IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:
This is an employer-sponsored apprenticeship program.
Participants must be employed at a participating health center or organization to enroll. Individuals cannot enroll independently.
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Current employees: Contact your HR department to ask if your organization participates.
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Organizations: Learn how to become a participating partner below.
What is the Medical Assistant (MA) Apprenticeship?
The MA Apprenticeship is a U.S. Department of Labor–registered apprenticeship program designed to prepare employees to earn their Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential.
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Structured on-the-job training with a designated preceptor at the participating organization
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Online, self-paced coursework
The program typically takes 4–6 months to complete. Upon completion, participants are eligible to sit for the CCMA exam. The exam may be proctored onsite by a staff member at the participating organization.Because this is an apprenticeship, participants complete the skills portion of training while working and earning their normal pay. As required by the U.S. Department of Labor, apprentices receive a wage increase after completing the program and passing the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.
What is a Medical Assistant (MA)?
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.
Clinical Duties: Includes taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. 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. (Source: American Association of Medical Assistants)
Who is Eligible?
This program is available to employees of participating health centers.
Eligible participants may include:
- Current healthcare employees seeking Medical Assistant certification
- Newly hired staff sponsored by their organization
- Employees transitioning into Medical Assistant roles
- Individuals hired by a participating organization as a pathway into a healthcare career
Individuals who are not currently employed by a participating organization must first obtain employment at a partner health center, or have their organization join the program, before they can enroll.
“OneWorld is unique in that they provide this opportunity for certification for Medical Assistant Apprenticeship. If you went anywhere else, you’d have to go to an outside school and pay for it and it’s really nice that OneWorld supports us like this. I think this is a great opportunity to grow your career and it’s a great resume builder.” – Abby, Cohort 3, July 2023