7 Best PCT Schools in Orlando, FL

Orange Technical College is a public career and technical education provider operated by Orange County Public Schools.

Its Patient Care Assistant program is available at the Main Campus in downtown Orlando and the Avalon Campus in east Orlando.

This is an affordable option for beginners who want nursing assistant and basic bedside-care training.

It is shorter than a complete PCT program and does not include the same amount of phlebotomy and EKG instruction.

Programs Offered

The Patient Care Assistant program includes nursing assistant, home health aide, and patient care assistant coursework.

Students learn personal care, bathing, dressing, sterile procedures, dressing changes, patient safety, communication, infection control, and assistance with daily activities.

Completing the required training can prepare eligible students to take the Florida CNA examination.

Students interested in hospital PCT positions may need to add separate EKG and phlebotomy courses.

Tuition and Cost

Orange Technical College does not display one fixed total for every enrollment period.

Students should plan for approximately $900 to $1,500 when tuition, books, uniforms, supplies, health screenings, background checks, and examination fees are included.

Required nursing assistant books cost approximately $87.

Program Length

The Patient Care Assistant program includes 235 hours and takes approximately two months of full-time study.

The curriculum includes 165 hours of nursing assistant training, 25 hours of home health aide instruction, and 45 hours of patient care assistant training.

Gabriel Health Institute is a private healthcare training school in Orlando.

It offers a complete PCT program with day and evening schedules, making it a practical choice for students who want nursing assistant, phlebotomy, EKG, and advanced patient-care skills in one program.

Programs Offered

The curriculum covers basic nursing care, vital signs, patient hygiene, infection prevention, mobility assistance, medical terminology, patient observation, blood collection, specimen handling, and EKG procedures.

Students receive hands-on laboratory training with patient-care equipment.

The program is structured to prepare students for certifications related to nursing assistance, phlebotomy, EKG, and patient care, provided they satisfy the requirements of the applicable testing organizations.

Tuition and Cost

The complete published program cost is approximately $6,650.

This includes about $6,000 in tuition, $150 in school fees, and approximately $500 for books and supplies.

Students should confirm whether uniforms, BLS training, background screening, health records, and certification exams are included.

Program Length

The Patient Care Technician program includes approximately 600 hours.

Day and evening schedules are available, so the number of calendar months depends on the selected schedule.

Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology is a private healthcare career college with a campus in Altamonte Springs, a short drive north of Orlando.

Its PCT program is suitable for beginners who want extensive classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory practice, and an externship in a healthcare setting.

Programs Offered

Students learn basic nursing procedures, patient hygiene, mobility assistance, vital signs, infection control, medical terminology, phlebotomy, EKG procedures, specimen collection, safety, and communication.

The curriculum includes an externship arranged through an area medical facility.

Eligible graduates may pursue the Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant examination and the Florida nursing assistant examination.

Completing the program does not guarantee certification.

Students must meet the separate eligibility, screening, and examination requirements for each credential.

Tuition and Cost

Cambridge provides personalized tuition estimates through its admissions department.

Students should plan for approximately $15,000 to $20,000 before financial aid.

The total may include tuition, laboratory fees, books, uniforms, equipment, screening requirements, and externship expenses.

Financial aid may be available to qualifying students.

Program Length

The Patient Care Technician program takes approximately 36 weeks, or about nine months.

Lake Technical College is a public technical college in Eustis, approximately 40 miles northwest of Orlando.

It offers one of Central Florida’s most comprehensive and affordable PCT certificates.

This option may be worth the commute for students who want nursing assistant, home health aide, phlebotomy, EKG, and advanced allied health training from one school.

Programs Offered

The program covers professional ethics, emergency procedures, nursing assistant skills, home healthcare, restorative care, rehabilitation, EKG procedures, and phlebotomy.

Students complete multiple occupational training sections, beginning with nursing assistant fundamentals and progressing into advanced allied health and PCT skills.

The program may prepare eligible graduates to pursue CNA, phlebotomy, EKG, and Patient Care Technician credentials.

Tuition and Cost

Base tuition is approximately $1,728.

Books, school fees, uniforms, equipment, health screenings, background checks, BLS training, and certification examinations are additional.

Students should budget approximately $2,500 to $3,500 for the complete program.

Financial aid and scholarships may be available to eligible students.

Program Length

The program includes 600 hours and takes approximately 20 weeks of full-time study.

Orlando Medical Assistant School is a private occupational school that delivers hands-on training inside working medical offices.

The program combines online lessons with weekly in-person practice.

This is a medical assisting program rather than a traditional bedside PCT certificate, but it teaches several relevant skills, including phlebotomy, vital signs, patient preparation, and basic laboratory procedures.

Programs Offered

Students practice patient intake, medical histories, vital signs, injections, finger-stick testing, phlebotomy, specimen collection, splinting, and clinical documentation.

The program also includes BLS instruction and preparation for a national medical assistant certification examination.

Students seeking inpatient PCT positions should check whether Orlando-area hospitals require CNA certification or previous bedside-care experience.

Tuition and Cost

Total tuition is approximately $3,490 when paid in full.

Weekly payment plans are available.

Students should confirm whether the certification examination, scrubs, equipment, health records, and background screening require additional payment.

Program Length

The hybrid Medical Assistant program takes 18 weeks.

Students complete online assignments and approximately four and a half hours of in-person skills practice each week.

Southern Technical College is a private career college with an Orlando campus near the Florida Mall.

Its Medical Assisting Diploma is a longer option that combines clinical laboratory training, administrative instruction, and an externship.

Programs Offered

The curriculum includes medical terminology, anatomy, vital signs, patient histories, examination preparation, blood drawing, laboratory skills, electronic health records, pharmacology, and clinical procedures.

Students complete hands-on laboratory classes and a medical assisting externship.

Graduates may be eligible to pursue the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant examination.

Medical assisting generally focuses on clinics and physician offices.

Students interested in hospital PCT work should ask employers whether CNA registration is required.

Tuition and Cost

Students should plan for approximately $18,000 to $22,000 for the diploma program.

Required textbooks and selected program materials are provided without an additional charge.

Financial aid may be available to qualifying students.

Program Length

The Medical Assisting Diploma can be completed in approximately 10 months.

Day and evening schedules are available.

The University of Central Florida offers an online Patient Care Technician training course through its continuing education division.

It is useful for Orlando residents who need self-paced training and prefer a university-affiliated program.

Because the course is online, students should consider how they will obtain hands-on experience with patients, blood collection, and EKG equipment.

Programs Offered

The program covers patient care, vital signs, infection control, medical terminology, anatomy, mobility assistance, wound care, specimen collection, phlebotomy, and EKG procedures.

Enrollment includes preparation and vouchers for selected national certification exams.

Certification eligibility may depend on education, work experience, clinical requirements, and the policies of the testing organization.

The online certificate does not automatically provide Florida CNA registration.

Tuition and Cost

The complete online package generally costs approximately $3,500 to $4,000.

Course materials and certification exam vouchers are included.

Students may need to pay separately for BLS certification, uniforms, screening requirements, a computer, internet service, and hands-on clinical experience.

Program Length

The self-paced course includes approximately 325 hours of training.

Students typically receive up to 12 months to complete it.