Training programs last from one to two years. One-year programs provide students with a certificate or a diploma. Two-year programs provide an associate degree. Medical courses include anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology. Office courses include typing, recordkeeping, accounting, and insurance processing.
Students also gain skills such as laboratory techniques and first aid.
They also learn diagnostic procedures, drug principles, and medication procedures. Assistants also study medical law and ethics. Some programs provide students with supervised internships. However, a few states require assistants who draw blood, take X rays, or give injections to pass an exam. Optional certification is available, however.