Dental Assistant

Dental Assistants perform a variety of patient care duties in the office and laboratory. They assist dentists chairside, take x-rays, maintain records and equipment, prepare patients for treatment and instruct patients in oral hygiene.

Courses include dental office administration, dental anatomy and physiology, preventive dentistry as well as chairside assisting theory and lab.

Medical Assistant

Medical Assistants aid doctors and nurses in delivering health care--ranging from performing administrative duties to direct patient care--in health centers, health insurance companies, urgent care centers, clinics and the physician's office.

Courses include medical terminology, office management, medical law & ethics, medical insurance, medical office laboratory procedures, nursing and surgical procedures as well as examination techniques.

Nursing

The nursing program at Pima Medical Institute will prepare you to succeed in the rewarding and lucrative field of health care. Upon graduation from our associate degree program, you will be eligible to sit for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (also known as NCLEX-RN), administered by the State Board of Nursing. After passing the exam, you will become licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the state administering the exam.

As an RN, you can work in hospitals, health care facilities, clinics, community health organizations, long-term care facilities and in the home. No matter where you provide patient care, as a Registered Nurse you will be part of a valued health care team, working alongside physicians and other health care professionals.

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Occupational Therapy Assistants help people of all ages develop, regain, or master everyday skills in order to live life to its fullest. The OTA is a skilled credentialed health care worker who carries out treatment plans under the guidance and supervision of an Occupational Therapist. OTA's provide treatment interventions to infants, children, adults, and geriatric clients in setting such as public schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, nursing homes, and other community settings.

The occupational therapy assistant program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Developing Program Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA.

Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing health care and medications to patients. Pharmacy Technicians often perform many of the same duties as the pharmacist. Courses include medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology as well as pharmacy law and ethics.

Physical Therapy Assistant

Patience, resourcefulness, empathy and tact are personal traits needed by Physical Therapist Assistants in order to help patients and their families understand their treatments and adjust to rehabilitation. Professionals in this field are employed in hospitals, clinics, private practice, long-term care facilities and sports medicine centers.

Once you have acquired new skills in massage, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, therapeutic exercise and wound care at Pima Medical Institute, you will be ready for this exciting and rewarding career.

Typical duties of a Physical Therapist Assistant vary according to the size and level of sophistication in the work setting. PTA's will assist Registered Physical Therapists in patient procedures such as:

• Exercise for increasing strength, endurance, coordination and range of motion
• Electrical stimulation to activate paralyzed muscles
• Instruction in carrying out everyday activities in the use of helping devices
• Application of massage, heat, cold, light, water or electricity to relieve pain or improve the condition of the muscle or skin.
• To assist in performing such therapies, Physical Therapist Assistants must have detailed knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and treatment procedures.

Respiratory Therapy

The breath of life is a precious aspect of our health. Respiratory Therapy is a health care specialty that offers a set of unique challenges in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management and rehabilitation of patients with lung problems.

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where your technical and medical responsibilities will be matched by a real need for human relations skills, then a career in Respiratory Therapy may be what you are seeking.

Respiratory Therapists, also known as Respiratory Care Practitioners, specialize in the evaluation, treatment and care of patients with breathing disorders. Whenever the breath of life is at risk, the Respiratory Therapist is called upon to assist. Most Respiratory Therapists work with hospital patients in three distinct phases of care: diagnosis, treatment and patient management. Treatment may range from giving emergency relief to patients with asthma or long term care for chronic conditions such as emphysema.

Veterinary Assistant

The Veterinary Assistant is trained to help veterinarians in caring for and providing medical services to animals. Courses include pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, parasitology, surgery and anesthesiology as well as veterinary nursing techniques.