| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Small independent healthcare training school; non-degree short courses, in person, hybrid and online |
| Campus | 1, in Meridian, Idaho (Boise area) |
| Credentials | Course completion; each main course prepares for a national certification exam, included in the price |
| Course length | 1 day (IV Therapy) to 6 months (Medical Assistant) |
| Accreditation | None; registered with the Idaho State Board of Education as a non-degree school |
| Federal aid | No. Idaho LAUNCH and WIOA funding, and interest-free payment plans |
| 2026-27 prices | $695 (Phlebotomy) to $6,995 (Medical Assistant) for the main courses; $200 for IV Therapy |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Medical Career Academy: short healthcare courses in Meridian, Idaho
Medical Career Academy, which calls itself MCA Idaho, is a small independent school in Meridian, in the Boise area, that teaches short healthcare courses rather than degrees. Its four main courses, Phlebotomy Technician, Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician and Medical Billing & Coding, each prepare students for a third-party national certification exam that is included in the price. It also runs a one-day Basic IV Therapy class for nurses, medical assistants and other providers who already have venipuncture experience, and custom training for employers. Depending on the course, classes meet in the daytime, in the evening or on Saturdays, with coursework online. The school is not accredited and offers no federal student aid, but it says it is an approved Idaho LAUNCH provider, and four of its courses are on the state’s WIOA training list.
Five courses, from one day to six months
Each course ends in a course completion, not a diploma or degree. The table shows the starts listed on MCA’s course pages in October 2026.
| Course | Length | Delivery and schedule | Current and next starts listed | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomy Technician | 8 weeks, 72 hours | Online coursework plus in-person lab in Meridian; Wed/Thu 6-9 pm or Sat 9 am-4 pm | 7 Oct and 24 Oct 2026 | NCPT (NCCT) or CPT (NHA) |
| Medical Assistant | 6 months, 384 hours | Hybrid: in class twice a week, the rest online; externship | 19 Oct 2026 (full), 10 Nov 2026 | NCMA (NCCT) or CCMA (NHA) |
| Medical Billing & Coding Specialist | 5 months | Fully online; live class Tue 6-8 pm | 5 Jan 2027 | CBCS (NHA) |
| Pharmacy Technician | 5 months | Hybrid, instructor-led | 2 Nov 2026 | PTCB (CPhT) |
| Basic IV Therapy | 1 day | In person, Sat 9 am-4 pm | 16 Jan 2027 | No exam included |
What the main courses cover
Phlebotomy Technician
The 72-hour course runs eight weeks. Theory is done online in Canvas, and students practise venipuncture in person at the Meridian campus in one of two sections: Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9 pm (7 October to 3 December 2026) or Saturdays from 9 am to 4 pm (24 October to 19 December 2026). The included national exam is the NCCT’s NCPT or the NHA’s CPT, according to the state’s training-provider list. Students need a high school diploma or GED, and immunizations are reviewed on the first day.
Medical Assistant
The 384-hour course takes 24 weeks. Students attend class twice a week for three to four hours and complete the rest online. The current evening section (Monday and Wednesday, 6 to 9 pm, 19 October 2026 to 14 April 2027) is full; a morning section meets Tuesday and Thursday from 9 am to 12:30 pm, 10 November 2026 to 6 May 2027. Students take an NCCT or NHA national exam at the school. The course includes an externship, but MCA does not say how many hours it is or who arranges it.
Medical Billing & Coding
This course is fully online and instructor-led, with a live class on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 pm and optional in-person help in Meridian. The next class runs 5 January to 27 April 2027; MCA calls it a five-month course. Topics are medical data classification, CPT coding, HIPAA, medical science, processing information, and law and ethics. It prepares students for the NHA’s Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) exam; the CPC credential is not mentioned. Students applying for Idaho LAUNCH funding need an IdahoWorks Job Seeker account.
