Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Healthcare Pathways, less than 1 year certificate

Why choose Healthcare Pathways at PCC?

The Healthcare Pathways Certificate (25 credits) prepares you with the foundational skills employers require for entry-level positions in the healthcare industry while helping you explore the wide range of healthcare career pathways. In addition, it provides the academic preparation needed to support continued education in PCC healthcare programs and other healthcare training programs.

These classes benefit you in several different ways:

• Begin exploring entry-level healthcare careers such as patient care support, medical office roles, and healthcare services.
• Serve as foundational prerequisite coursework for PCC healthcare programs, including Nursing, Radiography, Dental Hygiene, and Medical Assisting.
• Allow you to complete the Healthcare Pathways certificate by combining required core courses with advisor-approved electives aligned to your goals.

Award information

Degrees and certificates by number of terms to complete

Award	Length (attending full-time)	Financial aid eligible	Currently accepting students?
Certificate: Healthcare Pathways	Less than 1 year

Learn more about Medical Professions and all 3 awards available »

What will you learn?

You will develop both the professional skills and technical knowledge required to work in the healthcare industry. You will explore healthcare standards, systems, and career pathways while building a strong foundation for entry-level roles and further healthcare study.

Required core coursework includes:

• MP 108 – Healthcare Career Essentials
• MP 111 – Medical Terminology
• EMS 100 (or MP 113) – Provider CPR/AED First Aid/BBP certification
• In addition, you may select from a range of approved electives to deepen your knowledge and align your studies with your career goals. These may include topics including (but not limited to):
  • HIM 182 – Healthcare Delivery Systems (3 credits)
  • MP 135 – Pharmacology for Allied Health (3 credits)
  • MP 140 – Intro to Health Law and Ethics (3 credits)
  • NA 100 – Nursing Assisting Training (6 credits)

Courses

Course listing for the 2026-2027 catalog year.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
MP 108	Healthcare Career Essentials	3
MP 111	Medical Terminology	4
EMS 100	Introduction to Emergency Medical Services (or MP 113)	1
Healthcare Pathways Elective List		17
Total Credits		25

View the list of electives in the catalog.

What will you do?

You will be prepared to go into entry-level positions such as:

• Nursing assistant
• Patient care technician or safety tech (“sitter”)
• Caregiver or personal care aide (bath aide)
• Medical scribe or transcriptionist
• Medical courier or lab courier
• Patient access representative
• Medical office or clinic assistant
• Medical billing and insurance verification support
• Surgery scheduler or scheduling coordinator
• Hospital transport or patient transporter
• Environmental services (hospital housekeeping)
• Sterile processing technician (central sterile tech)
• Rehab aide or therapy aide
• Behavioral health assistant
• Emergency department technician
• Dental assistant or dental aide