UC Health and AdventHealth.
Because Colorado does not require medical assistants to earn a certification, you can choose the medical assisting certificate that makes the most sense for you. At Stepful, we support our students with the preparation for the most common one, CCMA.
The most common certifications are the Certified Medical Assistant offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) offered by the National Healthcareer Association. Both of these certificates are recognized by healthcare organizations all over the United States.
Online job search sites such as Indeed, Monster, ZipRecruiter, and Connecting Colorado can help aspiring medical assistants create resumes, fill out job applications, and compare different job opportunities in Colorado.
For those in need of additional support, our helpful career coaches at Stepful help students find their dream job, create a great resume, and practice their interview skills.
While medical assistants are not required to be certified in Colorado, many healthcare organizations in Colorado prefer to hire certified assistants. Medical assistants can choose to pursue their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the NHA, Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the AAMA, or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from the AMT. All of these certifications are nationally recognized.
Rather than getting their own license, medical assistants in Colorado are required to work under the supervision of a licensed advanced practice provider or registered nurse.
The Code of Colorado Regulations states that tasks can be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel such as a medical assistant if the task is reasonable and does not require advanced knowledge. Technical skills can also be delegated to a medical assistant as long as they have been trained and are supervised by a trained physician.
The Colorado Medical Board specifically states that medical assistants are not to perform the following tasks:
In addition, the guidelines outlined by the Colorado Medical Board state that a licensed physician or advanced practice provider must take responsibility for any task delegated to the medical assistant.
The rules regarding the scope of practice for medical assistants in Colorado are vague. The Colorado Medical Board explains that medical assistants can perform any task that is reasonably safe, that they have been trained to perform, and that is supervised by the licensed provider.
These tasks may include:
In Colorado, medical assistants have a positive job outlook and enjoy great job security. In fact, job openings and opportunities for medical assistants are expected to grow 15% between 2023 and 2033. This is much higher than the expected growth for other jobs across the United States (4%), and other healthcare jobs (12%).
As of May 2023, there are currently about 12,270 medical assisting jobs in the state or 4.33 per 1,000 residents. Colorado cities with the highest number of medical assistants include Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and Lakewood.
This high demand for medical assistants means that certified medical assistants should be able to find a job easily, and may be able to negotiate for higher starting wages.
Medical assistants in Colorado earn a decent salary, with an average pay of $51,843 per year, or $22.27 per hour, and a median pay of $22.01 per hour, or $45,770 per year.
The Colorado Society of Medical Assistants is a professional organization that is associated with the American Association of Medical Assistants. They offer continuing education courses, an annual conference, credential verification, and informative articles to their members.
In addition, the Colorado Society of Medical Assistants is a great resource for those looking for new jobs in Colorado.
Other organizations that support medical assistants in their careers include the American Medical Technologists, the National Healthcareer Association, and the American Association of Medical Assistants.