Pharmacy Technician
The hybrid course runs 2 November 2026 to 14 April 2027 and covers pharmacology, vaccine administration, anatomy and physiology, the top 200 drugs, pharmacy calculations, and law and ethics. It prepares students for the PTCB exam for the CPhT credential, and MCA does not claim ASHP accreditation for it. The course page gives two different schedules, Monday and Wednesday from 6 to 9 pm and “4 hours once a week”, so ask which applies. As with billing and coding, LAUNCH applicants need an IdahoWorks Job Seeker account.
Prices and how students pay
MCA charges one flat price per course, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. The prices below are from the course pages for classes starting October 2026 to January 2027; no effective date is printed. The national certification exam is included in every course except IV Therapy, and no payment plan charges interest.
| Course | Price, 2026-27 starts | Included | Payment plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomy Technician | $695 | Course and national certification exam | $200 deposit, then 2 payments |
| Medical Assistant | $6,995 | Textbook, BLS CPR, background check, drug screen, externship scrub top, national exam | $1,000 deposit, balance over 6, 9 or 12 months |
| Medical Billing & Coding | $2,500 | ICD-10-CM, CPT and HCPCS books, online materials, national exam | $500 deposit, up to 6 monthly payments |
| Pharmacy Technician | $2,500 | Online materials and PTCB exam | $500 deposit, monthly payments |
| Basic IV Therapy | $200 | No exam included | None listed |
There is no federal student aid. MCA says it is an approved Idaho LAUNCH provider, so LAUNCH grants for eligible Idaho high-school graduates may cover part of the cost. Phlebotomy, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing & Coding and Pharmacy Technician are also “State Approved” for WIOA funding on the IdahoWorks eligible training provider list, with renewal due 25 February 2027.
Under MCA’s terms, students get a full refund if they ask in writing before the course’s drop period ends, and no refund after it. The drop period is set for each course.
Open enrollment with a diploma or GED
Every course requires proof of a high school diploma or GED; MCA does not describe any other admission test. Immunizations are reviewed on the first day, and Medical Assistant tuition covers a background check and drug screen. Late enrollment is accepted while seats remain. Classes meet once or twice a week, and coursework is posted in Canvas.
Not accredited: what the state registration means
MCA has no institutional accreditation and claims no programmatic accreditation for any course. It is registered with the Idaho State Board of Education as a proprietary, non-degree school, as shown on the board’s registered-school listing (updated September 2026).
MCA’s own terms and conditions say the board “has not accredited or endorsed any course of study being offered by Medical Career Academy” and that its courses “may not be accepted for transfer into any Idaho public post-secondary institution.”
MCA publishes no completion, job-placement or certification pass rates, no enrollment figures and no catalog, so there are no results to report here.
Before you enroll
- Credits may not count toward a college degree: MCA says its courses may not be accepted for transfer by Idaho public colleges, and it is not a federal student aid school.
- There are no published results. Ask how many recent students passed the national exam for your course before you pay.
- Only the Medical Assistant course page mentions an externship, and its hours are not published. MCA describes no formal job-placement service.
- EMT and American Heart Association CPR and first-aid courses on MCA’s website are run by Idaho CPR Plus, a separate company in Boise that MCA links to.
- Medical Billing & Coding is online, but MCA markets to the Boise area and does not say whether it enrolls students who live outside Idaho.
Where classes meet
MCA’s one campus is at 2082 S. Eagle Rd., Meridian, ID 83642, in the Boise area. The state board’s listing gives MCA’s location as “Boise and Meridian”, but MCA publishes no Boise address.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Healthcare courses
- Phlebotomy Technician (8 weeks)
- Medical Assistant (6 months)
- Medical Billing & Coding Specialist (5 months, online)
- Pharmacy Technician (5 months, hybrid)
- Basic IV Therapy (1 day)
For employers
- Custom training classes
Campus Locations
Boise (Meridian), ID 2082 S. Eagle Rd., Meridian, ID 83642