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Receive your NHA CCMA certification
100% online followed by in-person clinical hours
Job interview prep and resume services
1:1 Support From Enrollment to Employment
Stepful’s Medical Assistant program is designed for those looking to take the next step in their careers by becoming a certified medical assistant in Montana.
Our online program prepares you to earn your Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification from the National Healthcareer Association and perform all the duties of medical assistants, including both those in the front office as well as working with patients.
Our Montana Medical Assistant classes take 4 months to complete and cover all essential topics such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, healthcare systems, phlebotomy, EKG, patient care coordination, and much more.
The Stepful staff is here to support you at every stage of the journey. From career preparedness to help finding an in-person externship*, we're here to help you launch your career in healthcare.
*Please note, students must be available M-F, 9-5 p.m. to be eligible for externship support.
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At-home clinical kit included
What you’ll learn
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Weeks 1-4
Learn the foundational healthcare knowledge needed to become a well-rounded Medical Assistant. Topics include healthcare systems, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology.
Weeks 5-8
Master the ins and outs of clinical patient care, such as infection control, phlebotomy, EKG, as well as patient care coordination and education.
Weeks 9-13
Learn how to handle routine administrative responsibilities and get a good grasp of medical law and ethics as well as excellent customer service.
Weeks 14-17+
Prepare for your national certification exam, get certified, and work with your dedicated coach to find an externship and then a full-time job.
Pick Your Start Date
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01
Earn Your High School Diploma or GED
Montana does not require medical assistants to be licensed, but a high school diploma or GED is necessary. You’ll need to provide proof of completion when enrolling in a training program or applying for jobs.
02
Complete a Medical Assistant Training Program
While certification isn’t required in Montana, most employers prefer candidates who have completed formal training. Programs cover essential topics like medical terminology, infection control, phlebotomy, and EKG placement.
Stepful’s 4-month online Medical Assistant Training Program provides comprehensive training, equipping students with the skills and confidence needed for success. The program is flexible, affordable, and prepares students for certification.
03
Gain Hands-On Experience Through an Externship
Externships provide valuable real-world experience by allowing students to work in a healthcare setting under supervision. Hands-on training strengthens practical skills and improves employability.
At Stepful, we help eligible students* secure externships at one of our 8,000 partner clinics, providing 80 to 160 clinical hours of direct patient care experience.
*Eligibility requires good academic standing, financial status, and availability for at least 20 hours per week during standard business hours.
04
Pass Your Medical Assistant Certification Exam
Earning certification enhances job opportunities and salary potential. Montana does not mandate a specific certification, so candidates can choose from:
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) – National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) – American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) – American Medical Technologists (AMT)
Stepful’s program prepares students to take the CCMA exam, which focuses on clinical medical assisting skills.
05
Start Your Job Search
Medical assistants can find job openings through sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter. Healthcare systems such as Intermountain Health and Montana Primary Care Association also frequently hire medical assistants.
Stepful supports students from enrollment to employment, offering resume assistance, interview coaching, and job placement support to help graduates find positions in their area.
Montana does not require certification for medical assistants. They do, however, provide guidelines that require medical assistants to work under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers.
Those providers are responsible for showing evidence of the medical assistant’s training or competency to do the jobs they are asked. This is why employers prefer to hire certified medical assistants.
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Many healthcare careers in Montana must be licensed, such as physician assistants and nutritionists.
However, medical assistants are not required to be licensed or registered in the state of Montana.
State regulations are written to make sure healthcare professionals only perform tasks they are adequately trained for. In most states, medical assistants’ scope of practice includes taking vital signs and other basic clinical and administrative tasks. However, the laws in each state vary.
Below, you can see what medical assistants can and cannot do in Montana.
What Medical Assistants Can Do in Montana
Montana does not have specific language regarding all the tasks a medical assistant is allowed to do. However, Montana specifies that the supervising professional must give direct supervision to a medical assistant if they are doing the following:
- Injections other than immunizations
- Invasive procedures
- Conscious sedation monitoring
- Allergy testing
- Intravenous administration of blood products or intravenous administration of medication
Other tasks a medical assistant in Montana would likely do include:
- Taking vital signs
- Preparing patients for the physician’s care
- Observing and reporting patients’ signs or symptoms
- Administering basic first aid
- Assisting with patient examinations or treatments
- Operating office medical equipment
- Collecting routine laboratory specimens as directed by the physician
- Performing basic laboratory procedures
- Administration of routine screening tests/immunizations (e.g., flu and TB)
- Documentation of procedures
The role of a medical assistant also usually includes administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, managing patient records, performing medical billing and coding, and more.
What Medical Assistants Cannot Do in Montana
Medical assistants are unlicensed individuals who work under the supervision of a physician or other licensed healthcare providers. Generally speaking, they are prohibited from examining, diagnosing, or treating patients.
Montana regulations don’t list specific tasks that medical assistants cannot do, but they provide these guidelines.
Healthcare providers shall not delegate to medical assistants:
- Medical tasks that are outside the delegating health care provider's scope of practice or they are not authorized to perform
- Surgery
- Medical tasks that the medical assistant is not qualified by education, training, knowledge, and skill to perform
Here are some specific tasks that most medical assistants are not allowed to do:
- Diagnose or treat patients
- Interpret test results
- Administer IV medications or anesthesia
- Perform physical therapy
- Perform invasive techniques
- Operate laser equipment
One of the best things about starting a career as a medical assistant in Montana is the positive job outlook. As of May 2023, Montana had 2,330 medical assistants in the state, or 4.64 jobs per 1,000 residents.
Medical assistants in Montana earn a decent salary, with a median salary of $44,040, or $21.17 per hour.
Medical assistant jobs are expected to increase by 15% over the next decade. This is more than three times higher than the average growth expected for all jobs across the nation (4%) and better than the projected job growth for all healthcare jobs (12%).
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Salary: $44,040 / year
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Job Outlook: +15% Growth
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# of Jobs in Montana: 2,330
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The mission of this organization is to enable medical assisting professionals to enhance and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and professionalism required by employers and patients, protect the medical assistant's right to practice, and promote effective, efficient healthcare delivery.
National organizations that support medical assistants in their careers include:
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