Medical Assistants are multi-skilled individuals trained to assist physicians and members of the health care team in administrative, clinical, and laboratory work. Special personal qualifications such as a caring nature, accuracy, dependability, conscientiousness, and professionalism are required for this helping profession. Graduates of the Medical Assisting associate degree program are prepared for entry-level employment in private medical practices, outpatient departments, clinics, or governmental institutions.

Graduates of the Medical Assisting program must be able to complete all necessary external performance objectives as set forth by the American Association of Medical Assistants. In order to meet these objectives, entering students must be able to participate in classroom and laboratory activities, including keyboarding, telecommunications, taking vital signs, microscopy, vision testing, etc. Prior to enrollment, students receive the entry-level competencies to be achieved for the administrative and clinical components of the program, and the criteria for reaching the competency level.

Prior to graduation, Medical Assisting students must present to the college, proof of their having completed and passed a professional-level CPR and First Aid course, sponsored by a recognized agency.

Skills You'll Learn

1. Use correct health care terminology relative to laboratory, insurance, clinical and pharmacology applications.
2. Use universal safety precautions, perform basic clinical and laboratory skills to the competency levels as designated by the AAMA and regulated by other health care standards. Apply coding, billing, records management, transcription and scheduling skills to administrative health care industry standards.
3. Practice professional interpersonal relations with diverse patient/client
4. customers, using knowledge of medical/legal and ethical issues.