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If you’re about to graduate from high school and want an exciting career that allows you to help people, medical assisting is right for you.
The same is true if you have a job but aren’t happy with your current career path.
Medical assistants work in doctors’ offices, healthcare clinics, urgent care, and hospitals and work with different people every day.
The average salary for a medical assistant in Brownsville, TX, is $34,041, and you can make more as you gain more experience, and where you work will also affect your salary.
If you’re interested in a career in medical assisting, there are several excellent schools in Brownsville and the surrounding area.
1 Southern Careers Institute
About the School
Southern Careers Institute has campuses in eight Texas cities, including Brownsville.
Students receive hands-on training to prepare them for the job market and will receive help for future interviews.
They will learn to write resumes and cover letters and participate in mock interviews to ensure they’re ready when it’s time to interview.
The school’s excellent Medical Assisting program was named the Best Medical Assistant Program In Texas in 2020.
Courses Offered
Students must complete the following courses with a passing grade before moving on to their externship.
- Word Processing
- Customer Service
- Career Readiness
- Communication
- Foundational Body Systems
- Vital Body Systems
- Transformative Body Systems
- Electronic Records and Medical Practice
- Utilizing Electronic Records Systems
- Billing and Insurance for Medical Offices
- Telemedicine Communication
- Medical Law and Ethics
- Electrocardiogram I
- Electrocardiogram II
- Medication and Parenteral Administration
- Phlebotomy; Special Collections
- Phlebotomy; Venipuncture Procedures
- Common Clinical Procedures
- Special Clinical Procedures
- Office Procedures I
When students complete the above courses, they must complete a Medical Assistant Externship, where they’ll work in a healthcare facility and utilize everything they’ve learned.
When students have completed the 36-week program, they can sit for any of the following medical certifications:
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMMA)
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
- Certified EKG Technician (CET)
- Basic Life Support (BLS)
- Microsoft Office Specialist; Word
- MA Career Skills
The tuition for the Medical Assistant program is $17,900, and financial aid is available.
Address: 935 North Expressway, Southwinds Shopping Center, Brownsville, TX 78520
2 South Texas Vocational Technical Institute
About the School
South Texas Vocational Technical Institute has campuses in Brownsville and Weslaco and has an excellent Medical Assisting program.
The program consists of in-class and lab work to prepare students for a career in the healthcare industry.
Courses Offered
The Medical Assistant program covers everything students will need to know to begin a career as a medical assistant, including:
- Processing insurance and other payments
- Preparing medical records for analysis
- Medical records management
- Operation of complex and HIPPA-compliant software
- Financial records maintenance
- Patient administration and registration
- Appointment scheduling
- Coordination with doctors and nurses for examinations and tests
- Taking patient histories and vitals
This is a 10-month program, and students must earn 50.5 Credit Hours to graduate.
The program’s tuition costs $19,735, and students can apply for financial aid if necessary.
Address: 1900 North Expressway, Suite Q, Brownsville, TX
3 Cameron County Education Initiative
About the School
Cameron County Education Initiative provides education, training, and career preparation programs to students who don’t want to spend the next ten years paying off student loans.
The school has an excellent Medical Assistant program that will allow you to start working in a healthcare facility in less than a year.
Courses Offered
Students must complete and pass several classes that teach them to what they need to know to work in a medical office, including:
- Scheduling appointments
- Managing electronic medical records
- Assisting patients with insurance claims
- Billing
- Taking vitals
- Giving shots
- Sterilizing instruments
- Changing wound dressing
- Preparing blood work and other specimens from the lab
Students can complete the course in less than a year and will be ready to work in the healthcare field.
The school provides graduate job assistance to help recent graduates find good jobs quickly.
Address: 3140 E. Ruben M Torres Blvd, Brownsville, TX 78521
4 South Texas Training Center
About the School
South Texas Training Center opened its doors in 1997 to provide students a pathway to students seeking careers in the medical field.
There are three campuses in Texas, and the San Benito location is located just 21 minutes from Brownsville and opened in 2004.
The school has an excellent Medical Assistant program designed to prepare students for careers in the healthcare field.
Courses Offered
The Medical Assistant program is an 8-month course, and students will learn everything necessary to work in the healthcare field, including:
- Front office administration
- Medical terminology
- Medical ethics and law
- Word processing
- Phlebotomy techniques
- Injections
- Universal precautions
- Taking vitals
- Pharmacology
- Urinalysis
- Application of aseptic techniques and infection control
- Electrocardiograph
- Taking patient histories and vitals
- The use and care of diagnostic equipment
When students complete the in-class portion of the program, they must complete a 10-week externship in a local medical facility to give them real-world experience as medical assistants.
The tuition costs $12,370, and financial aid is available.
Address: 1901 W. Hwy 77 Sunshine Strip, 1901 US-77 BUS, San Benito, TX 78586
Schools Summary Table
| Rank | School | |
|---|---|---|
|
#1 | Southern Careers Institute |
|
#2 | South Texas Vocational Technical Institute |
|
#3 | Cameron County Education Initiative |
|
#4 | South Texas Training Center |
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Assistant
Medical Assisting by City
Medical Assisting by State