Medical Assisting

Program Mission Statement

The mission of the Medical Assisting Certificate program is to prepare competent, responsible, and caring entry-level medical assistants through education, practice, and community experiences. The program's goal is to prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. Additionally, the program fosters professionalism, ethical practice, personal growth and development, and lifelong learning to support their success as members of the healthcare team.

This is done by:

• Providing a competency-based education in medical assisting that enables the student to work effectively in both the clinical and administrative aspects of the ambulatory care setting.
• Providing information and education that will enable the student to practice ethically and within the scope of medical assisting.
• Encouraging the student to display flexibility, cooperation, and critical thinking in working with teams to provide patient care.
• Providing an educational background that will encourage the student to participate in continuing education activities and to strive to grow and manage change in their careers.

Minimum Expectations

To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Specific program outcomes are:

• To graduate 70% of students who enter the program within 5 years.
• Graduates will pass the CMA (AAMA) certification examination on their first attempt at 80%.
• Graduates will work in a healthcare capacity within one year of graduation at 70%.
• The graduates will rate the program overall as satisfactory at a 70% level.
• Employers will rank Lakeland graduates as prepared at the entry level for a medical assistant at 70%.

MAERB Annual Report: Medical Assisting Program Outcomes

Medical Assisting Program Student Retention Rate 

The Medical Assisting Program at Lakeland Community College has a five-year average retention rate of 83.93% for the years 2020-2024. This means that 83.93% of students who enrolled in the program either successfully completed it or qualified for an allowable exclusion under MAERB's retention calculation guidelines.

What This Means for Lakeland's Program:

• Reflects strong student engagement, comprehensive support services, and effective retention strategies led by dedicated faculty and administration.

This achievement highlights Lakeland's commitment to student success and excellence in medical assisting education.

Medical Assisting Program Job Placement Rate 

Additionally, the medical assisting program at Lakeland Community College has a five-year average job placement rate of 95.35% for the years 2020-2024.

Lakeland Community College offers a range of supportive services to assist students in job placement including:

• Resume writing assistance
• Interview preparation workshops
• Job search strategies and resources
• Access to job listings and career fairs
• Networking opportunities with employers
• Career counseling and guidance
• Mock interviews and feedback sessions
• Alumni connections