Medical Assistant, Certificate

Medicial Assistant (054)
Certificate of Achievement

This program prepares graduates to be multi-skilled practitioners who are qualified to perform both administrative and clinical skills in the ambulatory healthcare setting. With an emphasis on the back-office skills, this curriculum includes medical assisting courses in medical office operations and management, insurance and coding procedures, medical law and ethics, anatomy and physiology, and clinical skills. The program requires an externship  experience in a selected healthcare environment. A graduate of this program seeks employment as a Medical Receptionist, or a Medical Assistant.

Prerequisites are a GPA of 2.50 or better in either high school or college; CPR for the Professional; and Standard First Aid certifications. COMP 210 with a minimum “C” or passing an exemption test for COMP 210. Students must earn a “C” or better in all courses in the curriculum in order to graduate.

Courses listed in the first semester will be scheduled in the fall; second semester courses will be scheduled in the spring.

Accreditation

The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756; Phone: 727-210-2350.

Criteria For Admission

Admission to the Medical Assistant (MA) Program is selective. Applications are reviewed beginning in February until the class is filled.  Completed applications are reviewed in the order they are received.

All applicants are considered equally regardless of race, color, disability, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age, or gender.

The MA Admissions Committee assumes the responsibility to review the data of all applicants and has the right to select the best qualified individuals.

Basic Requirements

• High School diploma from an accredited secondary school program, or successful completion of the G.E.D. Exam. High school seniors may apply.
• A high school cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better is expected. Individuals with less than a 2.50 GPA in required high school courses may be considered for admission following completion of 12 or more MA prerequisite credits or general studies credits, with a College level GPA of 2.50 or better.

Beginning with the administration of the January 2001 Certification Examination, felons are not eligible to sit for the examination unless the national Certifying Board grants a waiver.

Special Requirements*

MA Students are required to:

1. Provide proof of health insurance coverage.
2. Have a satisfactory physical examination including tuberculin skin test, and proof of immunizations.
3. Malpractice liability insurance (paid with tuition).
4. Assume all responsibilities for transportation to and from clinical facilities to which they are assigned for their MA externship.
5. The externship experience must be supervised and students will not receive remuneration for their externship.

Continued progress in the program is dependent upon the student earning “C” grades or above in all courses. The MA Externship must be passed successfully.

NOTE: Courses listed in the first/third semester will be scheduled for the fall; second/fourth semester courses will be scheduled for the spring. The student is encouraged to use the curriculum planner to keep track of courses taken and those still needed. In some cases, one or more courses will be taken in a different order than indicated on the planner, but prerequisites must be observed.

Prerequisites/Corequisites - Some courses require another course be taken beforehand or at the same time. To check if a course has a prerequisite or corequisite, see the course description.