Manatee Technical College (MTC), a public technical college run by the Manatee County school board, offers one medical assisting program:
- Medical Assisting Certificate (900 clock hours)
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Cost | Est. Duration | Clock Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Assisting Certificate | $6,791 (Florida resident) | ~6 months | 900 |
The cost is MTC’s published total for Florida residents, from its April 2026 program sheet. It includes tuition, lab fees, books, uniforms, and pre-admission costs, but not certification exam fees. The program runs as a hybrid: three on-campus mornings a week at the East Campus in Lakewood Ranch, with the rest of the coursework online.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| School type | Public technical college (Manatee County school district) |
| Campus | East Campus, 5520 Lakewood Ranch Blvd., Bradenton, FL |
| Format | Hybrid: on campus Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon; online coursework Monday through Friday |
| Programmatic accreditation | CAAHEP and MAERB listed by MTC; not confirmed for this program |
| Institutional accreditation | Council on Occupational Education (COE) |
| Exams named | CMA (AAMA) and CCMA (NHA), plus EKG and phlebotomy technician certifications |
| Practicum | 190 hours |
| Start term | August only |
| Job placement | 92.73% cumulative, 2020 to 2024 |
Medical Assisting Certificate
The certificate costs about $6,791 for Florida residents and takes about 6 months, starting each August. See the official program page.
Certificate Curriculum
Structure. The program follows Florida’s state curriculum framework for medical assisting (program H170515). Students attend campus labs three mornings a week and complete the remaining coursework online.
- MEA0003 Introduction to Medical Assisting and Pharmacology: 250 hours
- MEA0502 Introduction to Medical Office Procedures: 100 hours
- MEA0521 Phlebotomist: 75 hours
- MEA0574 Laboratory Procedures: 80 hours
- MEA0543 EKG Aide: 75 hours
- MEA0584 Clinical Assisting: 130 hours
- MEA0943 Practicum Experience: 190 hours
Distinctive elements. Phlebotomy and EKG are full courses, and MTC prepares graduates for separate EKG technician and phlebotomy technician certifications alongside medical assisting. Students also earn BLS certification.
You Should Know
- MTC’s program web page still shows an older version of the program: 1,300 hours over 9 months with a 200-hour practicum. The April 2026 program sheet lists 900 hours over about 6 months with a 190-hour practicum, and its course hours add up to 900.
- The current program sheet names an “AAMA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA).” That credential does not exist. The AAMA awards the CMA, and the NHA awards the CCMA. MTC’s 2022 sheet named the AAMA CMA.
Certificate Practicum
- 190 hours in MEA0943 Practicum Experience, 30 hours above the 160-hour CAAHEP minimum
- Whether MTC places students or students find their own sites is not stated
- Pay is not stated
Certificate Admissions
Applicants apply online and then complete a required To-Do List:
- $45 application fee
- Basic Skills Assessment within 6 weeks of the admit date, unless exempt
- Physical exam and immunizations
- Background check
- CastleBranch pre-admission tracker
You Should Know
- Applying does not guarantee acceptance. The program starts once a year, in August.
- Pre-admission fees are non-refundable and not covered by financial aid.
Tuition
MTC charges $2.92 per clock hour for Florida residents and $11.71 for non-residents. Its April 2026 program sheet lists a total of $6,791 for residents.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition, lab, and fees (includes $60 facility and equipment fee) | $6,269 |
| Textbook (estimate) | $133 |
| Physical exam and immunizations (estimate) | $100 |
| Background check | $70 to $90 |
| Scrubs with embroidery (estimate) | $70 |
| Application fee | $45 |
| Lab coat (estimate) | $45 |
| CastleBranch pre-admission tracker | $24 |
| Watch with second hand (estimate) | $15 |
| Total (published) | $6,791 |
- Financial aid is available to eligible students. Uniforms may be covered for Pell-eligible students after aid is applied to tuition and fees.
Be aware that:
- Tuition at $2.92 per hour accounts for about $2,628 of the $6,269 tuition line. The remaining $3,641 is lab and other fees that MTC does not itemize.
- Non-resident cost is an estimated $14,700, applying the $11.71 rate to 900 hours and keeping the same fees and supplies.
- Certification exam fees are not included. The CMA (AAMA) costs $125 for members and $250 for non-members.
Outcomes
| Measure | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Job placement (program) | 92.73% | MTC program page, cumulative 2020 to 2024 |
| Job placement (program) | 86.7% | MTC program sheet, 2022 |
| On-time completion (program) | 93% | MTC program sheet, 2022 |
| Graduation (college-wide) | 86% | MTC Fast Facts, September 2025 |
Placement and completion are strong, but both program-level figures come from the older 1,300-hour version. MTC does not publish a credentialing exam pass rate for medical assisting.
Why Choose This Medical Assistant Program?
MTC fits a Manatee or Sarasota County resident who wants a low-cost medical assisting certificate without attending class every weekday.
Schedule. Campus labs meet three mornings a week, and the rest is online. That leaves room for a part-time job in a way a full-day, five-day program does not.
Cost. At $6,791, MTC costs more than Indian River State College’s 900-hour certificate (about $3,549) but far less than private options such as Ultimate Medical Academy ($16,388) or Keiser University (about $43,900).
Stacked credentials. Graduates are prepared for EKG and phlebotomy technician certifications as well as medical assisting.
Drawbacks. There is one start date a year, MTC’s own materials disagree on program length, and the program’s CAAHEP status should be confirmed before relying on CMA eligibility.
Accreditation
Manatee Technical College is institutionally accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE), a national accreditor for technical colleges. MTC’s accreditation page lists the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) among its accreditations and affiliations. MAERB reviews only medical assisting programs, which points to CAAHEP accreditation of this program, and third-party directories list it as CAAHEP-accredited. MTC’s program pages do not state it, and CAAHEP’s directory could not be checked directly. CMA (AAMA) eligibility depends on CAAHEP or ABHES accreditation, so students who want the CMA should ask MTC for the program’s accreditation status and AAMA accreditation code. The CCMA (NHA) does not require programmatic accreditation. MTC awards career and technical credit that may articulate to Florida public colleges.