PIMA MEDICAL INSTITUTE -
SAN MARCOS CAMPUS

A dental assistant has a variety of responsibilities, including helping patients feel comfortable and easing anxieties, assisting the dentist during treatment procedures and teaching patients the skills needed to maintain and improve oral health. This certificate can help you become a dental assistant, orthodontic assistant, oral surgery assistant or surgical dental assistant.

Health care administrative assistants are key members of the front-office medical staff. These assistants manage electronic health records, greet patients and ensure the office operates efficiently. With this training, you can become a medical administrative assistant, medical secretary, medical receptionist, medical office specialist, office manager or medical records clerk.

Medical assistants work closely with healthcare team members, including doctors and nurses. They treat patients from newborns to senior citizens. As a medical assistant, you may work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, clinics or outpatient medical facilities. You also may work in administrative support occupations, medical assisting education or office management.

A pharmacy technician works alongside pharmacists to help provide medications and healthcare products to patients. With this training, you might work in hospitals, retail or mail order pharmacies, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, in-home health environments or other healthcare facilities.

Phlebotomy technicians assist patients with the collection of blood and other clinical specimens. These techs can work in clinical labs, hospitals, independent laboratories, physicians’ offices, health maintenance organizations, public health agencies, nursing homes, research institutions, blood donor centers or mobile laboratories.

A veterinary assistant cares for animals in an animal hospital or clinic setting, under the supervision of a veterinarian or veterinary technician. With a veterinary assistant certificate, opportunities such as a laboratory animal caretaker or animal care and service worker will open up. You may work in private veterinary clinics, animal shelters, animal hospitals or even zoos.

Occupational therapy assistants help all ages of patients with all different types of disabilities and challenges to allow them to participate in everyday life activities. You could find yourself serving in public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers and nursing homes and other community settings.

Physical therapist assistants help patients who are recovering from injuries and illnesses, helping them to gain better movement and function. As a physical therapist assistant, you’ll have opportunities in the offices of physical therapists, hospitals, nursing care facilities, home healthcare services, outpatient clinics and school systems.

Respiratory therapists are specialists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, management and rehabilitation of patients with breathing or other cardiopulmonary disorders. As a respiratory therapist, you could work in hospitals, specialty asthma or cystic fibrosis clinics, long-term care facilities, pulmonologists’ offices, sleep labs or air and ambulance transport companies.

Veterinary technicians gain specialized knowledge of animal behavior and care, laboratory testing, surgical assisting, and nursing procedures to nurture the health and well-being of animals. You can work in clinics, hospitals, laboratories, ranches, zoos, biomedical facilities or wildlife facilities, humane societies and animal control facilities or other professional veterinary settings.