Medical Assisting

Summary

The Medical Assisting program offers a two semester Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting. All students who successfully complete the Medical Assisting program will be awarded a Certificate of Achievement. Graduates are eligible to sit for several national and state certification and registration exams. Students who have been awarded a Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting may continue and complete the additional courses needed for the Associate Degree in Medical Assisting.

Award Note: The Associate Degree requires a minimum of 60 degree applicable semester units.

Learning Outcome(s): Students who complete the Medical Assisting Program will be able to:

1. Perform safe and effective technical skills relative to the medical assisting “scope of practice”.
2. Demonstrate professional behaviors and attributes necessary to be a medical assistant.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of ethical behavior relative to the medical assistant code of ethics.
4. Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing as appropriate for an entry level medical assistant.

Directed Clinical Practice Requirement

Students accepted into this program will be required to successfully complete Directed Clinical Practice/ clinically-based courses held in health care facilities. These facilities may require background checks, including fingerprinting and urine drug screens, as a condition of placement at the clinic. Refusal to submit to a background check, or failure to meet clearance criteria established by the health care facility, may prevent placement in the Directed Clinical Practice/clinically-based course and thus, it may not be possible to successfully complete the program. Health care facilities also require adherence to strict standards of conduct. Facilities may refuse educational access to any person who does not adhere to the facility’s standards of safety, health and ethical behavior. This may be cause for removal from the program.

Admission Criteria

Eligibility for enrollment in this program is determined by a special admission procedure. Interested persons should review program information on the website.

A grade of “C” or better must be maintained in all courses to continue in the program. Course repetition in this program is not permitted. The program is governed by the Allied Health Department Policies.

Requirements