What Healthcare Assistant Courses Are Available in Orlando?
If you like working with people, have an interest in the human body and how it functions, and are looking for a career path that offers plenty of opportunity and room for growth, pursuing a career as a health care assistant might be right for you.
The healthcare industry is expected to grow at a faster-than-average rate over the next 10 years, meaning there should be plenty of job opportunities[1]. Assistant roles in health care, such as dental assistants, medical assistants, and surgical technologists, are expected to see particularly high rates of growth over the next decade.
If you live in Orlando and are interested in starting a career as a healthcare assistant, you’re in luck. Orange Technical College offers multiple healthcare assistant courses and career certificate programs at its campuses in Orlando, Florida.
Dental Assistant
Dental assistants typically work alongside of dentists and dental hygienists, performing a mix of clinical and administrative tasks. As a dental assistant, you might schedule patients’ appointments or stand by their side during a procedure. If you’re interested in becoming a dental assistant in Orlando, Florida, you’ll need to complete a dental assisting certificate program and then pass the Dental Assisting National Board Examination. Once you’ve earned your certificate and passed the exam, you’ll be a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA).
Orange Technical College offers a Dental Assisting program at our Orlando campus. The program lasts for 10 months and consists of four courses:
- Introduction to Dental Assisting (90 hours)
- Dental Infection Control Assistant (210 hours)
- Dental Assistant 1 (465 hours)
- Dental Assistant 2 (465 hours)
Medical Assistant
Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing healthcare assistant careers, with employment opportunities expected to increase by 23% by 2028[2]. Similar to dental assistants, medical assistants perform a combination of administrative and clinical tasks. They primarily work in doctors’ offices, hospitals, or other medical facilities.
Orange Technical College’s Medical Assisting career certificate program is offered at our Avalon campus in Orlando. The program takes 14 months to complete if you enroll full-time. It consists of 10 courses, including a 200-hour practicum. After completing the program, you’ll be eligible to take either the Certified Medical Assistant or the Registered Medical Assistant exam.
Patient Care Assistant
Patient care assistants include certified nursing assistants (CNAs), home health aides, and orderlies, all of which are rapidly growing positions in the healthcare industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job openings for home health aides will increase by 36% by 2028[3], for example.
The Patient Care Assistant certificate program from Orange Technical College is available at our Orlando campus. The program cross-trains students for career opportunities as home health aides, CNAs, orderlies or patient care assistants. The 290-hour program of study consists of four parts:
- Basic Healthcare Worker (90 hours)
- Nursing Aide and Orderly (75 hours)
- Advanced Home Health Aide (50 hours)
- Patient Care Assistant (75 hours)
After completing the program, you can take the exam to become a CNA in the state of Florida.
Surgical Technologist
If you find surgery fascinating, pursuing a career as a surgical technologist would allow you to get into the operating room and to assist surgeons as they perform procedures. A surgical technologist helps to prepare operating rooms before surgeries and works alongside the surgeon during procedures, passing over supplies and tools.
The Surgical Technology career certificate program is offered at our Orlando campus. It consists of 1,330 clock hours and five programs of study:
- Basic Healthcare Worker (90 hours)
- Central Supply Technician (210 hours)
- Surgical Technologist 1 (343 hours)
- Surgical Technologist 2 (343 hours)
- Surgical Technologist 3 (344 hours)
The program typically takes 13 months to complete, if you are enrolled full-time. It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Orange Technical College has five campuses across Central Florida, including three in Orlando. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in healthcare and are interested in attending a program in Orlando, get in touch with our Orlando campus, Avalon campus, or Mid Florida campus today to learn more about our health sciences and assisting programs of study.
Sources:
- “Healthcare Occupations”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm
- “Medical Assistants”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm
- “Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home-health-aides-and-personal-care-aides.htm
- “Dental Assistants”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/dental-assistants.htm
- “Surgical Technologists”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/surgical-technologists.htm#
- “Nursing Assistants and Orderlies”, Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nursing-assistants.htm#tab-1