The 2024-2025 Academic Year Application has closed as of August 9, 2024. The next application period for the Fall 2025 class will open in March of 2025 and the first information session will be hosted at that time. Please check back at this webpage at that time and/or send an email to nh-maprogram@lonestar.edu to be added to an email list so that you can be one of the first to know when the information sessions will be offered during the Spring of 2025. 

A few facts “while you wait”....

• The program only accepts students once per year in the Fall semester. 
• You can and should prepare by enrolling into POFT 1305 and POFT 1325

Medical Assistant Program at Lone Star College prepares students as multiskilled health professionals specifically educated to work in a variety of healthcare settings performing clinical and administrative duties. The practice of medical assisting necessitates mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience that serve as standards for entry into the profession. The program is committed to excellence in preparing medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

What Does A Medical Assistant Do?

Medical Assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and optometrists running smoothly.

The duties of Medical Assistants vary from office to office depending on office location, size, and specialty. In small practices, Medical Assistants are usually handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical Assistants perform many administrative duties. They answer telephones, greet patients, update and file patient medical records, fill out insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handle billing and bookkeeping.

Medical Assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medication and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.

How Much Will I Earn As A Medical Assistant?

Average salary and hourly pay vary for practitioner CMA’s and non-CMA’s according to their years of experience as a Medical Assistant. . Average annual salary for a full-time practitioner with a CMA in 2022 is $38,190.

Is Medical Assisting Right For Me?

Take this quiz to find out!

1. Are you looking for a meaningful job?
2. Do you like helping others?
3. Do you have an interest in health and medicine?
4. Are you a "people" person?
5. Are you good at multi - tasking; switching tasks throughout the workday?
6. Do you like variety in your job?
7. Would you like to enter a career in an expanding field?

Occupational Risk for Medical Assistants

Medical Assisting is a profession with many rewards, as practitioners can perform both administrative and clinical services, filling several roles in a variety of healthcare environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly outlines that it is a growth field, with an anticipated 18% growth from 2020 to 2030.

Medical Assistants work directly with providers and patients, with the goal of providing healthcare and ensuring patient safety. It is a position with a great deal of responsibility.

As with any healthcare position, there are certain occupational risks that come into play with being a medical assistant, and those hazards include the following: 

• Exposure to infectious diseases
  Medical Assistants will potentially be exposed to infectious diseases such as COVID and influenza. Training in occupational exposure which includes any reasonable anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that may result from the performance of an employee’s duties will be required in the program as well as your potential employment. 
• Sharps injuries
  Medical Assistants are potentially at risk for sharp injuries completing tasks such as venipunctures, injections, and capillary sticks. Extensive training in these areas is required for students such as engineering controls and work practice controls. 
• Bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards
  Medical Assistants should have mandatory training in school as well as employment for bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards such as the OSHA Standard, PPE guidelines, and disposal of hazardous materials. 
• Chemical and drug exposure
  Medical Assistants will have training in chemical and drug exposure such as Safety Data Sheets, complying with the Hazard Communication Standard, and emergency eye wash station procedures and protocols.
• Ergonomic hazards from lifting, sitting, and repetitive tasks
  As a Medical Assistant, repetitive tasks such typing, incorrect lifting and sitting may cause injuries. Training on these subjects will be outlined and competency evaluated.
• Latex allergies
  Medical Assistants allergic to latex need to let the instructor as well as employer know of their allergies and possible complications of this topic. Alternative options will be available. 
• Stress
  Medical Assisting is a very challenging as well as rewarding profession. With the high demands of health care, stress is always a concern for the student and employee. Taking care of oneself such as proper nutrition and exercise is highly encouraged. 

At the same time, there are protections set up with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and those protections are particularly important within a healthcare environment. OSHA has a series of standards that protect the safety of healthcare workers and patients.

Accredited medical assisting programs are required to teach students about the hazards that they face on the job and the protocols that can be put into place to ensure a workplace culture that prioritizes safety.

People & Places
Kellie Herrin
Medical Assisting Program Director
(281) 943-6830