Welcome Letter

Thank you for your interest in the Texas State Technical College- Harlingen Medical Assistant Program. TSTC is proud of it's Medical Assistant Program, and graduates of the program are highly prepared to take the national exam to become a Certified Medical Assistant. The CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) is the gold standard of the  Medical Assisting profession. This credential represents a Medical Assistant has been certified by the American Association of Medical Assistants which means better job security, increased prestige among peers and employers, and greater career advancement opportunities. TSTC is the only CAAHEP accredited Medical Assisting Accredited Program  south of San Antonio.

What is Accreditation and Why is it Important?

Please click on the link below and watch the video to learn more about the importance of accreditation:

http://www.caahep.org/video/default.html

Institutional accreditation helps to assure potential students that a school is a sound institution and has met certain minimum standards in terms of administration, resources, faculty and facilities.

Programmatic (or specialized) accreditation examines specific schools or programs within an educational institution (e.g., the law school, the medical school, the nursing program). The standards by which these programs are measured have generally been developed by the professionals involved in each discipline and are intended to reflect what a person needs to know and be able to do to function successfully within that profession.
 
Accreditation in the health-related disciplines also serves a very important public interest. Along with certification and licensure, accreditation is a tool intended to help assure a well-prepared and qualified workforce providing health care services.

What Accreditation Isn't

Accreditation is a review of a program, institution or service, an individual CANNOT be accredited.

Individuals may become certified, licensed or registered but NOT accredited.  CAAHEP is NOT involved in the certification, licensure or registry of individuals.

To learn more about certification, individuals must contact the appropriate certifying body for their profession.  http://www.aama-ntl.org/

Medical offices are in need of well-trained, qualified individuals who can perform multiple tasks in a medical office. The duties of Medical Assistants vary from office to office, depending on office location, size, and specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually are “generalists,“ handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner.

More details about the Medical Assistant Program are available through the College Information Office, and you are welcome to visit our facilities by scheduling a tour. Department Chair Jean Lashbrook and program instructors work with students individually to plan a career path and course schedules. For more information, call 800.852.8784, extension 4797, or 956.364.4797.