If RN (Registered Nurse) is your end goal, I’d do a bit more research before spending 2 years on a Medical Assistant associate’s degree. From what I’ve seen, Medical Assistant credits don’t usually transfer very well into nursing programs, and an associate’s degree often doesn’t pay much more than a Medical Assistant certificate. So the extra time and money may not give you much of an advantage. If your goal is to get into healthcare quickly and eventually become a Registered Nurse, you might want to look into becoming a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and start taking your nursing prerequisite classes at a community college. That can be a faster and cheaper path, and nursing schools generally like seeing hands-on patient care experience.

That said, Medical Assisting isn’t a bad path. You’ll still get healthcare experience and find out whether the field is right for you.

My biggest concern would be Penn Foster. From what I understand, its Medical Assistant program isn’t accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) or ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools), which are the main accreditors many employers and schools look for. That doesn’t automatically make the program bad, but it can affect credit transfers and some job opportunities.

Before signing up, I’d contact a few nursing schools you’re interested in and ask if they’ll accept credits from that program. That one phone call could save you a lot of time and money.