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Medical Assisting Technology Transitioning To An Accelerated One-Year Program

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has transitioned the Medical Assisting Technology associate degree from a two-year program to a more streamlined one-year diploma program. 

This update aims to provide Medical Assisting Technology students with essential professional skills, enabling them to enter the workforce more quickly than a traditional associate degree would.  

Medical Assisting Technology offers comprehensive preparation for students to excel in the intricate settings of physician offices, hospital business services, and other healthcare facilities. Graduates emerge with the expertise to manage a medical office and provide patient care efficiently. 

The program will decrease from 60 to 32 credits, with the curriculum consisting of a fall and spring semester, as well as a practicum and a seminar over the ensuing summer term. Most classes are conducted in person to facilitate essential hands-on training and enhance engagement skills vital for the profession. 

“This is an exciting opportunity for students to receive the same quality courses from the associate degree, but in a shorter timeframe,” stated Erica Reighard, Dean of Faculty. “This allows Penn Highlands to respond to and help fulfill the growing need for positions across the state.” 

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 14 percent increase in medical assistant employment from 2022 to 2032, a rate significantly exceeding the average growth across all occupations. 

Around 114,000 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. In the Southern Alleghenies region, a 24.1% increase in job openings is projected by 2030. 

Click here for more information on Medical Assisting Technology. This program is offered in-person at the College’s Richland Campus and the Somerset Center.