Professional and Continuing Education
The Office of Professional & Continuing Education at the University of Memphis is designed to narrow the educational gap left by degree-awarding programs thus complementing the university’s mission of service to the community. There are two main divisions within Professional & Continuing Education.
- Customized Training Courses for businesses and industry
- Continuing Education Credit for professional development programs
- Interdisciplinary Public Health Certificate
- Advanced Career Training (non credit)
New Medical Assisting program begins this spring
Medical assistants work as members of a healthcare team, supporting physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. It’s a great place to start what can become a long and successful career in the medical field.
Not everyone has the time or finances to commit toward the type of education and training required to become a nurse or physician. The College of Health Sciences developed a 6-month online program to provide training to become a medical assistant, allowing students to place their foot in the door to gain career experience that could lead to greater opportunities in healthcare. Upon successful completion of this program, students will be eligible to sit for the National HealthCareer Association’s Certified Clinical Medical Assisting (CCMA) exam. Once certified, they can work anywhere in the United States.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 18% by the year 2030, which is a much faster growth rate than most other occupations. The BLS projects the country will have an average of 104,400 job openings for medical assistants each year between now and 2030.
"As a healthcare professional, I'm thrilled to see the introduction of this innovative online Medical Assisting program," said program coordinator Tara Hunter. "In today's fast-paced world, accessibility to quality education is crucial, and this program is a game-changer, opening doors for countless aspiring medical assistants to embark on a fulfilling and impactful career in healthcare. By launching a community-driven medical assisting program we hope to build up our local area workforce."
Application deadline for the first cohort is Nov. 17, 2023 with online classes beginning Jan. 21, 2024.