A Career Path that Fits Your Life
Online-first with the confidence that comes with hands-on training
Pulse is a 16-week medical assistant program built around your busy life. It combines online instruction, self-study, in-person lab days, and a real-world externship to get you career-ready. You’ll engage with expert instructors for online learning and hands-on training so you can be confident from Day 1 of your new career.
- Weekly online sessions led by expert instructors
- Monthly in-person labs for hands-on training
- Online self-study
- 80 hrs of externship at a live medical office
Externship
Your 80-hour externship is your opportunity to gain real-world experience under the guidance of local healthcare professionals. It’s where you’ll apply your skills in a live medical setting, build confidence with patients, and work alongside the local healthcare professionals who supervise you.
But at Pulse, your preparation doesn’t start there: it starts before your externship. You’ll receive extensive, hands-on training in our live labs before ever stepping into a clinic. That means you’ll walk into your externship already familiar with the tools, procedures, and pace of a medical office.
Why does that matter? Many online-only programs treat the externship as the place students first touch the work. Arriving without hands-on practice means spending your first days learning what everyone assumes you already know — in front of the people deciding whether they want to hire you. Pulse students walk in having already done it.
Certification
Upon successful completion, you’ll be prepared to sit for the nationally-recognized certification exam through National Healthcareer Association (NHA) and earn your CCMA credential. Graduating students also receive a certificate of completion showing they went through our training program and their BLS (CPR) card.
Month 1
Online Focus
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Introduction to Medical Assisting:
Focus on the roles and responsibilities of a medical assistant in various healthcare settings.
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Infection Control:
Learn OSHA standards, proper hand hygiene, and personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols to maintain a safe clinical environment.
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Patient Intake & Documentation:
Review clinical documentation procedures, including accurate patient intake, charting, and recordkeeping practices.
Lab Focus
Understand the basics of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS) procedures for emergency situations.
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Learn proper selection, application, and removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent contamination.
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Gain foundational phlebotomy knowledge in fields like blood collection, safety protocols, and specimen handling.
Month 2
Online Focus
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Anatomy & Neurology:
Learn the structure and function of body systems with a focus on the nervous system and its role in patient care.
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Pediatric Growth:
Understand key developmental milestones and how to assess growth patterns in pediatric patients.
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Patient Scheduling:
Explore best practices for managing appointments, follow-ups, and workflow efficiency in a clinical setting.
Lab Focus
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Learn how to perform basic vision screening tests and support patient eye health assessments.
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Understand how to accurately measure and record vital signs for infants and children.
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Gain skills in safely performing ear irrigation procedures to remove blockages under clinical supervision.
Month 3
Online Focus
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Pharmacology:
Study common medications, dosage calculations, and safe administration practices in clinical settings.
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Blood Analysis:
Learn the basics of analyzing blood samples, including interpreting common lab results and understanding their clinical relevance.
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Endocrine & Urinary Systems:
Explore the structure, function, and common disorders of the endocrine and urinary systems.
Lab Focus
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Learn how to collect, test, and interpret urine samples to support diagnostic procedures.
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Understand how to perform and interpret rapid tests for influenza and streptococcal infections.
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Gain foundational knowledge of electrocardiograms, including lead placement and basic rhythm interpretation.
Month 4
Online Focus
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Microbiology:
Study microorganisms relevant to human health and their role in infection, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Billing & Coding:
Learn the basics of healthcare reimbursement, including insurance claims, coding systems, and documentation accuracy.
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Cardiopulmonary & Emergency Procedures:
Understand emergency response techniques and procedures for managing respiratory and cardiac events in clinical settings.
Lab Focus
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Learn how to clean, dress, and manage wounds while preventing infection and promoting healing.
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Understand the proper setup, administration, and patient education for nebulizer treatments.
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Review key concepts and practice test strategies to prepare confidently for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam.
Career-Ready Support
We know that completing Pulse is just the start of your journey, so we’re here to support you for your next steps to help your successful transition into the medical field:
Interview Prep
Practice the questions medical assistant interviews actually ask, with feedback from people who have sat on both sides of the table.
Resume Review
You’ll learn and do a lot in 16 weeks. Our team helps you get it onto the page in the language employers scan for.
Partner Network
We maintain relationships with medical offices across our campus network and share openings directly with students and graduates.
Finishing the program is the start.
