Study Medical Assisting at Missoula College

Do you enjoy helping people and want to make a difference through your career? Earn your associate degree in medical assisting from Missoula College and take advantage of the growing need for medical assistants.

Medical assistants are cross-trained with skills and knowledge in front office administrative, clinical, and limited laboratory procedures. Your medical assisting courses, combined with internships at medical clinics and hospitals, teach you everything you need to excel. Upon graduation, students are prepared to take the national Registered Medical Assisting (RMA) exam.

Medical assisting classes are available at the Missoula College River campus and 100% online. If desired, students can take classes from their home community without relocating to Missoula.

18%

job growth in the US by 2030

100%

pass rate on RMA for graduates

100%

employment for Missoula College Medical Assistant graduates

Certificate and concentration options for medical assisting at UM

Medical Reception – Certificate of Applied Science

Medical Claims Service Specialist – Certificate of Technical Studies

Clinical Medical Assisting - Certificate of Technical Studies

Medical Information Technology – Associate of Applied Science, health information coding or medical administration assisting

What can you do with a medical assisting degree?

Medical assistants work alongside licensed healthcare providers primarily in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities such as medical offices and clinics.

What do medical assistants do? They perform many different types of administrative and clinical duties.

Administrative duties include scheduling, medical office accounting, health care information coding and billing, and maintaining electronic medical records. On the clinical side, medical assistants help with medical examinations, sterilizing instruments, initiating tests like electrocardiographs, and, with supervision, administering medication and injections. Medical assistants must also understand and comply with HIPAA laws and adhere to ethical regulations governing the healthcare industry.

Medical assistant jobs

Your associate degree in medical assisting from Missoula College will help you secure medical assistant jobs working in partnership with licensed healthcare providers in hospitals, clinics, and home care agencies.

Our graduates obtain work across the state and beyond with healthcare providers such as Providence St. Patrick’s Hospital, Billings Clinic, Community Hospital of Anaconda, Bitterroot Health, Missoula Community Medical Center, Frenchtown Family Medical Wellness, and Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains.

Medical assistant jobs are in high demand and are expected to remain so through at least the next decade. Continuing your education opens the door to more opportunities such as nursing and health care administration.

Medical assistant salary

Your medical assistant salary depends on the health care facility and other skills you have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average salary for medical assistants is $37,190.

Alumni Success Story

“Because of the excellent training, Missoula College is my first call when I am looking to hire a medical assistant.”

-Amy Schuster, FNP-C Frenchtown Family Medical

Experiential learning in the medical assisting degree program

Medical assisting courses at Missoula College emphasize practical application and real-world learning. Medical assisting training includes clinical instruction using simulators like Surgical Sally and administrative skills in billing, coding, scheduling, and patient care. Additionally, we offer Career Readiness, a course dedicated to preparing you for internships and medical assistant jobs.

Internships as a medical assistant turn into job offers

Internships with healthcare facilities are a crucial part of your medical assisting courses at Missoula College.

The majority of our medical assistant students continue their careers with the companies where they completed internships.

Career development in the medical assisting program

Our medical assistant program has a nearly 100% job placement rate, most of which comes directly from internships. Our faculty are well-regarded in the healthcare community and have built relationships across the state.

Instructors take students out into the community to administer well-checks and provide services like flu shots. UM also offers scholarships and financial aid to help you finance your medical assisting degree, and we proudly support active military and veterans through scholarships and the GI bill.

Explore classes in the medical assisting program

Our medical assistant courses prepare students to succeed in the health care industry. Our graduates are well-prepared for the Registered Medical Assisting exam and to enter the workforce. 

View all classes for the associate's degree in medical assisting.