Medical Assistant

This Career Major prepares a student to function in in the front and back office of a physician's office or clinic.

Clinical Procedures I

The student will receive an overview of the Medical Assistant career. An emphasis will be placed on professionalism, history of the profession, human relations, OSHA guidelines, medical asepsis, vital signs, emergency procedures, law, ethics, communication and documentation.

Clinical Procedures II

The student will demonsrtate an understanding of such skills as maintaining the examination area, performing clinical lab tests, venipuncture, microhematacrit, twelve lead electrocardiograph (ECG), drug calculation and medication administration. An emphasis is placed on the patient's physical examination and treatment procedures that are performed in a medical office setting.

Computer Keyboarding

The student will master the keyboard by touch and begin development of acceptable speed and accuracy levels on the alphabetic and alphanumeric keyboard and the ten-key number pad. Formatting of basic documents is also included.

Medial Assisting Simulation

This course is designed to build upon previous knowledge from medical assistant course. The student will apply critical thinking skills for medical assistants to include the process of planning, managing and delivering care to patients. During this ocurse, the student will schedule, prepare and assist in the care of a group of virtual patients' healthcare needs. An emphasis will be placed on communication skills in relation to patients and their families. The student will manage a simulated clinic including patient charts, inventories, billing, scheduling, insurance form preparation, coding and other administrative and clinical duties. A variety of teaching methods, learning activities and computer research and practical simulations are utilized.

Pharmacology

The student will identify sources, schedules and classes of drugs. The student will identify and interpret actions of drugs commonly used in a physician's office, accurately calculate drug dosage and identify apporpriate medication routes. The student will follow the written, verbal and standing standing physician orders and properly prepare and administer using aseptic technique as required.

Medical Assisting Externship

This course is designed to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in previous medical assistant courses to the clinical site. Externship assignments are scheduled to provide students with adjunct faculty and supervised experience in performing the skills and competencies of a medical assistant in a physicain's office. Students will accept accountability and responsibility for their own behavior while in the learning environment and will practice within the clinical and legal framework of the profession of medical assistant.

Medical Insurance

This course presents information necessary to understand medical insurance form preparation as it is used in a medical clinicclinic office. Students will demonstrate an understanding of legal issues regading insurance claims, procedural and diagnostic coding, delinquent claims, problem solving, managed care systems, proper form preparation and several major types of insurance forms.