Hawaii Medical College

10/05/2026

Medical Assistant or Pharmacy Technician: Questions to Help You Choose

You know you want to work in healthcare. The harder question is where you see yourself contributing each day.

Medical assisting and pharmacy technology offer different ways to support patients. Both involve teamwork, careful attention, and communication. Start your comparison with these questions:

• What kind of patient interaction appeals to you? Medical assistants help with the flow of a patient’s visit. Pharmacy technicians support pharmacists with prescription preparation and customer service.

• Which tasks make you curious? Think about learning to measure vital signs, or practicing pharmacy calculations and learning how a pharmacy operates.

• How would training fit into your week? Ask about class schedules, study time, campus attendance, and externship arrangements.

You do not need a complete career plan to start a conversation. Read the full guide, then bring your questions to Hawaii Medical College’s admissions team.

https://hmi.edu/medical-assistant-vs-pharmacy-technician-hawaii/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=weekly_blog_20261005

You know you want to work in healthcare. The harder question is where you see yourself contributing each day. Medical assisting and pharmacy technology offer two different ways to support patients. Both involve teamwork, careful attention, and communication. Choosing between them starts with underst...

10/05/2026

The quietest one in class. Somehow still the center of attention. 😂🩺

Oʻahu, what would you name our newest classmate? 👇

10/03/2026

Picture your ʻohana cheering—and this time, you’re the one in the cap and gown. 🎓🌺

The practice. The classmates. The moment you get to say, “I did it.”

Take a look inside Hawaii Medical College in Honolulu. Could you picture yourself here?

Explore our healthcare career programs at hmi.edu.

Who would be cheering the loudest for you? 💛

09/21/2026

Build your healthcare foundation at HMC. Hear Medical Assistant graduate Len Tanaka’s experience.

Explore the program and request information:
https://hmi.edu/programs/clinical-medical-assistant-diploma/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organic_social&utm_campaign=ma_pt_fall_2026&utm_content=len_ma_testimonial

09/15/2026

One of my favorite parts of leading Hawaii Medical College is welcoming a new group of students.

Today’s orientation was an opportunity to spend time with the people taking that first step toward a career in healthcare. Each arrives with their own goals, responsibilities, and reasons for being here.

Their decision to begin matters. So does the work we do to support them along the way.

To our newest students: welcome to HMC! I’m glad you’re here, and I look forward to seeing what you accomplish.

08/31/2026

Not all healthcare training programs take the same approach.

At Hawaii Medical College, students can build practical skills and confidence through hands-on learning designed to support career readiness. Explore your options at hmi.edu.

08/28/2026

Thinking about becoming a nurse someday? Your healthcare journey can start now.

Build foundational skills, gain confidence, and explore a path that could lead to a meaningful career in patient care. Learn more at hmi.edu.

08/27/2026

**Student outcomes matter. 🎓➡️💼**

One of the things that stood out to me at this year's ACCET Annual Conference was recent research challenging some long-held assumptions about career colleges.

📊 **Lightcast's 2025 *Talent Shortages and Student Outcomes* report** found that at two-year and less-than-two-year institutions, students at for-profit career colleges had:

🎓 **5.75x higher odds of completing their credential within 150% of normal time**

💼 **2x higher odds of securing full-time employment after graduation**

And new research from **Rice University** looked specifically at allied healthcare education.

The 2026 study found career-college graduation rates of:

🩺 **51.8% vs. 28.6%** for certificate programs

🎓 **48.6% vs. 21.2%** for associate-degree programs

when compared with community colleges in the Texas study. Career-college graduates also completed their programs faster and experienced greater wage gains.

For those of us involved in career education, the message is important:

**Education should lead somewhere.**

At Hawaii Medical College, that's what we're working toward every day: helping students develop skills, earn credentials and prepare for careers that our community needs.

🔗 **Read the research:**

Lightcast, *Talent Shortages and Student Outcomes*
https://career.org/web/Multimedia/CECU%20Publications/Lightcast-Report-Shows-For-Profit-Colleges-Narrow-the-Skills-Gap-and-Outperform-Peer-Institution.aspx

Rice University, *Outcomes of Allied Healthcare Education in Texas*
https://rusmp.rice.edu/news/featured-stories/outcomes-allied-healthcare-education-texas

08/25/2026

You don’t have to have everything figured out to get started. Many HMC students begin with a goal and build clarity, confidence, and practical skills along the way.

Learn more at hmi.edu.

08/22/2026

Medical assisting is often overlooked—but it is one of healthcare’s most versatile career paths.

Clinical medical assistants help support patient care, assist healthcare providers, and keep the daily operations of clinics and medical offices moving. It is a hands-on role for people who want to make a meaningful difference while building practical healthcare skills.

At Hawaiʻi Medical College, students gain classroom instruction, skills-lab practice, and real-world externship experience to prepare for the next step in their healthcare journey.

Discover why medical assisting may be the career path you have been looking for:
https://hmi.edu/medical-assistant/