Medical Assisting

Program Code: CERMA
CERTIFICATE

The Medical Assisting Certificate is designed to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. Entry levels of practice may include a physician’s office, medical clinic, laboratory or other ambulatory health care facility.

Coursework will include medical business practices (i.e. administrative functions, basic practice finances, managed care/insurance, and procedural/diagnostic coding); clinical practices (i.e. anatomy & physiology, applied mathematics, and microbiology/infection control); communications; medical law and ethics; and safety and emergency practices. In addition, there is a total of 160 hours of practicum required at a medical facility.

Some of the business administrative responsibilities include telephone, scheduling, and patient flow management, medical records maintenance, technology compliance, medical insurance claims, and service as a liaison, advocate, coach, and patient navigator. Clinical responsibilities include therapeutic communications, asepsis and infection control, patient history, vital signs, specimen collection and processing, assisting with minor surgeries and examinations, patient preparation, performing diagnostic tests, treatments, and therapeutic modalities, and administering medications.

Medical Assistants graduating from this program will demonstrate communicative soft skills and critical thinking based on knowledge of academic subject matter required for competence in the profession. Graduates will incorporate critical thinking based on knowledge, skills, and performance in a medical facility.

This Medical Assistant program begins each fall semester and offers a program sequence for optimal academic success.

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PROGRAM OUTCOMES/OBJECTIVES:

When students complete this program, they will be able to:

1. apply quality control and safety principles in the workplace,
2. perform and document routine clinical and lab procedures according to medical facility protocol,
3. perform and document routine administrative procedures according to medical facility protocol,
4. effectively apply verbal, nonverbal and written communication principles and skills in the workplace,
5. demonstrate professional work ethics with efficient use of multitasking skills, technology, time management, self-management and teamwork.

PRE-ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. Meet with an advisor regarding program prerequisites and admission to the medical assisting program. Schedule an appointment by calling (810) 989-5520.
2. Attend a group advising session, see schedule at www.sc4.edu/medicalassisting. Schedule an appointment by calling (810) 989-5675.
3. Contact the Financial Aid office to discuss scholarship and financial aid opportunities.
4. Complete the following SC4 prerequisite courses prior to the Fall semester in which you would like to start the program:
   • HE 102 - Medical Terminology
   • CIS 115 - Microcomputer Applications
5. All medical assisting and general education courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
6. Upon admission and before classes begin, students must submit a completed Physical Examination Form, evidence of immunizations, including HepB or a signed waiver and a negative TB test and current CPR for the Health Care Provider certification from the American Heart Association (forms will be provided by the Health and Human Services division during Medical Assisting orientation). A criminal background check will also be completed prior to the start of the program.

Due to the nature of the courses in the Medical Assisting Certificate program, courses are to be taken in the order described below. This program begins each fall semester.