Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program

Your path to an exciting career in healthcare

The 10-month Henry Ford Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program is a great way to begin or advance your career in healthcare, which is the largest industry in southeast and south central Michigan. Once you complete the program, you’ll be qualified to work as a full-time medical assistant at Henry Ford Health. With more than 250 Henry Ford medical centers and clinics—including our newest ones in Chelsea, Plymouth and Royal Oak—we offer a wide variety of opportunities for a satisfying career.

Free college classes and paid training

Henry Ford Health will pay for your medical assistant college classes. MiWorks will assist you with additional expenses like textbooks, scrubs and stethoscopes. We’ll also give you paid, on-the-job training so that you’ll receive all of the tools needed to successfully become a medical assistant. To date, 37 apprentices have graduated and virtually all of them are working fulltime at Henry Ford.

How it works

The Henry Ford Health MA Apprenticeship is a 10-month program. Classes are offered for Fall or Winter sessions.

1. Upon enrollment, you’ll be paired with a college and a Henry Ford Medical Center location that’s close to home. (Henry Ford locations are within Wayne, Oakland, Jackson and Macomb counties; participating colleges include Macomb Community College, Oakland Community College, Schoolcraft College and Henry Ford College.)
2. You’ll work as a paid apprentice at Henry Ford for two days a week, 16 hours a week. When your apprenticeship begins, responsibilities will include greeting and escorting patients to exam rooms, measuring and recording patients’ height and weight, and using computerized charting systems, such as EPIC. As you progress through the apprenticeship, your responsibilities will increase.
3. While apprenticing at Henry Ford, you’ll take the college classes required to become a medical assistant.
4. After completing the college curriculum, you’ll take the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) exam to earn your medical assistant certification.
5. Upon earning your medical assistant certification, you’ll receive a completion certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor.
6. Following successful completion of the program, you’ll be transferred into a full-time position at Henry Ford as a medical assistant.

Program requirements

Applicants must be 18 or older and:

• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Include official transcripts of any post high school education in your application
• Undergo a criminal background check
• Be physically capable of performing essential functions of a medical assistant apprentice with or without reasonable accommodation and without posting a direct threat to the health and safety of the individual or others
• Pass a pre-employment health screening, which includes: nicotine and drug urine testing, tuberculosis skin testing, respirator fit testing, color vision testing, and receiving the MMR, varicella, hepatitis B and flu vaccines.

What does a medical assistant do?

Medical Assistants enjoy the variety of their role, which includes both clinical and administrative duties. As the first person most patients will see at an office visit, MAs can be proud of their ability to ease anxieties and elevate the patient’s overall experience. Because MAs also help keep the daily business of their office flowing smoothly, they are highly appreciated by providers, nurses and other fellow team members.

Patient-related responsibilities

• Taking medical histories
• Explaining treatment procedures to patients
• Preparing patients for examinations
• Assisting during examinations
• Performing basic laboratory tests
• Instructing patients about medication and special diets
• Preparing and administering medications
• Performing electrocardiograms

Administrative duties

• Using computer applications
• Answering telephones
• Scheduling appointments
• Arranging for laboratory services.
• Handling correspondence with billing