Trade Schools
In our day and age, medical assistants play an important part in making sure the day-to-day operations run smoothly in doctor’s offices, clinics, and other healthcare settings.
If you’re a compassionate person who enjoys interacting with people, a career in this occupation can be the right fit for you.
Before being ready to start interviewing for medical assistant jobs, the first step is to complete some specialized training at a trade school or community college.
Most programs take less than one year to complete and equip you with the basic administrative and clinical skills needed for this profession.
If you live in Colorado, there are plenty of training options available.
To help you choose the program that best meets your needs, on this page we have compiled information about some of the top medical assistant schools in the region.
1PIMA Medical Institute
About the School
PIMA Medical Institute offers advanced dental, medical, and veterinary labs and instruction at its Colorado Springs campus.
The campus opened in 2002 and offers five certificate programs, two associate degree programs, and an Expanded Duties Dental Assistant course.
The programs available at the institute allow students to work in their field through clinical externships.
Courses Offered
A Medical Assistant program is available at the institute on-campus and in a hybrid format.
This program can be completed in nine months and uses a truly hands-on approach to help students enter the workforce quickly.
Students get to work closely with doctors, nurses, and other members of a medical team.
Prospective medical assistants learn how to act as a liaison between patients and doctors.
The curriculum covers a variety of clinical and administrative skills and knowledge, including:
- Anatomy
- Routine laboratory procedures
- Frequent patient care procedures
The Medical Assistant program offered at PIMA Medical Institute costs $17,146 in total and includes tuition, registration fee, textbooks, uniforms, and a technology fee.
Contact Information
- Address: 5725 Mark Dabling Boulevard, Suite 150, Colorado Springs, CO 80919
- Phone: 800-477-PIMA
- Website: https://pmi.edu
2APLMED Academy
About the School
APLMED Academy provides training programs for those who want to start rewarding careers in the healthcare field.
Programs are available for prospective medical assistants, phlebotomy technicians, nursing assistants, dental assistants, EKG technicians, and patient care technicians.
Courses Offered
The academy provides a Medical Assisting program that prepares students for careers working in a patient-centered team that includes physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
Trainee medical assistants learn how to perform administrative procedures, such as patient reception and admission, answering phones, collecting health histories, and filing insurance claims.
They also learn clinical skills, such as:
- Patient intake processing
- Performing first aid and CPR
- Preparing patients for procedures
- Assisting physicians with examinations and treatments
- Infection control
This program is 19 weeks long.
Contact Information
- Address: 2600 South Parker Rd Bldg 6-300, Aurora CO, 80014
- Phone: (303) 752-0000
- Website: https://aplmed.com
3Front Range Community College
About the School
Front Range Community College offers more than 1,000 on-campus and online classes that cover a wide range of academic fields.
Tuition with COF is $156.40 per credit hour for regular residents.
Front Range Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Medical Assistant program that includes classes, training, and hands-on experience.
The program is available in Boulder, Larimer, and Westminister.
The Medical Assistant program includes 26 credits and is two-semester long.
This certificate program is designed to prepare individuals for work in ambulatory healthcare facilities in administrative and clinical areas.
Students develop administrative skills in medical office procedures, communications, insurance billing, and clinical and laboratory skills.
Among many other topics, students learn how to perform patient intakes, treatment procedures, diagnostic tests, administration of medications, and first aid.
The college also offers apprenticeships for Medical Assisting students.
During the training period, apprentices get paid for the on-the-job training part with local healthcare partners, including Centura Health, Boulder Medical Center, Arbor Family Medicine, Boulder Community Health, Banner Health, and Associates in Family Medicine.
Contact Information
- Address: 3645 W. 112th Ave. Westminster, CO 80031
- Phone: 303-678-3722
- Website: https://www.frontrange.edu
4IntelliTec College
About the School
IntelliTec College provides hands-on career training in the Pikes Peak region for more than 50 years.
Students learn in state-of-the-art facilities that include modern classroom equipment and extensive selections of visual aids and computer systems.
The Colorado Springs campus hosts an Automotive Technician training facility, a Medical Assistant lab, Refrigeration & HVAC facilities, and more.
IntelliTec College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
Courses Offered
The college provides a Medical Assistant program that takes 12 to 18 months to complete, depending on the credential it leads to.
The certificate program prepares students with a wide range of skills and knowledge of multiple medical assisting tasks, including:
- Recording patient histories
- Measuring vital signs
- Scheduling patient appointments
- Preparing blood samples
- Helping physicians with patient examinations
The Certificate program can be completed in 12 months, while the Associate Degree program takes 18 months to complete.
The Medical Assisting curriculum includes classes on topics such as:
- Introduction to Medical Assisting Front Office
- Digestive/Pharmacology/Pathology
- Cardiovascular/Respiratory/Endocrine/Lymphatic/Immune
- Urinary/Reproductive/Pediatric Development/ Geriatric Care
- Externship
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2315 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80909
- Phone: (719) 632-7626
- Website: https://intellitec.edu
5Community College of Denver
About the School
The Community College of Denver is a fully accredited two-year college that offers innovative degree and certificate programs designed to prepare students for careers or transfer to a four-year university.
The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Courses Offered
A Medical Assistant program is available at the college.
This program can be completed in 12 months and teaches students the administrative and clinical duties they will need to perform as key players in a healthcare team.
Students need between 60-63 credits for an Associate in Applied Science degree and 33 credits for a Certificate program.
The medical assistant certificate program is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
The curriculum includes the following courses:
- Basic Anatomy and Physiology
- Introduction to Human Disease
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Office Financial Management
- Medical Assisting Laboratory
- Medical Assistant Internship
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1111 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80204
- Phone: 303.556.2600
- Website: https://www.ccd.edu
6IBMC College
About the School
IBMC College offers training programs for in-demand careers at its Fort Collins campus.
