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Medical assisting student checking another student's ear

Allied Health Professional

Earn an Allied Health Associate Degree at Aims

Turn your people skills and desire to help others into a fulfilling career in the medical field. Earn an allied health degree at Aims and get a job working in a variety of settings in a medical office, clinic or hospital. Allied health professionals can pursue a variety of career paths to offer quality patient care. These include: 

  • Medical clinical assistant - Check blood pressure and vital signs and run basic medical tests
  • Medical front office assistant - Schedule patient appointments, process insurance and maintain patient files
  • Nurse aide - Help patients with activities of daily living
  • Phlebotomist - Draw blood and other fluids for medical testing
  • Sterile processing technician - Ensure equipment and instrumentation for surgeries are sterilized and in proper repair

Along with doctors, nurses, pharmacists and dentists, allied health professionals play a vital role in the medical field. According to Explore Health Careers, allied health professionals represent more than 60% of all healthcare providers

Learn about common diseases and conditions, study medical terminology and learn how to develop a friendly and professional demeanor with patients. Gain practice in conducting a variety of basic medical tests performed in a doctor’s office. Plus, learn how to perform many of the front office functions at a medical practice such as processing health insurance and financial information. 

Choose one of these allied health professional careers and the coursework will give you the hands-on training you need to get a job in the medical field. The Aims allied health degree program partners with the following regulatory and certifying organizations: 

Using skills assessments and practice tests, you can prepare for national accreditation testing and become a certified allied health professional. After graduation you can sit for exams and become a certified medical clinical assistant, phlebotomy technician, sterile processing technician or nurse aide.

Care Forward Colorado

Get your costs covered

Care Forward Colorado is revitalizing Colorado’s healthcare workforce through zero-cost, short-term training programs. Don't miss your chance! Funding for the Care Forward Colorado program is available until December 2024. Apply now and secure the support you need before the deadline.

Nurse Aide Students work in a classroom at the Aims Community College Greeley Campus.

Turn your passion for helping people into a fulfilling allied health career

Aims Degree Video - Allied Health - Allied Health Professional

Shannon Navarette, medical assisting instructor at Aims, shares the many healthcare career options you can pursue with an allied health professional associate degree.

Gain the Skills You Need To Prepare for a Job in the Medical Field

The allied health professional classes combine lectures with labs to give you the hands-on learning experience needed to work in this field. 

Learn how to:

  • Run basic medical tests including flu and strep throat 
  • Take blood pressure, check vital signs, and measure height and weight
  • Help patients with daily living activities (feeding, toileting, bathing, etc.)
  • Draw blood and other bodily fluids
  • Understand and verify health insurance coverage and coding
  • Prepare and maintain instruments and equipment used for surgical cases

In addition to your medical studies and hands-on training, the allied health degree program also teaches you the important soft skills that employers are seeking. Gain practice developing rapport with patients in scenarios designed to help you think on your feet. Learn how to present a professional demeanor and remain calm in situations where patients may be scared or worried.

They helped me feel ready, confident and excited for what the medical assisting world had in store for me. This program helped me learn how important medical assistants are, and how much of an impact they have on helping people. Thank you Aims faculty for helping me find a job I love!"

Lacey
Aims medical assisting student
Aims Allied Health Professional students in a classroom

Gain Medical Career Skills to Get a Job With an Allied Health Certificate

Certificates are a great way to explore a subject and build skills in less time and at a lower cost than pursuing a degree program. You can also learn a specific technique and build new career skills by earning a certificate in a subject of interest.

Aims offers several healthcare certificates that support a career as an allied health professional. If you decide to pursue a degree, these certificate courses can be applied toward an allied health associate degree. 

  • Medical Clinical Assistant Certificate
  • Medical Front Office Certificate
  • Nurse Aide Certificate
  • Phlebotomy Certificate
  • Sterile Instrument Processing Certificate

Launch Your Career as an Allied Health Professional

Once you’ve decided upon an allied health degree path as a medical clinical assistant, phlebotomist, medical front office assistant, sterile instrument processor or nurse aide, you can find work in a variety of settings:

  • Medical office
  • University healthcare system
  • Hospital
  • Medical testing laboratory
  • Healthcare clinic
15% Job Growth by 2031 Source: Bureau of Labor and Statistics

Allied Health Professional Faculty and Staff

Gain the knowledge and practice you’ll need to become an allied health professional from instructors with a wide range of real-world experience. Smaller class sizes offer opportunities for personalized attention from instructors who are invested in your success.

  • Headshot of Ryan Mayeda

    Ryan Mayeda

    Department Chair - Health Science, Phlebotomy & Medical Assisting
  • Stephany Wood

    Stephany Wood

    Professor, Health Science, Phlebotomy & Medical Assisting
  • Shannon Navarette

    Shannon Navarrette

    Professor, Health Science, Phlebotomy & Medical Assisting
  • A headshot of Lacey Feavel

    Lacey Feavel

    Instructor, Medical Assisting & Phlebotomy
  • Portrait of Tracy Gary

    Tracy Gary

    Instructor, Health Sciences
  • A headshot of Jonathan Mundt

    Jonathan Mundt

    Part-Time: Assistant Instructor, Phlebotomy
  • Kevin Mayeda

    Part-Time: Faculty, Health Sciences
  • Kelley Preston

    Part-Time: Faculty, Health Sciences
  • Susan Gills

    Part-Time: Faculty, Health Sciences