Medical Assistant

Linn-Benton Community College offers a 57-credit Medical Assistant Program.

View the program's course list here.

Our Medical Assistant Program uses a “cohort model” of delivery. This means that our students start the program together, learn together, and graduate together.

The Medical Assistant Program starts Fall term, and consists of four terms of full-time study, with students attaining a Certificate of Medical Assisting at the end of Summer term.

The Linn-Benton Community College Medical Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Educational Review Board (MAERB).

Students who successfully complete our Medical Assistant Program are eligible to take the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) National Credentialing Exam, as well as other National Exam opportunities.

The goals of the LBCC Medical Assistant Program are:

1. To promote a safe and equitable learning environment
2. To maintain program accreditation from The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP)
3. To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession,
4. To graduate students who can pass the national exam on the first attempt, and
5. To help all graduates secure the medical assistant job they desire

The Oregon Employment Department reported that Medical Assistants have one of the fastest job growth rates in the nation.

The high demand for Medical Assistants make it one of the easiest access points to a career in healthcare.

Medical Assistants work in Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Women’s Health, and Specialty Clinics (eg. Dermatology, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology, Urology, and Orthopedics).

Our Medical Assistant Program has strong partnerships with all major healthcare providers in our tri-county service district. These partnerships include: Samaritan Health, The Corvallis Clinic, as well as many other healthcare providers in our area.

Salaries currently range between $20 and $30 an hour in our service district. Some geographic areas in Oregon pay even more - ex. Portland, as well as many parts of the Oregon Coast.

Many health systems are offering "signing bonuses" as an employment incentive ($1,000 - $5,000).

Do not let the program cost become a barrier!

Linn-Benton Community College offers numerous scholarships and grant opportunities.

• Scholarships
• Grants
• Financial Aid

The estimated cost of our Medical Assistant Program includes tuition, books, and additional costs associated with the program.

Program Costs*
Tuition & Fees (4 terms, 57 credits)	$8,878
Textbooks (estimate)	$300
Additional Costs
Scrubs (estimate)	$50
National Certification Exam	$125
Estimated Total Program Cost	$9,353

*As of 2023-24 Academic Year

It is recommended that you first contact our application planning specialist, Lorraine Lara, prior to applying to our program. Our advisor will help answer any program-specific questions you may have.

Lorraine Lara
Academic Planning Specialist
HealthcarePrograms@linnbenton.edu

You will be required to complete the LBCC Academic Placement Test for admission.

• This program requires proficiency in writing, including: spelling, basic grammar, sentence structure, and syntax.
  • If you have any questions concerning your current writing proficiency, please utilize the Writing Lab to have your questions answered. 
• This program also requires proficiency in mathematics, including: multiplication, division, basic knowledge of the metric system, and fractions. 
  • If you have any questions concerning your current math proficiency, please utilize the Math Café to have your questions answered.  

All eligible transcripts should be submitted to the LBCC Admissions Office for evaluation.

Entrance into our Medical Assistant Program cohort requires that you complete our application process.

Our program has special admission requirements and enrollment limits, with class cohorts beginning each fall. Please click on the following link and select the Medical Assistant Bulletin as your guide through the admission process.

As part of our application process, The Medical Assistant Program follows the guidelines and requirements set forth by the Oregon Health Authority (OAR 409-030-0100 to 409–030-025). In order to obtain clinical experience at a clinical practicum site, students must meet the following standards and requirements set forth by the State:

Note: if you have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, please contact our Academic Planning Specialist for additional information.

Criminal Background Check

• Criminal background check must be completed prior to clinical placement and no more than 3 months before entering the program

Drug Screen

• Drug screen must be completed prior to clinical placement and no more than 3 months before entering into the program

TB Skin Test (2 Step) or Chest X-Ray

There must be documentation of one of the following:

• 2 Step TB skin test, or
• Quantiferon Gold blood test, or
• If the results are positive, a clear chest x-ray (with lab report) is required
  
  

Required Vaccinations

All students will be required to electronically submit proof of immunization for the following:

• Hepatitis B series
• MMR
• Varicella (Chicken Pox)
• Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis)
• Flu Vaccine (Recommended by OHA and required by some employers)