LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES to enter or advance in the healthcare field? Lake Land College has a new pathway for you to become a Medical Assistant.
Starting this fall, you will have the option to enroll in a new hybrid model to earn an associate degree in the Medical Assistant program. You will take all of your courses online and only come to campus one night a week for lab. “We think this will open up an amazing opportunity for people who can’t be in classes during the day,” Medical Assistant Program Instructor Molly Yeske said. “This will also be perfect for people already employed in the medical field and want to pursue promotions.” As a Medical Assistant you will provide both patient care and administrative offices duties in a medical facility. The Medical Assistant is a fairly new position in healthcare and is growing rapidly, with projections showing a 29 percent increase in the number of jobs by 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics.
WHAT DOES A MEDICAL ASSISTANT DO? Students currently enrolled in the Medical Assistant program agree that the online option will be beneficial. Clarissa Seal, Mattoon, works the night shift at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center and attends classes at Lake Land during the day. “It’s hard sometimes, but I love what I do and I love what I study,” Seal said. “Because I have work experience in a hospital, I think I could have done the online route.” Yeske said students with previous medical knowledge are ideal candidates for the online option. “I think people with medical experience will have an easier time, because they are familiar with the environment and we want you to excel and succeed,” Yeske added. Yeske anticipates that spots for the online option will fill up quickly. “I think people will be excited about it because it’s always a good thing to have choices,” she said. “Just pick one that will best suit your lifestyle.”
MEET THE FACULTY MOLLY YESKE, MS, CCMA Medical Assistant Program Instructor
Medical Assistants work in medical facilities under the direction of a physician and have both clinical and office responsibilities. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records or billing and coding for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood and administering medications as directed by a physician.
HOW DO I GET STARTED? Medical Assistant is a special admission program that requires you to complete a specific application in addition to the college’s Intent to Enroll. To get started, visit the Lake Land College homepage at lakelandcollege.edu and select the “Admissions” drop down. From there, select the “Special Admission Programs” link. The application deadline for the Fall 2018 semester is May 1, 2018. Call 217-234-5232 for more information.
PROGRAM OPTIONS MEDICAL ASSISTANT ASSOCIATE DEGREE OPTIONS: Traditional day classes NEW Hybrid model in which all classes are offered online with a lab meeting on campus one evening a week MEDICAL ASSISTANT CERTIFICATE OPTION: Traditional day classes
Yeske joined Lake Land College in August 2017. This has been her first year of teaching.
job growth through 2026 (bls.gov)
“Whether it be the staff/faculty or students, everyone at Lake Land is so helpful and awesome. I love the moment when the coursework clicks with students and I can watch them grow into their potential.”
LAKE LAND COLLEGE 217-234-5253
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