Medical Assistant A.A.S. Degree

MEDICAL ASSISTANT A.A.S. DEGREE
Program Course Requirements

**NOTE:  American Heart Association Health Care Provider CPR is a prerequisite before working on patients.

Required Technical Courses
HINS 1150  Intro to Diagnosis and Procedure Coding  (3 cr)
MEDA 1110*  Clinical Procedures I  (3 cr)
MEDA 1115*  Clinical Procedures II  (3 cr)
MEDA 1120  Laboratory Techniques I  (3 cr)
MEDA 1125*  Laboratory Techniques II  (3 cr)
MEDA 1128  Medical Terminology  (1 cr)  OR  PNUR 1138 Medical Terminology (1 cr)
MEDA 1130  Ethics and Issues (2 cr)
MEDA 1132*  Phlebotomy (2 cr)
MEDA 1135  Administrative Procedures I  (3 cr)
MEDA 1137*  Administrative Procedures II  (2 cr)
MEDA 1141  Disease Conditions (2 cr)
MEDA 1142  Pharmacology  (2 cr)
MEDA 2150*  Medical Assistant Internship  (5 cr)
PNUR 1130  Life Span  (1 cr)  OR  PSYC 2431 Human Development (3 cr)
PNUR 1140 Medication Calculations for Healthcare Careers (1 cr)
Total 39 credits

General Education
An associate in applied science degree requires a minimum of 15 general education credits selected from at least three of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.  Students must include within the General Education component the following courses:

AMSL 1410  American Sign Language (Goal 8) (4 cr)  or  SPAN 1401  Beginning Spanish (Goal 8) (4 cr)
BIOL 1404  Human Biology (Goal 3) (3 cr)
COMM 2420  Intercultural Communication (Goals 1, 7) (3 cr)
ENGL 1422  Practical Writing (Goals 1, 2) (3 cr) or  ENGL 1410  Composition I (Goal 1) (4 cr)
Choose additional 1-2 credits from the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
Total 15 credits

Electives
Choose 9 additional credits.
Total 9 credits

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT – 60 credits
*Denotes Prerequisites

Click here to download the Medical Assistant AAS Degree Program Planning Form (PDF)

Career Description: According to the Department of Employment and Economic Development, the need for health care support workers to meet both short-term and long-term workforce needs is high. In Minnesota, the employment for medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for other occupations. A medical assistant will have direct patient contact and work closely with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. Medical assistants are multi-skilled individuals who are able to competently perform clinical and laboratory duties including collecting medical histories, taking and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures, preparing patients for examinations and x-rays, administering medications, removing sutures, changing dressings, sterilizing medical instruments, preparing examining room equipment and instruments, assisting the physician during examinations, preparing laboratory specimens, drawing blood, and performing basic laboratory tests. They may also perform duties that include answering phones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, as well as other administrative duties.

Program Information: The Medical Assistant Program is designed to prepare students for career opportunities in the rapidly growing, high-demand field of health care support. Instruction is focused to enable graduates to perform clinical, laboratory, and administrative tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health care practitioners running smoothly. The general education credits allow students the opportunity to obtain an AAS Degree. By doing so, students become more well-rounded in their knowledge of the world around them when interacting with patients, families, providers and healthcare team members.

Program Outcomes:
Graduates will be able to:

• Interact with patients, families, providers and healthcare team members in a respectful and caring manner;
• Apply administrative business and office procedures and implement medical documentation systems;
• Assist providers and healthcare team members in clinical procedures related to examination and treatment;
• Effectively use quality assurance requirements in performing clinical and laboratory procedures;
• Perform common diagnostic procedures under a licensed healthcare provider ensuring patient comfort and safety; and
• Demonstrate professional behaviors and attitudes consistent with delivery of safe, ethical, legal and compassionate patient care.

Special Program Requirements:

Students must complete Healthcare Provider CPR working on patients.

Students must meet the following conditions in order to graduate:

1. College Cumulative GPA Requirement: cumulative grade point average (GPA) of credits attempted at CLC must be at least 2.0;
2. College Technical Core GPA Requirement: cumulative GPA of credits attempted towards the technical core of the diploma or degree must be at least 2.0; and
3. Residency Requirement: students must complete 25% (15) of their credits at Central Lakes College.

Accreditation: The Medical Asstistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), on the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). In addition, the program is also accredited by the American Medical Technologists.

Certification: Upon successful completion of all coursework and a 225 hour clinical internship, students will prepare to sit for the national AAMA certification exam to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) AAMA, or to sit for the national AMT certification exam to become a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).

Admissions: Progression through the program is sequential. Admission start date for the Medical Assistant courses is Fall semester. High school diploma or GED required. Students may have completed general education requirements or wish to take those prior to or after completing the program courses. Please contact the Admissions Department on the Brainerd or Staples campus for information or to apply to the program.

Transfer Opportunities: Some courses within the program may be used as elective credits toward an associate degree.

Career Opportunities: Because the medical assistant is cross-trained in administrative, clinical, and laboratory duties, the occupation is in increasingly high demand as the population ages and the need for health care increases. Employment options are varied and can be found in clinics and hospitals, as well as other medical facilities.

Career Titles: Students may take a national certification exam to become a Certified Medical Assistant or Registered Medical Assistant.

Advisory Board: The Medical Assistant Advisory Board consists of members from the community, the college, and area healthcare facilities.