Stepful Graduates were hired at
Stepful’s Pennsylvania Medical Assistant Program is an online program that can be completed in four months. We prepare our students to take and pass their Certified Clinical Medical Assisting (CCMA) exam. In fact, our students passing rate is 87%, over ten percentage points higher than the national average.
Each live class lasts 90 minutes and includes a variety of modalities including live instruction, quizzes, and virtual simulations. The topics covered in class include everything you need to know to start your career as a medical assistant.
To ensure that our students each have an opportunity to practice their hands-on skills, Stepful has partnerships with over 8,000 clinics for externship opportunities.*
*Must be available during regular working hours | Mon to Fri, min 20 hours per week
*Must be in good academic and financial standing
First, you will need to either earn a high school diploma or pass a GED exam. For adults who did not complete high school, online high school and GED courses can be completed in just a few weeks.
Next, you’ll need to enroll in and complete a medical assistant training course. Students have the option to choose between a certification-only program or earn an associate degree.
Certificate-only programs can be taken either online, through a trade school, or at a community college. These programs allow students to earn a medical assisting certificate in just a few months. Most programs include an externship as part of their training.
At Stepful, you can enroll in our 4-month medical assistant program, designed to prepare you for the leading medical assistant certification. We provide full support from enrollment to employment.
In contrast, degree programs take two years to complete and can cost over $10,000. These programs include general education courses along with medical assisting classes. However, they lead to the same certifications as certificate-only programs.
Students will want to make sure they choose a training program that includes an externship opportunity. Facilities that allow externships will pair students with an experienced medical assistant who can guide them and give them feedback.
During an externship, students will practice hands-on skills, understand the day-to-day operations of a medical facility, and build relationships with other healthcare providers. Most students spend 60-100 hours in their externships.
Some healthcare organizations require medical assistants to complete an externship before they will hire them full-time as medical assistants. Organizations in Pennsylvania that offer externship opportunities to medical assistants may include ACMH Hospital, Temple Health, and Thomas Jefferson University.
At Stepful, we assist students in securing externship interviews by partnering with healthcare institutions throughout the state. With thousands of affiliated clinics, we streamline the interview process, making it easier for our graduates to gain the clinical hours they need.
In the United States, the passing rate for medical assisting certification is about 76%. While the exam is challenging, most people can pass the test after completing a training program.
There are several certification exams that are Nationally recognized. These include:
Each of these exams contains questions about basic medical assisting topics. Each of these exams is designed to assess a student's ability to care for patients safely and effectively. Tests must be taken either at a testing center or via an online proctor. During the exam, students are prohibited from using testing aides such as calculators, notes, or cheat sheets.
There are hundreds of jobs posted for medical assistants on websites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter to find jobs. Medical assistants in Pennsylvania can also search on the Pennsylvania Career Link website or look at specific healthcare websites.
Our program directors at Stepful are happy to help our students look for jobs.
Pennsylvania does not require medical assistants to earn a certification.
Even though it isn’t required, 87% of healthcare organizations prefer to hire certified assistants.
Medical assistants in Pennsylvania are not required to obtain a license or register with the state.
Medical assistants in Pennsylvania cannot do anything that requires advanced clinical judgment or decision-making.
Some responsibilities that cannot be given to a medical assistant in Pennsylvania include:
Medical assistants may be specifically hired into administrative or clinical positions. More often, however, they are responsible for both types of work.
Common Pennsylvania medical assistant responsibilities might include:
Clinical responsibilities
Administrative Responsibilities
As of May 2023, there are currently about 24,250 medical assisting jobs in the state, or 4.076 per 1,000 residents. Pennsylvania cities with the highest number of medical assistants include Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington.
The job outlook for employees in the United States averages 4% between 2023 and 2033. Medical assistants have a much better job outlook than average, with opportunities for medical assistants expected to increase by 15% between 2023 and 2033.
Medical assistants in Pennsylvania earn a decent salary. The median salary for medical assistants in Pennsylvania is $42,090 per year or $20.24 per hour. Medical assistants in Pennsylvania State have an average pay of $19.18 per hour or $44,658 per year.
The Pennsylvania Society of Medical Assistants is a branch of the American Association of Medical Assistants. They support medical assistants by offering opportunities for networking, continuing education, certification preparation, and annual conferences.
Other organizations that support medical assistants in Pennsylvania include the National Healthcareer Association, American Medical Technologists, and the American Association of Medical Assistants.
