Emory & ACT Forge New Clinical Path for Pre-Med Students

NEW YORK, NY – March 30, 2026 – In a move poised to reshape pre-medical education, Emory University is partnering with workforce solutions provider Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) to launch a novel program that provides pre-medical students with formal certification as Clinical Medical Assistants (CCMA). The initiative, launching with an initial cohort of 50 students in Emory’s HeartStart program, directly addresses the mounting pressure on aspiring doctors to secure meaningful, hands-on clinical experience long before they ever set foot in medical school.

This collaboration goes beyond traditional volunteer roles or passive shadowing, offering students a structured pathway to learn practical skills, earn a nationally recognized certification, and gain verified clinical hours through a sophisticated tracking platform. By integrating a workforce-aligned curriculum directly into the university setting, the partnership provides a potential blueprint for how higher education can more effectively prepare students for the demanding realities of the healthcare industry.

Bridging the Critical Gap in Pre-Med Education

The journey to medical school has become an increasingly competitive gauntlet. Admissions committees, guided by recommendations from bodies like the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), now look for far more than high grades and test scores. They seek applicants with demonstrated commitment and a realistic understanding of patient care, which can only be gained through direct clinical exposure. However, finding such opportunities has long been a significant hurdle for undergraduates.

For years, pre-med students have relied on a patchwork of shadowing, volunteering, or entry-level administrative jobs. While valuable, these roles often lack structured training and may not involve direct, hands-on patient interaction. The ACT-Emory partnership aims to solve this dilemma by formalizing the process. The program prepares students for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam, a credential that is encouraged or required by nearly 90% of employers.

Earning a CCMA certification equips students with a foundational skillset that includes taking vital signs, recording patient histories, and assisting with procedures. This level of involvement provides a much deeper understanding of clinical workflows and the patient experience than observation alone. It transforms students from passive observers into active, trained members of the healthcare team, a distinction that strengthens medical school applications and builds a solid foundation for their future careers. This structured experience also ensures students are operating within established clinical and ethical boundaries, a key consideration for institutions.

A New Blueprint for Workforce Development

At the heart of this collaboration is ACT’s University Pathway solution, a model designed for scalability and replication across other academic institutions. This system represents a significant shift in how universities can approach workforce development, moving from theoretical learning toward integrated, practical skill acquisition. With a track record of training over 10,000 professionals and a 99% pass rate on certification exams, ACT brings a proven methodology to the academic sphere.

The model's scalability is powered by two key components: a vast network of clinical partners and a proprietary technology platform. ACT has cultivated relationships with over 1,000 healthcare sites nationwide, providing the necessary infrastructure to place students in real-world externships. This removes a major logistical burden from both the university and the students.

Supporting the entire process is Externi, ACT’s proprietary software platform. Externi manages the full lifecycle of the clinical experience, from coordinating placements with healthcare facilities to the real-time tracking of hours and skills performed. For students, it creates a verified, digital log of their experience that can be seamlessly included in medical school applications. For Emory and its healthcare partners, the platform provides reporting dashboards that offer unprecedented transparency, allowing them to monitor student progress and program outcomes at both individual and cohort levels. This data-driven approach to clinical education ensures standardization and accountability, elements often missing from less formal pre-med experiences.

“We are excited to partner with Emory University’s HeartStart program to deliver customized clinical training for pre-medical students,” said Cassidy Floyd, Director of Partnerships at Advanced eClinical Training, in the official announcement. “Our goal is to equip students with real clinical experience and a clear, structured pathway into healthcare careers.”

Emory's Strategic Play for a Competitive Edge

For Emory University, this partnership represents a strategic enhancement of its pre-medical support system. The university’s HeartStart program, which has historically focused on providing CPR and Basic Life Support training to the community, is now undergoing a significant evolution. By integrating a full-fledged CCMA certification pathway, Emory is expanding the program’s mission to provide a more comprehensive and impactful form of clinical preparation.

This move aligns perfectly with the university's broader Pre-Health Advising goals, which emphasize connecting students with resources to explore health careers and build competitive application profiles. By offering a formalized, in-house program for clinical certification, Emory provides its students with a distinct competitive advantage. They no longer need to navigate the complex and often frustrating search for meaningful clinical work on their own; instead, they have a clear, university-sanctioned path forward.

This initiative also positions Emory as a forward-thinking institution actively working to solve the nation's healthcare workforce challenges. The growing trend of academic-industry partnerships is seen as a critical strategy for building a more robust talent pipeline. By adopting this model, Emory not only enhances the value of its own degrees but also contributes directly to training a new generation of workforce-ready healthcare professionals. This could influence peer institutions to explore similar collaborations, potentially setting a new standard for pre-medical preparation nationwide.