Is a certification in dental assisting worth it?

Hi, a little background:
I’m currently at a community college and will be graduating with my AA after the upcoming fall semester. I’m on the pre-dental track. I will be transferring to a university to complete a bachelor’s in biology and I’m looking to begin in either the upcoming spring semester or next fall.
I am very interested in the dental assisting program at the community college I’m at now. I feel like it would give me a great advantage along with knowledge and experience. My only concern is that it’s a year-long program that begins each summer. The application deadline for the program has already passed, so I wouldn’t be able to begin until NEXT summer.
My questions: is getting a certification in dental assisting worth being put behind a year? Is there another way to get that experience? (I live in Florida if that makes any difference)