Begin your journey to a fulfilling career in healthcare before you leave high school!
NEW Health offers a Medical Assistant (MA) Pre-Apprenticeship program for high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.
Students will complete the Pre-Apprenticeship during their senior year, have dedicated time during regular school hours to complete coursework, and will receive paid, on-the-job training at a NEW Health clinic. After graduation, they will enter NEW Health's Apprenticeship program as a full-time employee to become a certified Medical Assistant.
Medical Assistants are in high demand and have steady employment opportunities. You will typically work Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - no evenings or weekends!
On an average day, a Medical Assistant will have duties such as:
- Taking patient vitals like temperature and weight
- Drawing blood
- Updating patient charts in electronic health records
- Listening to patient needs
Colter, Medical Assistant-in-training at Chewelah Medical, talks about pursuing a career in healthcare with NEW Health.
Where will the MA Pre-Apprenticeship take you?
Copyright NEW Health 2022
Is a career in healthcare right for me?
- Medical Assistants work hands-on with patients. As a Medical Assistant, you will take patient vitals such as temperature and weight, draw blood, chart in the electronic health record, and listen to patient needs.
- Individuals who work in a clinical setting, including Medical Assistants, are required to have up-to-date vaccinations including TB and COVID, and are required to wear masks in healthcare facilities.
- Medical Assistants are a high-demand position, providing you with steady employment opportunities.
- Medical Assistants who work for a primary care provider typically work between the hours of 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday. No evenings or weekends!
- If you enjoy helping others and working in a team environment, healthcare may be a great career for you!
During the 2022-2023 school year, high school seniors accepted into the Medical Assistant Pre-Apprenticeship will complete:
- Up to 212 hours of online coursework to be completed at school during regular school hours
- Up to 400 hours of paid on-the-job experience at NEW Health as a part-time employee
- Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Pre-Apprentice students will be supported by a Program Specialist who will help students manage any barriers to program completion.
- To see a complete Medical Assistant Skills List, click here.
After high school graduation, Pre-Apprentice students will enter the MA Apprenticeship program.
- Pre-Apprentice hours qualify to be transferred into the MA Apprenticeship, at which point accepted students will become full-time employees to complete their training. This program prepares students to take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) test through the National Healthcareer Association. The Medical Assistant Apprenticeship has been approved by the State of Washington as an equivalent to a Medical Assistant-Certified (MA-C) program at a community or technical college.
- Apprentices agree to work at NEW Health for two years following completion of the training program.
MA Pre-Apprenticeship Application Process:
- To start your application, click the 'Apply' button below.
- NEW Health will conduct interviews in September 2022, and accepted Pre-Apprentices will start the program in October.
- After applying, students selected for in-person interviews will be provided with interview questions in advance.
- Application requirements:
- Written essay (maximum 1 page) telling us why you want to participate in the MA Pre-Apprenticeship
- 1 Teacher or Mentor reference
- Parent/Guardian approval to participate in this work-based program
Additional Resources:
MA Apprenticeship Information:
This program is brought to you by NEW Health University, committed to creating community-based education pathways for rural youth and to empower employees with training, education, and internal career pathways to strengthen our current and future healthcare workforce.
This program is also made possible by Career Connect Washington. Career Connect Washington works with schools and employers across the state to give meaningful, real-world job experiences to students of all ages, and workers up to 30.