Pima Medical Institute

Pima Medical Institute's Medical Assistant certificate program prepares students for an entry-level role working alongside physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Because the responsibilities of a medical assistant span both clinical and administrative functions, the program is designed to develop a well-rounded skill set that supports high-quality patient care across a variety of settings.

The program takes approximately 9 months to complete and is available at 16 campuses across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington.

What Medical Assistants Do

Medical assistants support the daily operations of healthcare facilities by handling both patient-facing clinical tasks and behind-the-scenes administrative work. Graduates of this program are prepared to work in physicians' offices, hospitals, clinics, and outpatient medical facilities, with additional opportunities in administrative support and office management roles.

What the Program Covers

The curriculum progresses through a structured sequence of coursework covering both the clinical and administrative sides of medical assisting, including:

• Anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology
• Medical office management and professional documentation
• Insurance, billing, and coding fundamentals
• Physical examination techniques and surgical procedures
• Pharmacology, medical law, and ethics
• Phlebotomy and laboratory procedures
• Medical specialty procedures and office communication

Pima Medical Institute's Veterinary Assistant certificate program prepares students for an entry-level role supporting veterinarians and veterinary staff across a range of clinical and administrative functions. The program covers both the hands-on and operational skills needed to care for animals in a professional setting.

The program takes approximately 9 months to complete and is available at 14 campuses across Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington.

What Veterinary Assistants Do

Veterinary assistants work alongside licensed veterinarians and technicians to support animal care from exam room to recovery. Graduates are prepared to pursue roles such as veterinary assistant, laboratory animal caretaker, and animal care or service worker in settings including veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, animal shelters, and zoos.

What the Program Covers

The curriculum develops both clinical knowledge and practical skills across all core areas of veterinary assisting, including:

• Veterinary anatomy, physiology, and terminology
• Clinical laboratory procedures
• Animal life stages, nutrition, and husbandry
• Animal nursing and radiography
• Pharmacology
• Aseptic technique and surgical assisting
• Veterinary office procedures
• CPR and first aid

Pima Medical Institute's Medical Billing and Coding certificate program prepares students for an essential behind-the-scenes role in healthcare. Medical billing and coding professionals serve as the connection between healthcare providers and insurance companies, ensuring that patient records are accurately documented and claims are processed correctly.

The program takes approximately 9 months to complete and is currently offered at the East Valley, Arizona campus. The curriculum combines on-campus and online instruction.

What Medical Billing and Coding Professionals Do

Graduates work in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, physicians' offices, nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, and pharmacies. The role focuses on translating medical procedures and diagnoses into standardized codes used for billing, reimbursement, and record keeping.

What the Program Covers

The curriculum builds a thorough foundation in both the technical and administrative aspects of medical billing and coding, including:

• Anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology
• Insurance, billing, and coding fundamentals
• Clinical and hospital diagnostic medical coding
• Procedural medical coding
• Electronic health records
• Medical billing and reimbursement methods
• Claims management
• Medical law and ethics
• Professional documentation and medical office management

The program concludes with a certification review and capstone course to prepare graduates for professional credentialing exams.