Medical Assisting
Diploma
Program Start Date: Fall term
Minimum Program Length: 3 consecutive terms, day
Program Description
Medical assistants function as multi-skilled health care personnel performing administrative office procedures, as well as basic clinical and laboratory skills. They assist physicians and nurses in caring for patient in ambulatory medical facilities.
Gainful Employment Disclosure information
This program falls under Gainful Employment Disclosure regulations, a
rule by the U.S. Education Department. Each program that falls under these regulations is required to report:
- Occupation, SOC code, and links to profile on O*NET
- Costs – tuition/fees and books/supplies
- On-time graduation (completion) rate for program.
- Job placement rate for students completing program
- Median
loan debt incurred by students as provided by ED (identified separately
as Title IV loan debt and private educational loan debt)
Practical Experience
Students gain interpersonal and technical skills by completing clinical rotations in local physicians' offices.
Professional Opportunities
Certified medical assistant in physicians' offices and selected areas in hospitals and clinics
Unique Aspects
The Medical Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE). The CAAHEP contact information is:
CAAHEP, 35 East Wacker Drive,
Chicago, IL 60601, Phone (312) 553-9355 , www.caahep.org.
Graduates are eligible to apply to take the certification exam offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) to become certified medical assistants. Felons are not eligible for the certification examination unless the certifying board grants a waiver based on one or more mitigating circumstances.
EEDA Career Cluster
Health Sciences
Course Requirements for Medical Assisting
Prerequisites (followed by number of credit hours)
• One unit high school biology or chemistry or equivalent
• One unit high school algebra or equivalent
• AHS 102 Medical Terminology (3)
• AHS 104 Medical Vocabulary/Anatomy (3)
A. General Education Courses (followed by number of credit hours)
ENG 165 Professional Communications (3)
MAT 160 Math for Business and Finance (3)
PSY 201 General Psychology (3)
B. Major Courses (followed by of credit hours)
AHS 170 Fundamentals of Disease (3)
MED 102 Introduction to the Medical Assisting Profession (2)
MED 111 Medical Assisting Administration (3)
MED 113 Basic Laboratory Techniques (3)
MED 114 Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures (4)
MED 118 Pharmacology for Medical Assistants (4)
MED 120 Medical Assistant Emergency Preparedness (2)
MED 124 Medical Computer Practicum (2)
MED 158 Clinical Office Experience (8)
C. Electives and/or Other Additional Courses Required for Graduation
• Students must have previous college credit for the course AHS 102, Medical Terminology (3.0 credits) and AHS 104, Medical Vocabulary/Anatomy (3.0 credits) prior to admission into the program.
• The Medical Assisting Program uses weighted admission criteria to admit qualified applicants. Current Medical Assisting Program and advisement information is available on the SCC website (www.sccsc.edu) under the academic programs section. The minimum grade point average for admission into the program is 2.5.
Minimum semester credit hours required for graduation: 51