Overview
Graduates will be able to perform a wide range of medical assisting duties in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and emergency medical centers after completing this academic certificate. You’ll gain clinical experiences through externships in a variety of outpatient settings.
Medical assistants perform a wide range of duties in physicians’ offices, clinics, and emergency medical centers. Clerical duties include screening and receiving patients, maintaining medical records, typing and transcribing medical reports, handling telephone calls and correspondence, entering data, filing insurance claims, and maintaining patient accounts. Clinical duties include preparing patients for examinations, obtaining vital signs, taking medical histories, assisting with examinations and treatments, performing routine office laboratory procedures (urinalysis, phlebotomy, CBC, specimen collection and shipment), performing electrocardiograms, and instructing patients for advanced procedures. Required clinical experience (externship) is provided in a variety of outpatient settings including physician offices, clinics, and emergency medical centers during the third semester of the program.
Third-semester students should plan to take a medical assisting certification examination. Upon successful completion of the examination, graduates will receive the Certified Medical Assistant, CMA (AAMA) or the Registered Medical Assistant, RMA (AMT) credentials.
Learning experiences for students in the Medical Assisting Certificate Program are provided in classrooms and laboratories on the Airport Campus in Lexington Hall. Student preclinical experience is provided in a simulated medical office adjacent to the classroom. Required clinical experiences externships are arranged through affiliations with local medical offices and other healthcare facilities.
Goals:
- To prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
- To provide students with a career that is easily articulated with other established health care careers, i.e., phlebotomy, nursing, paramedic, radiology, etc.
- To prepare graduates to pass the national exam for Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) or Registered Medical Assistants (AMT) demonstrating entry-level knowledge of medical assisting.
The Medical Assisting Program at Midlands Technical College has a Job Placement Rate average of 100% and Exam Pass Rate of 88%. Click here to review reporting years.
Students who are admitted to the Medical Assisting program are required to purchase and maintain standard white laboratory coats at an approximate cost of $25. Students must maintain at least a “C” in all Medical Assisting courses. Students may repeat no more than two program courses. All classes are at Airport Campus and admitted only during the fall semester.
Accreditation
The Medical Assisting Certificate Program offered at the Airport Campus 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
25400 US Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
727.210.2350
caahep.org
Admission Criteria
In addition to the college’s placement test and the admissions requirements of the Health Sciences Department, there are other specific admission criteria to the Medical Assisting program.
- Education Level
-
High school diploma or equivalent (High school or college credits in science (recommended).
- Acceptable Admissions Criteria
-
- Current First Aid and CPR certifications at the time of program entry.
- Program interview.
- Acceptable criminal background check and drug screening results at the time of program entry.
How to Enroll
To pursue this degree, you must apply to MTC using our online application.
Sample Program Plan and Costs
Full Time
| Semester | Course ID | Course Title | Classroom | Online | Hybrid | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 (9 Credit Hours) |
MED-103 |
Medical Assisting Introduction
Medical Assisting Introduction ID: MED-103 Credit Hours: 3 This course provides an introduction to the profession of medical assisting, including qualifications, duties, and the role of the medical assistant. It also covers law and ethics as they relate to the medical office, with emphasis on the medical assisting profession. |
• | 3 | ||
| MED-104 |
Medical Assisting Administrative Procedu
Medical Assisting Administrative Procedu ID: MED-104 Credit Hours: 4 This course provides a study of receptionist duties, patient record management, insurance claims processing, icd-9-cm, CPT and HCPCS coding, letter writing, computer applications and the use of other business machines. |
• | 4 | |||
| MED-112 |
Medical Assisting Pharmacology
Medical Assisting Pharmacology ID: MED-112 Credit Hours: 2 This course provides a study of principles of pharmacology, drug therapy, and the administration of medication. |
• | 2 | |||
| Semester 2 (10 Credit Hours) |
MED-109 |
Medical Business Records
Medical Business Records ID: MED-109 Credit Hours: 3 This course provides a study of record keeping procedures utilized in physicians' offices and other clinical facilities. |
• | 3 | ||
| MED-114 |
Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures
Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures ID: MED-114 Credit Hours: 4 This course covers examination room techniques, including vital signs, specialty examination, minor surgical techniques and emergency procedures. |
• | 4 | |||
| MED-124 |
Medical Computer Practicum
Medical Computer Practicum ID: MED-124 Credit Hours: 3 This course covers the use of medical software for accounting, billing, and patient records. |
• | 3 | |||
| Semester 3 (8 Credit Hours) |
MED-113 |
Basic Medical Laboratory Techniques
Basic Medical Laboratory Techniques ID: MED-113 Credit Hours: 3 This course provides a study of specimen collection and techniques for related laboratory procedures routinely performed in medical offices and clinics; including hematology and procedures related to body fluids. |
• | 3 | ||
| MED-117 |
Clinical Practice I
Clinical Practice I ID: MED-117 Credit Hours: 5 This course provides practical application of administrative and clinical skills in medical facility environments. |
• | 5 | |||
| Total Credit Hours | 27 | |||||
| Estimated Cost Financial Aid |
$5,076.00 Not including fees and equipment |
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