The programs are designed to be completed in months, not years, and focus on preparing students for employment in their field of choice.
Courses Offered
The college’s catalog includes a Medical Assisting program that leads to a diploma or an Associate of Occupational Studies Degree.
The Clinical Medical Assisting diploma program includes 63 credits and 18 classes.
Students can graduate in 12 months.
The Clinical Medical Assisting Degree program requires 90 credit hours.
Associate degree students take 26 classes.
This program can be completed in 19 months.
The Medical Assisting program is available at Fort Collins, Greeley, or Longmont campuses.
Students take classes on topics such as:
- Pharmacology
- Laboratory Techniques
- Clinical Assisting: Minor Surgery & Health Promotion
- Medical Terminology & Anatomy Basics I & II
Contact Information
- Address: 3842 S Mason St, Fort Collins, CO 80525
- Phone: 970-223-2669
- Website: https://ibmc.edu
7Concorde Career College
About the School
Concorde Career College provides career-focused healthcare programs that prepare students for employment in the fields of radiology technology, dental hygiene, medical assisting, surgical technology, and many other healthcare occupations.
The diploma and associate degree programs are designed to provide students with hands-on training that can be completed in only a few months.
Concorde Career College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
Courses Offered
The Medical Assistant program available at the college can be completed in only 8 months.
The program includes 26 credit hours and 240 lab hours.
Students enrolled in this program learn how to perform medical assisting tasks such as:
- Taking patient histories and vital signs
- Entering data into patient records
- Scheduling appointments and handling other administrative tasks
- Gathering blood and other samples and preparing them for lab tests
- Assisting doctors and nurses during physical exams
- Performing basic clinical tasks such as cleaning and dressing wounds
Contact Information
- Address: 111 Havana St, Aurora, CO 80010
- Phone: 800-693-7010
- Website: https://www.concorde.edu
8U.S. Career Institute
About the School
U.S. Career Institute offers online career training programs that can be completed in four to twelve months.
Certificate and degree programs are available and designed to prepare students for careers in a variety of fields, from healthcare to business.
The certificate programs provided by the institute are developed by the U.S. Career Institute’s curriculum team.
U.S. Career Institute is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.
Courses Offered
Among many other programs, the college’s catalog includes a Medical Assistant and a Medical Assistant + Phlebotomy program.
The Online Medical Assistant School is designed to prepare students for the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant exam and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam.
The exam fees are included in the tuition.
The curriculum covers courses on:
- Medical Terminology
- Introduction to Anatomy
- First Aid Procedures
- Preparing Patients for Exams
- Medical Insurance 101
- Front Office Procedures
- Pharmacology
- Bookkeeping Techniques
- And many other medical assistant-specific skills
Tuition for the Medical Assistant program is $1,539, while the Medical Assistant + Phlebotomy pathway costs $2,269.
Contact Information
- Address: 2001 Lowe Street, Fort Collins, CO 80525
- Phone: 866-250-6851
- Website: https://www.uscareerinstitute.edu
9Red Rocks Community College
About the School
Red Rocks Community College offers career-enhancing courses, certificate programs, and degrees that help students reach their career goals.
The college has campuses in Lakewood and Arvada.
Courses are available in a variety of formats, including classroom, online, self-paced, and weekend classes.
Red Rocks Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Tuition for on-campus programs is $153.35 per credit hour for Colorado residents.
Additional fees sum up to $168.85 for Colorado residents.
Courses Offered
The college’s catalog includes a Medical Assisting program that can lead to a Certificate or Associate of Applied Science degree, depending on the curriculum and the number of credits.
Medical Assisting students take classes on topics such as:
- Introduction to Human Disease
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Medical Office Administration
- Medical Office Financial Management
- Pharmacology for Medical Assistant
- Medical Assisting Lab Skills
- Medical Assisting Clinical Skills
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 13300 W. 6th Ave. Lakewood, CO 80228
- Phone: 303.914.6600
- Website: https://www.rrcc.edu
10ACE Surgical Assisting
About the School
ACE Surgical Assisting prepares students for rewarding careers as surgical assistants through classes that are available online and on campus.
The Surgical Assistant program available at the school equips students with the skills that will help them prepare for the certification exams and advance in their careers.
The program is offered in three sections:
- Distance Learning at the students’ homes
- Hands-on training at convenient locations
- Clinical experience at the student’s hospital
After completing the program, students are ready to sit for the national certifying exam for Surgical Assistants.
This exam is administered by the American Board of Surgical Assistants.
The ACE Surgical Assistant Program is approved by the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the American Board of Surgical Assistants.
Contact Information
- Address: 4950 S Yosemite St, F2 #152, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
- Phone: 866.223.2778
- Website: https://www.acesatraining.com
Regional Salary in Colorado
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 810 | $47,530 | $22.85 | $58,220 | $39,140 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 2,180 | $43,110 | $20.73 | $52,720 | $36,390 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 5,790 | $48,190 | $23.17 | $58,360 | $39,290 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 1,000 | $46,950 | $22.57 | $56,290 | $37,600 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 400 | $43,460 | $20.89 | $50,230 | $36,630 |
| Greeley, CO | 350 | $44,660 | $21.47 | $48,430 | $37,800 |
| Pueblo, CO | 390 | $41,750 | $20.07 | $49,510 | $34,490 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
The medical assisting profession is projected to grow 16 percent over the next decade, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This career path can be a right fit for compassionate individuals who want to help others.
If a career working alongside physicians and nurses in a clinic or other healthcare setting sounds interesting to you, now that you have read our list, it’s time to apply for the program that best meets your needs.
This is a huge step toward your future career, so make sure you gather information about all the relevant facts.
