Medical Assistant Schools in Colorado

A medical assistant must complete administrative and clinical tasks in a medical environment. Most professionals in this field work full-time in physician’s offices, outpatient clinics, and hospitals.

Colorado residents with a passion for healthcare can use a position as a medical assistant to learn how the industry works and determine whether they would like to pursue more advanced positions. As we will see in the upcoming sections, starting a career in this field is straightforward.

Here, we analyze all the requirements an interested individual would need to secure admission into a training program, complete a training program, acquire certification, and gain an edge as they proceed along their careers.

How to Become a Medical Assistant in Colorado

The following is a step-by-step analysis of how to become a medical assistant in Colorado.

Step 1: Foundational Requirements

Candidates aiming to become medical assistants in Colorado should focus on improving their interpersonal and analytical skills. Being compassionate and detail-oriented are highly valued qualities in this field.

At a minimum, a high school diploma or GED is required to get started.

Step 2: Obtaining Proper Training

Candidates may receive proper medical assistant training through the following means: They may also combine both approaches as they see fit.

  • Academic Programs - Academic programs are the most common way to start a medical assistant career. Candidates can stop by these institutions to learn fundamental topics and graduate with either a certificate or an associate degree, depending on how long they’re willing to spend in a classroom education.
  • Real-World Education—After completing a training program’s classroom education, the next step is to visit a real-world clinic or medical establishment to learn more and gain practical experience.

Alternatively, candidates can choose to skip academic training and receive their full education from a real-world training destination—although this is a less common approach.

Step 3: Employment & Continuing Education

Lastly, after fulfilling all the requirements above, aspiring medical assistants in Colorado may choose a medical establishment, apply for an open position, and continue to improve themselves on the job.

Explore trades with similar paths:

Licensure & Certification Requirements

As with licensing, certification is not a compulsory part of becoming a successful medical assistant in Colorado. However, unlike licensing, candidates still emphasize becoming certified.

Of course, there are several reasons for this, including the fact that certified medical assistants are considered very credible and are preferred by employers. Being certified also allows candidates to acquire more skills and have a community of professionals to bounce ideas off of.

The American Medical Technologists (AMT) and the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) are prominent organizations with highly reputable credentials for professionals in Colorado.

While the AMT is responsible for the Registered Medical Assistant credential, the AAMA offers the Certified Medical Assistant credential.

Top Medical Assistant Schools in Colorado

The institutions below offer top-class training programs for aspiring medical assistants in Colorado.

#Colorado

Community College of Denver

Denver, CO Campus + Online

Community College of Denver’s medical assistant programs include an associate of applied science degree option with 60 to 63 credits and a faster program in the 33-credit certificate option.

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Tuition
$285 - $694 per Credit
Contact
  • (303) 365-8391

  • shelly.halper@ccd.edu

#Colorado

Emily Griffith Technical College

Denver, CO Campus Only

Emily Griffith Technical College's training program for medical assistants is as extensive as it gets. Students have the opportunity to complete a clinical externship, which totals 180 hours of practical experience.

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Tuition
$6,520 per Program
Contact
  • (720) 423-3485

  • hsa@emilygriffith.edu

#Colorado

Metropolitan State University of Denver

Online, CO Online Only

Graduates of the medical assistant training program at Metropolitan State University of Denver can secure entry-level employment and certification.

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Tuition
$2,795 - $2,890 per Program
Contact
  • (855) 520-6806

Explore medical assistant schools in Colorado by city:

Salary & Career Outlook

Analyzing the annual average salary of medical assistants in Colorado, as revealed by a survey of professionals in the state carried out by Indeed.com, we see that the returns of professionals in this field are distributed as follows:

  • The top 10% manage an annual average salary of $67,118 or higher;
  • The median earners manage an annual average salary of $51,818, and
  • The lowest-paid earners in the bottom 10% manage an annual average salary of $40,006.

It is also possible to group the figures by location, in which case we have the following distributions:

  • The highest-paid medical assistants in Colorado are in Aurora, making an annual average salary of $56,786;
  • The second highest is in Littleton, with an annual average salary of $56,670;
  • Professionals in Denver are third, with an annual average salary of $52,989;
  • Medical assistants in Lone Tree manage an annual average salary of $52,712.

Other factors, such as location, credentials, specialty, employer, and experience, can also determine a medical assistant’s earnings range in the state. Regarding the career outlook, according to projections from the BLS, the employment rate for medical assistants nationwide will grow by 15% every year from 2023 to 2033.