Our team stays with you through the job search — the résumé, the interviews, the introductions. Career support doesn't end at graduation.
Apply now
Program Requirements
To enroll in this program, you must provide:
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Proof of high school completion
We can accept a U.S. high school diploma, GED, or U.S. college transcript with your high school graduation date.
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U.S. government-issued photo ID
You must be at least 17 years old. If you're under 18, we will require written permission from a parent or legal guardian to enroll.
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Proof of U.S. citizenship
This can be your Social Security Number or a TIN with a valid work permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sixteen weeks — about four months from your first class to your final skills demonstration.
That time is split across weekly live online lectures, four full in-person lab days, self-paced coursework completed before each class, and an 80-hour externship in a working medical office. Total time commitment is roughly 200 hours.
Most Pulse students do. Live online lectures run 60 to 90 minutes a week in the evening. Self-study is about three to four hours a week, on your own schedule. In-person labs happen on just four Saturdays across the entire 16 weeks — one per month.
Your 80-hour externship is arranged with your placement site. Our admissions team will walk through your schedule with you before you enroll so you know exactly what the commitment looks like.
Online-only programs can leave you walking into a clinic having never drawn blood. Pulse is built differently.
Across four full in-person lab days you practice phlebotomy, injections, EKG lead placement, vital signs, ear irrigation, rapid diagnostic testing, and wound care on real people, with an instructor beside you. You then complete 80 supervised hours in a working medical office before you graduate.
Medical practices expect a newly hired medical assistant to arrive knowing the fundamental skills. The program is built around making sure you do — you learn the theory online and prove the skills in person.
No. The program starts from the fundamentals and builds your clinical and administrative skills from the ground up.
Most Pulse students are changing careers from outside healthcare entirely. Everything you need, including the hands-on training, is part of the program.
Because Pulse is online-first, you will need reliable internet access and a computer that can run video calls on Zoom, plus a web browser for our online learning platform and course materials.
Clinical supplies used during in-person lab days are provided.
Certification requirements vary by state and by employer. Some states and many individual practices require or prefer a certified medical assistant; others do not.
The Pulse curriculum prepares you to sit for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam from the National Healthcareer Association, a nationally recognized credential. The exam fee is included for your first attempt, and you complete BLS certification during the program.
Source: National Healthcareer Association — CCMA Certification
Pulse Medical Assistant School does not guarantee job placement.
We do actively maintain an employer network and share openings with students and graduates. Career assistance is available during the program and after graduation, including interview preparation and job search guidance.
The two roles differ in scope of practice and in the education required to enter them.
A medical assistant works under the supervision of a physician and handles both clinical tasks — vital signs, phlebotomy, injections, EKGs, assisting during exams — and administrative work like scheduling and records. Training is measured in months.
Nurses carry broader clinical responsibility and independent judgment, and their roles require state licensure and substantially more education. Many people begin as a medical assistant and use the clinical experience as a step toward nursing later.
The median annual wage for medical assistants in the United States is $44,200, or about $21.25 per hour.
Entry-level positions start around $35,020, while the top 10 percent of earners make more than $57,830. Pay varies by experience, certification, location, and setting — outpatient care centers and hospitals tend to pay above the median. Employment is projected to grow 12 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
A medical assistant school is a training program that prepares students for clinical and administrative roles in healthcare settings.
Programs cover skills like taking vital signs, drawing blood, assisting with exams, administering injections, and managing medical records. Graduates are eligible to sit for certification exams and pursue entry-level positions in physician offices, outpatient clinics, and hospitals.
You enroll in a medical assistant training program that covers both clinical and administrative skills, complete supervised hands-on experience, and then sit for a certification exam.
At Pulse, that path takes 16 weeks and prepares you for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam from the National Healthcareer Association. The exam fee is included for your first attempt.
A medical assistant supports physicians and nurses with both clinical and administrative work.
On the clinical side that means taking vital signs, drawing blood, administering injections, running EKGs, and assisting during exams. On the administrative side it means scheduling appointments, documenting patient histories, and maintaining medical records.
A mix of clinical, administrative, and interpersonal skills.
Clinically, vital signs, phlebotomy, basic lab testing, injections, and infection control. Administratively, patient documentation, scheduling, and records management. Just as important are communication, attention to detail, and the composure to work with patients who are anxious or unwell.