A School Day In The Life Of A BAMA Medical Assistant Training Student

Do you want to become a medical assistant training student?

Finding the right medical assistant training school for you is going to involve a lot of research.

Your research will probably involve visiting school websites, reading school reviews, touring school campuses, and speaking with family or friends who may work in healthcare.

Among other things, your research is telling you what it would be like to be a student at the school.

If you’re wondering what a typical school day is like for a BAMA medical assistant student, here are a few things to look forward to during training.

A Typical School Day for a BAMA Medical Assistant Training Student

While there are different start and finish times for BAMA’s medical assisting program at both the San Francisco and San Jose campuses, the BAMA student experience remains essentially the same.

As an example, here’s a typical school day for BAMA medical assistant training student enrolled in the San Francisco morning track program, from 7:30 am to 1 pm.

7:00 am to 7:30 am

Students start arriving on campus.

It’s a chance for everyone to eat breakfast in the break room, review class work for the day, or just hang out together on the couches before class starts.

7:30 am to 9 am

It’s time for the day’s lecture and study based on one of the seven monthly learning modules that make up the classroom portion of the medical assisting program (module eight is the student’s clinical externship at a Bay Area medical facility).

Student class participation during lectures is encouraged.

“I like students to ask questions the moment they have them,” says Mrs. Earby, BAMA Medical Assistant Instructor for the morning track program. “Asking a question at the right time is not only important for the student’s understanding of what’s being taught, it’s also essential in-order for the student to go on to perform tests and interpret results accurately.”

9:30 am to 10 am

It’s break time and a well-earned opportunity for students to relax on campus, or head out into San Francisco for a little while.

10 am to 1 pm

After break, students practice labs related to that month’s learning module.

Throughout the program, the labs provide students with hands–on training in vital-signs testing, injections, blood draws, EKGs, and patient preparation for exams and procedures, all of which are verified through a skills check-off system.

1 pm… 

Class for the day finishes, and it’s a chance for students to ask their instructor questions, complete some homework on campus, or visit with other BAMA staff concerning externship placement or career services assistance, for example.

And of course – it’s time to go home!

Employer and BAMA Graduate Campus Visits

During the appropriate medical assistant training module, BAMA’s Career Services Team also arranges for healthcare employers and working BAMA graduates to visit and speak with students.

During these talks, students learn about what it’s like to work in healthcare, work place professionalism, and career pathways for medical assistants.

BAMA Student Celebration Events

At BAMA we also like to shake things up every once in a while for students with celebration events.

On these days scrubs can give way to colorful, more alternative dress. It’s a time for fun and laughter.

Celebration events that have become annual fixtures at BAMA are: Hawaii Day, a Halloween costume contest, an ice cream social, and student appreciation bagel days.

BAMA’s big celebration event though is the annual Graduation Ceremony for medical assistants and pharmacy technicians. It’s a day for graduates to celebrate their great achievement with their family, friends, and BAMA staff.

What Are BAMA’s Other Medical Assisting Program Schedules?

If a San Francisco 7:30 am start is too early for you, or you’d prefer to go to the school at the San Jose campus, here are all of BAMA’s medical assisting program schedules currently offered:

San Francisco Campus (Monthly Enrollment)

• Morning track medical assisting program: Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 1  pm
• Day track medical assisting program: Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 3 pm
• Evening track medical assisting program: Monday to Friday, 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm

San Jose Campus (Monthly Enrollment)

• Day track medical assisting program: Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Good luck with your medical assistant training school research!