Medical Assisting Diploma

An introduction to correctly constructing, spelling, defining, and using medical terminology is provided. The language of medicine is studied through an investigation of the structure and formation of medical terms. Provides an overview of terms used in the medical setting.

Introduction to working in healthcare with an emphasis on communication, legal implications, and ethical considerations. An overview of health care delivery systems and the roles of health care professionals are discussed.

A study of the structure and basic molecular and cellular functions, and basic disease processes of the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular and lymphatic systems.

A study of the structure, functions, and basic disease processes of the nervous, sensory, digestive, urinary, reproductive, and endocrine systems. Introduction to nutrition with emphasis on special dietary needs, nutrients, and supplements.

This course focuses on hands-on application of theory preparing the medical assistant for the clinical day-to-day operations in an ambulatory setting. Emphasis is placed on professional behaviors, clinical skills, documentation, and patient education.

This course focuses on hands-on application of theory preparing the medical assistant for the collection of body fluids in the day-to-day operations in an ambulatory setting. Emphasis is placed on professional behaviors, laboratory skills, documentation, and patient education.

An introduction to reimbursement methods and proper coding procedures for various insurance and managed care plans. Eligibility requirements, processing, collection, and computerized patient accounting procedures using ethical and legal guidelines are emphasized.

The basic concepts of clinical pharmacology are examined. Drug legislation and the laws governing dispensing of drugs are studied. The mathematics of dosages, metric conversions, and the classification of drugs to include indications, side effects, and contraindications are discussed.

Administrative skills are developed for the medical office including daily operations, managing medical records, information management, practice finances, and equipment management.

The seminar course is the realization of the efforts in the previous courses. Students will be challenged with complex medical assisting issues (clinical and administrative), compliance issues, and general medical knowledge concepts. Students will explore current developments within the profession to recognize major trends and their effects on the profession. Students will prepare for the CMA exam by a comprehensive review and receive targeted feedback to assess their knowledge and readiness for the CMA exam.

Field experience in an ambulatory setting under the supervision and evaluation of a cooperating facility and the college is provided. In accordance with CAAHEP regulations, students may not receive compensation from the Internship site. Students utilize knowledge and skills gained in the career program for a minimum of 160 clock hours. Students also attend classroom seminars for coordination and evaluation of the Internship experience.

This course introduces students to the basic tenets of the communication process and the necessity of effective communication in order to achieve academic, professional (career), social, and personal goals. Students will consider factors which influence the achievement of those goals for academic, professional (career), social, and personal success, as well as for the creation of productive learning communities and students' transformation into agile, lifelong learners.

This course is an introduction to the writing process and the formulation of appropriate workplace communication, as well as the essentials of essay writing. Instruction in effective academic and career reading strategies are introduced, along with basic information literacy skills to retrieve, evaluate, and appropriately use the ideas of others.

This course will help students learn and apply concepts relating to various workplace situations. Learners will gain a fundamental understanding of the connectivity across course disciplines that incorporate numerical calculations, ratios, proportions, percent, measurement, algebraic concepts, and the ability to visually communicate numerical information.