Medical Assisting
This program is available at the Springfield - Leffel Lane and Xenia locations.Medical assistants perform clinical and administrative tasks in physicians and other health practitioners' offices and outpatient facilities. Specific duties vary from office to office depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner's specialty. Administrative duties include answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments and laboratory services, updating and filing patients' medical records, filling out insurance forms, and handling billing and bookkeeping. Clinical duties include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining procedures to patients, preparing patients for and assisting the physician during examinations, collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, sterilizing medical instruments, instructing patients on medications and special diets, preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician, drawing blood, taking electrocardiograms, removing sutures, and changing dressings.
The primary goal of the Medical Assisting program is to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. Students who complete the first year of this associate degree program have completed the course work for and should therefore submit a petition to graduate from the certificate program. Completion of the certificate provides the student with the administrative and clinical skills needed for entry-level positions as a medical assistant.
Embedded Certificates
This certificate program contains one or more embedded certificates, which will automatically be awarded if the degree requirements are met unless students contact Records and Registration and indicate they do not wish to have the certificate credential awarded.
Technical Standards & Occupational Risks
All students accepted into the Medical Assisting program must be able to perform the essential functions of the medical assistant with or without reasonable accommodations, as well as be aware of the occupational risks associated with the medical assisting profession.The essential functions and occupational risks are linked to this program page on the College's web site and are also provided to students via the Medical Assisting Student Handbook. Students are required to sign a form indicating they have reviewed these requirements and submit it to the Medical Assisting Program Coordinator when they enter the program.
Accreditation
The Clark State Medical Assistant associate degree curriculum includes a certificate program, the Medical Assistant Certificate. The certificate, not the degree, is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs/9355 113th Street North, #7709/Seminole, FL 33775/Telephone: 727-210-2350
Graduates of the Medical Assistant Certificate program meet the eligibility criteria to apply for the national certification process through the American Association of Medical Assistants or another nationally recognized certification credential.
Outcomes and Curriculum
Upon completion of an associate degree in Medical Assisting, a graduate wlll demonstrate achievement of:
- Communicate effectively with patients, families, and members of the health care team.
- Perform clerical functions necessary to maintain medical office appointments, transcription, and medical records.
- Apply basic billing, collection, insurance, coding, and manage care guidelines needed to maintain office bookkeeping.
- Collect, transport, and process specimens.
- Obtain vital signs
- Perform, assist, and follow-up on diagnostic tests and procedures.
- Instruct patients regarding health maintenance and disease prevention.
- Apply legal and ethical concepts.
Academic Requirements
Students must petition online (apply) for admission to the program. To be eligible to petition to the Medical Assisting program, students must have:
- Reading: Appropriate score on reading placement test (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of ENG 0980 with a grade of C or higher. Students are excused from reading placement tests if they have obtained a C or better in a college-level English composition course or an appropriate recent high school senior English grade in accordance with College policy.
- Writing: Appropriate score on writing placement test (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of ENG 0980 with a grade of C or higher. Students are excused from writing placement tests if they have obtained a C or higher in a college-level English composition course or an appropriate recent high school senior English grade in accordance with College policy.
- Math: Appropriate scores on math/algebra placement tests (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of MTH 0500 with a grade of C or higher within the past ten years. Students are excused from math/algebra placement tests if they have obtained a C or better in a college-level math course within the past ten years or an appropriate recent high school Algebra II grade in accordance with college policy
- Grade point average (GPA): A minimum cumulative Clark State transcript GPA of 2.0 (college preparatory courses are not included in the transcript GPA) as well as a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the courses in the Medical Assisting curriculum.
Students who have met the petition requirements and submitted a petition are eligible to start the Medical Assisting program's technical (MAS) course sequence. Students must contact the Medical Assisting program coordinator for academic advising and approval to enroll in the MAS courses. Students must maintain an overall C or 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for the courses in the Medical Assisting curriculum in order to be enrolled in MAS courses.
In order to progress through the program, students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 and a grade of C or better in BIO 1105 and all MAS and MST courses. Admitted students who drop out must complete and submit a request for reinstatement into the MAS courses. Students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 and may be required to retake technical courses that are more than one to two years old to be considered for reinstatement.
Health and Directed Practice Requirements
All Medical Assisting associate degree and certificate students will complete 200 hours of directed practice at the end of the first year of the degree program or end of the certificate program. The directed practice course hours are only available during the daytime hours.
All Medical Assisting students must meet health requirements, obtain a criminal background check, and have current Basic Life Support (BLS)/professional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification prior to entering the directed practice course. Other requirements may be necessary depending on clinical site placement.
Liability Insurance
Students will be billed for liability insurance for the directed practice courses.
Graduation Requirements
Student must pass all the required courses, have a Clark State cumulative transcript grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 (college preparatory courses are not included) and have a C as a minimum grade in BIO 1105 and all MAS and MST courses.
Questions? We're here to help!
Kathy Harris Assistant Professor, Health Technologies