A new partnership between the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Erlanger will provide UTC students the opportunity to obtain their Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) license for free and secure employment at Erlanger while also training Erlanger’s non-certified medical assistants.
Starting in August, UTC pre-health student services, the UTC Center for Professional Education (CPE) and Erlanger Baroness Hospital will launch a CMA training program for UTC students aspiring to attend medical or physician assistant (PA) school. A CMA is a health care professional who focuses on administrative tasks such as managing patient records, insurance claims and appointment scheduling.
Erlanger will fund an initial cohort of 10 seats in the CMA course offered by the CPE, with more seats offered during the spring semester.
“Partnering with UTC to provide the opportunity for medical assistants to earn their certification is a natural fit for Erlanger,” said Haley Johnson, director of nursing for Erlanger Medical Group. “With our 130-year history of teaching and caring for the community, we are proud to extend those hands-on learning opportunities to a new group and, ideally, help them along their professional journey.”
The partnership aims to provide UTC students with valuable hands-on experience and professional training in a clinical setting desired by professional schools. Selected participants will have the opportunity to earn their CMA license, benefit from unique clinical training and mentorship opportunities, and enhance their readiness for medical or PA school applications.
UTC student participants in the new program will commit to one of two work arrangements following the completion of the training and obtaining certification:
- Working full-time for one year in an Erlanger-run clinical setting, which is ideal for students planning a gap year before starting professional school.
- Working part-time for two years, allowing students to gain experience while continuing their studies.
As part of the collaboration, the CPE has also developed a prep program to help non-certified Erlanger employees prepare for the CMA exam.
“Investing in our staff and the future of health care not only benefits Erlanger but also the community,” Johnson said.
“Erlanger, as one of Chattanooga’s regional hospitals, has decided to step up and invest in UTC students by providing them the opportunity to further their education and acquire national certifications at no cost to them,” CPE Workforce Development Specialist William Watson said. “Erlanger is investing this money in UTC students so that they can better themselves for life after UTC.
“In turn, UTC is upskilling the current workforce at Erlanger. When you think about UTC and how we are Chattanooga’s University, this is a great opportunity to underscore our investment and commitment to supporting local employers, local job opportunities and local students.”
Theresa Blackman is UTC’s assistant director of pre-health student services and an advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences. She said UTC’s pre-health career tracks include medical, dental, physician assistant, physical therapy and occupational therapy.
“We think this opportunity to get the CMA and paid medical experience is going to be something that a lot of students are going to be able to benefit from,” Blackman said. “Students with this type of experience on their resume are trending higher in their medical school application acceptance rates.”
This is the second partnership with Erlanger benefiting UTC pre-health student services launched in 2024.
From early February through late April, a collaboration between the pre-health advising program, Erlanger and the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine – Chattanooga provided an opportunity for 76 UTC students spanning 11 majors to job shadow in the Erlanger Baroness Hospital Emergency Department, obtaining valuable experience watching emergency room doctors and other medical personnel in action.
“We are very thankful for this partnership with Erlanger and for everything they are doing to immerse our pre-health students in the medical field,” Blackman said.
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Partnership with Erlanger providing job shadowing experience for 76 UTC students
UTC Pre-Health Professions Advising
