About the Profession
Medical assistants provide essential clinical support activities such as taking patients' vital signs and scheduling appointments. They work in hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient clinics, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities.
About the Program
Earn while you learn! Not only will VUMC cover the cost of your tuition, you will receive an hourly wage throughout the program with the expectation that upon program completion, you commit to a full-time position as a Medical Assistant at VUMC and continue in that role for 1 year. VUMC also requires that graduates become certified within 120 days of program completion. Students take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam on the last day of class.
The Medical Assistant Program is a partnership between CPiAH and Nashville State Community College (NSCC). At NSCC, students take courses in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, and administrative management. Coursework is reinforced through supervised, hands-on clinical training at VUMC. Students learn to take vital signs, assist with clinical examinations, and perform certain medical laboratory procedures.
Watch our brief video to learn more!
Program Structure
- 12 weeks (full-time)
- 4 weeks of classroom instruction at NSCC
- 8 weeks of clinical training at VUMC
- Certification test preparation
Admission Requirements
- High school diploma or GED
Application Process
The next cohort will begin on January 21, 2025. Applications for that cohort will open on October 26, 2024, to the public and on October 21, 2024, for current VUMC employees.
Applications are accepted through VUMC Human Resources. Please check the job search page for opportunities here with the search term "medical assistant trainee program."
Want to learn more?
Please attend one of our virtual information sessions!
- Monday, October 14, 2024, at noon - link to join Medical Assistant Program Information Session
- Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon - link to join weekly Q&A session
Contact Us
LaQuana (Q) Pollard, MBA
Program Director
laquna.d.pollard@vumc.org