✦ Partner Program
North Orange County ROP

Medical Terminology Program

Foundational medical terminology course that prepares students for NOCROP healthcare programs including MA, CNA, and VNTP.

1800 West Ball Road, Anaheim, CA 92804

🎯 Vocational School
💸 altAid Eligible
In-Person
Part-time
Program at a glance
700Total cost
4 monthsProgram length
87%Completion rate
~$75KMedian grad salary
The median salary is a Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate for Licensed Nurse

Offered as a Summer evening cohort

No experience required

Program Philosophy

North Orange County ROP was established in 1971 to give post-secondary and adult learners hands-on, employer-driven career training that leads directly to recognized certifications and licensure. The Adult Career Education (ACE) program emphasizes industry-experienced instructors, rigorous clinical externships at local healthcare worksites, and wraparound supports (counseling, Fresh Success/CalFresh, Care Solace) so adult students can complete training and transition into the regional healthcare workforce.

Best For

Pre-healthcare students preparing for NOCROP's Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, or Vocational Nurse Training programs.

Time Commitment

Tuesdays and Thursdays, evening sessions. Most recent cohort started July 21.

What You'll Gain

Foundational medical vocabulary; eligibility for NOCROP's Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, or Vocational Nurse Training programs.

Cost & Outcomes

🙌🏽 Program has a cost
program cost

Tuition is $700 before any financial aid. It qualifies for WIOA funding — support under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, accessed through Orange County's America's Job Centers, that helps cover tuition and supplies for eligible jobseekers, dislocated workers, and low-income adults — as well as CalFresh Fresh Success and private healthcare-sector scholarships. Students may also pay out of pocket. Since no student loans are used, average graduate debt is $0.

💸 Financial Assistance
how altAid funding can helpTransportation to and from the Anaheim Career Training Center and externship sites; scrubs, closed-toe shoes, and other required uniforms; textbooks and clinical supplies; background-check, drug-test, and immunization/titer fees; childcare during evening or weekend class hours; and food during long clinical or lab days.
Learn more about altAid
87%Completion rate (most recent cohort)
*Employment rate within 1 year
~$75KThe median salary for Licensed Nurse
*Total graduates since founding
* This program doesn't collect and report this data. The median salary is a Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate for Licensed Nurse.

Who This Program is Built For

This program was specifically designed with these communities in mind. If you see yourself, you belong here.

Low-income
Unemployed/Underemployed
Receiving Public Benefits
First-Gen College Students
Working adults seeking a career change into healthcare
English-language learners (NOCROP serves multilingual North Orange County)

What Sets This Program Apart

Industry-experienced instructors recruited from working healthcare clinicians and administrators

Hands-on clinical externships at local North Orange County healthcare worksites built into the program

Small adult cohorts taught at the dedicated Career Training Center in Anaheim

WASC-accredited and approved by California state agencies (CDE; CDPH or BVNPT as applicable)

Wraparound supports including ACE counseling, Fresh Success/CalFresh, Care Solace, and Job Board

Stackable healthcare pathway: courses are designed to ladder (e.g., Medical Terminology → CNA → Acute Care CNA → LVN)

Day in the Life

Daily Structure
  • Instructor-led classroom sessions with industry-experienced faculty
  • Small cohort of adult learners; peer practice and case-study discussion
  • Online coursework via the Orbund Einstein-Freshair student portal between class sessions
📄 Instructor Credentials

Instructors are industry-experienced healthcare professionals working in their specialty areas; led by Administrator Jennifer Pesavento.

Skills Gained

Soft and technical skills you'll gain by program completion.

Medical word roots, prefixes, and suffixes
Anatomy vocabulary
Body-system terminology
Medical abbreviations
Reading medical documentation
Pronunciation and spelling of medical terms

Highs & Lows

hardest part

Because it's largely vocabulary memorization ahead of any clinical context, the material can feel abstract and challenging early on.

most rewarding part

The program makes medical language approachable and builds the confidence to move on to the MA, CNA, or nursing programs.

Possible Career Outcomes
This is not a stand-alone career credential. It satisfies the medical-terminology prerequisite for NOCROP Medical Assistant, CNA, and Vocational Nurse Training Programs. Students typically progress directly into NOCROP MA, CNA, or VNTP. Long-term outcomes follow the chosen healthcare pathway.

Employment Support

On-site adult CTE counseling and case management

Externship and hiring partners drawn from the North Orange County healthcare ecosystem, including local hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, dental and medical practices, surgery centers, and community clinics

Job board listing local healthcare openings (https://nocrop.org/adult-career-education/ace-job-board/)

Externship placements at North Orange County healthcare facilities that frequently lead to hiring

Fresh Success career counseling

Interview training, job search and retention assistance for eligible students

Assistance applying for state certification/licensure exams

partner Employers
See the Job Board link above for current openings from active partners

How It Works

1

Submit an online application via the Orbund student portal for the specific course.

2

Receive a confirmation email and follow-up from ACE staff (studentportal@nocrop.us).

3

Complete required NOCROP consent forms (physical-contact, patient-care, handbook acknowledgment, media release, technology use).

4

Pay tuition and applicable fees (or apply for Fresh Success / WIOA / scholarships before the start date).

5

For clinical programs: complete background check, drug test, immunizations/titers, and TB clearance.

Attend orientation and begin the cohort on its scheduled start date at the Career Training Center (1800 W. Ball Road, Anaheim).

Frequently Asked Questions

If you can't find what you're looking for, feel free to contact us.

At the Career Training Center, 1800 W. Ball Road, Anaheim, CA 92804.

Yes. NOCROP courses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC). Specific programs are also approved by California state agencies (e.g., CDPH for the CNA program, BVNPT for the Vocational Nurse Training Program).

Yes. NOCROP offers Fresh Success (a CalFresh-linked program that helps with tuition and supply costs, career counseling, tutoring, and case management). WIOA funding may be available through Orange County America's Job Centers. Private scholarships, employer sponsorships, and out-of-pocket payment are also accepted.

Enrollment verification is available from the Career Training Center registrar via the Orbund student portal.

Yes. NOCROP provides Adult CTE Counseling, the Care Solace mental-health referral service, the Fresh Success program, and a dedicated Job Board.