Medical Assistant

20303 

Advisors: Megan Martinez 

The Medical Assistant program provides students with essential clinical, administrative, and laboratory skills for entry level positions in medical offices, clinics, and other ambulatory care settings. Training includes vital signs, exam assistance, medication administration, basic lab procedures, specimen collection, EHR management, scheduling, billing and coding basics, communication, and medical law and ethics.

Students must meet required health and safety standards, which may include vaccinations or other medical tests. A two step TB skin test is mandatory: the first test must be completed and documented, followed by a second test one to three weeks later with documented results. Additional requirements may apply; see course descriptions for details.

All students must complete a minimum of 160 clinical hours in a healthcare clinic to gain supervised, practical experience.

Program Learning Outcomes
1.    Integrate concepts of human anatomy, physiology, and relevant medical terminology within patient care and clinical practice.
2.    Perform administrative medical assisting functions, such as effective telephone communication, patient scheduling, documentation, and essential clerical tasks, in compliance with professional standards and current office technologies.
3.    Demonstrate proficiency in clinical medical assisting procedures, including aseptic techniques, specimen collection, basic laboratory testing, and support during clinical examinations.
4.    Provide safe, compassionate, and effective patient care, encompassing patient education, support during physical examinations, application of therapeutic modalities, accurate measurement of vital signs, and implementation of basic pharmacology principles.
5.    Recognize normal and abnormal patient condition parameters and report deviations accurately to the appropriate healthcare provider.
6.    Apply principles of customer service, ethics, and patient confidentiality by adhering to HIPAA regulations and safeguarding patient rights, including privacy and protection from abuse, mistreatment, and neglect.