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Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Certificate Health Sciences Total Units: 39
A newer version of this program is available. View the latest version here.

Catalog rights may apply, see a counselor for more information.

Term Effective: Fall 2020

Description:

The Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Certificate of Achievement prepares students for work in physicians' offices, medical clinics, hospital outpatient clinics, health agencies, and educational institutions. Students completing the program will be eligible to sit for the California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants (CCBMA) exam. This program provides training in both administrative (front office) and clinical (back office) skills.

The duties of a medical assistant vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the physician's specialty. In small practices, medical assistants are usually generalists, handling both clerical (administrative) and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager or physician. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical assistants perform many clerical (administrative) duties. They answer telephones, greet patients, update and file patient medical records, complete insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange hospital admissions and laboratory services, and handle billing and bookkeeping.

Clinical duties vary according to state law. They may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, explaining treatment procedures to clients, preparing clients for examinations, and assisting during examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens and perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct clients about medication and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, prepare clients for x-rays, take EKG's, remove sutures and change dressings. Job titles include: medical assistant, administrative assistant, clinical medical assistant, hospital unit secretary, insurance claims process, medical transcriptionist, or research assistant.

They may also arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

Medical Assistants with both administrative and clinical skills are increasingly utilized because of their dual skills. The employment outlook is very good for Medical Assistants.

This program of study is also available as an Associate degree major option.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate ability to greet patients, answer telephones, schedule appointments, maintain and filing client medical records, complete insurance forms, arrange hospital admissions and laboratory services, handle billing, bookkeeping, and physician correspondence;
  2. demonstrate ability to perform clinical tasks such as taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, explaining treatment procedures to clients, preparing clients for examinations, and assisting during examinations;
  3. collect and prepare laboratory specimens and perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments;
  4. present in an instructional manner information about medication and special diets;
  5. demonstrate ability to perform other clinical tasks such as preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician, authorizing drug refills as directed, telephoning prescriptions to a pharmacy, preparing clients for x-rays, taking EKG's, removing sutures and changing dressings; and
  6. arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical Certificate program are:

  • Complete 39 units from
    • Medical Assisting Core Requirements
    • Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical

Medical Assisting Core Requirements - complete 16.50 units
ANAT 140Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology2.00
HLC 140Health Care Implications of Anatomy and Physiology1.00
HLC 160Medical Terminology3.00
LIR 10Introduction to Information Literacy1.00
MA 160Introduction to Medical Office Practice3.00
MA 161Law and Ethics for Medical Assistants1.00
MA 162Disease Processes4.00
MA 168Basic Medical Office Insurance Billing1.50
 
Medical Assisting: Administrative and Clinical - complete 22.50 units
MA 163Beginning Clinical Skills for Medical Assisting3.00
MA 164Theories of the Clinical Laboratory2.00
MA 165Pharmacology and Administration of Medications3.00
MA 167Basic Diagnostic Coding1.50
MA 169Procedural Coding1.50
MA 174Intermediate Clinical Skills for Medical Assisting4.00
MA 176Externship4.50
PSYCH 1AGeneral Psychology3.00

Term Effective: Fall 2020

The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.

Term Inactive: Fall 2022

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

It is important that students who are completing an Associate Degree and desire to transfer to a four-year institution meet with a counselor to plan their lower division coursework. While many majors at SRJC are intended to align with lower division major preparation required by California public universities, specific lower-division major requirements vary among individual campuses. See a counselor, visit the Transfer Center, and check Guides For Transfer in Specific Majors, and ASSIST to review transfer preparation guides for specific schools and majors.

Notes:

All courses must be completed with a "C" or better to receive the certificate.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 524-1720
kslusser@santarosa.edu
Health Sciences