Medical Assistant AAS
Medical Assisting is a meaningful career choice that can change lives and be a gateway to many career opportunities! As one of the nation’s fastest growing Allied Health careers, according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assisting employment is projected to grow 16% through 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
The Lewis-Clark State College Medical Assistant Program prepares students to become multi-skilled Allied Health Professionals specifically educated and cross-trained to perform a broad scope of both administrative and clinical duties within a medical facility. Students will get hands-on skills training from highly involved instructors who know industry and 180 hours of clinical experience in a medical facility.
Upon successful completion, graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the CMA (AAMA) exam which is considered the gold standard of medical assisting professionalism. The CMA (AAMA) credential means a professional edge, increased prestige among peers and employers, better job security, and greater career advancement opportunities.
Program Emphases Include:
- Cross-training in all aspects of both administrative and clinical duties
- Measuring vital signs
- Assisting with patient exams
- Assisting with minor office surgeries and procedures
- Administering medications including injections
- Performing phlebotomy and routine lab tests
- Scheduling appointments and surgeries
- Preparing and maintaining electronic medical records
- Operating medical office software and equipment, including EKG’s
- 180 Hour hands-on Clinical Experience course in a medical facility
Program Pathways
The Medical Assistant Program offers two pathway opportunities:
- An Intermediate Technical Certificate (ITC) where you complete a semester of pre-requisites then two semesters of professional Medical Assistant courses.
- An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree where you complete the ITC and an additional semester of core and healthcare focused courses available online, for which you will receive an associate degree in addition to the ITC.
All students in the program, whether completing the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree or the Intermediate Technical Certificate (ITC), will be eligible to sit for the CMA (AAMA) exam at the end of their second semester of the professional program Medical Assistant courses.
Successful completion of the Medical Assistant program will result in either an Intermediate Technical Certificate or an Associate of Applied Science degree.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Medical Assistant ITC and the AAS degree, students will:
- Be prepared as Medical Assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
- Be prepared to successfully complete the Certified Medical Assistant Exam.
- Be cross trained and prepared as entry-level Medical Assistants able to work in BOTH back office-clinical and front office-administrative Medical Assistant positions.
- Be prepared as capable entry-level Certified Medical Assistants to meet the needs of the regional health care industry.
- Complete a complex body of knowledge and demonstrate specialized skills with 180 hours of hands-on practical experience in the field.
Completion of a Technical Skills Assessment, the Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) Exam, is required.
Accreditation
The LCSC Medical Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 - 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | ||
| ENGL-101 | WRITING AND RHETORIC I | 3.00 |
| Oral Communication | ||
| Select one from the following: | 3.00 | |
| FUNDAMENTALS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION | ||
| SMALL GROUP COMMUNICATION | ||
| PUBLIC SPEAKING | ||
| Mathematical Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00-5.00 | |
| MATH IN MODERN SOCIETY | ||
| FINITE MATHEMATICS | ||
| COLLEGE ALGEBRA AND TRIGONOMETRY (or MATH-147A & MATH-147B) | ||
| STATISTICAL REASONING | ||
| CALCULUS I | ||
| STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE SCIENCES | ||
| MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS II | ||
| FINITE MATHEMATICS | ||
| MATH FOR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| STATISTICAL REASONING | ||
| Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3.00 | |
| HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| Scientific Ways of Knowing | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4.00 | |
| HUMAN BIOLOGY | ||
| HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I | ||
| Total Credits | 16.00-18.00 | |
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MEDPT-170 | MEDICAL INSURANCE | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-173 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-175 | ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTING I | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-185 | MED ASST PROFESSION & FOUNDATIONS | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-240 | PHARMACOLOGY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-245 | PHLEBOTOMY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS | 2.00 |
| MEDPT-251 | MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION I | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-252 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE | 5.00 |
| MEDPT-255 | MEDICAL ASSISTING I | 5.00 |
| MEDPT-260 | MEDICAL ASSISTING II | 5.00 |
| MEDPT-275 | MEDICAL CODING | 3.00 |
| Select 5 credits from the following: | 5.00 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO ALLIED HEALTH | ||
| BASIC ACCOUNTING | ||
| BUSINESS COMMUNICATION | ||
| PATIENT RECORD SYSTEMS | ||
| MEDICAL CODING II | ||
| Completion of a Technical Skills Assessment is required | ||
| Total Credits | 43.00 | |
Sequential Plan of Study
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BIOL-175 or BIOL-227 |
HUMAN BIOLOGY or HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I |
4.00 |
| CORE | Mathematical Ways of Knowing | 4.00 |
| MEDPT-173 | MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-185 | MED ASST PROFESSION & FOUNDATIONS | 3.00 |
| Credits | 14.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL-101 | WRITING AND RHETORIC I | 3.00 |
| HRPT-185 or PSYC-101 |
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS or INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY |
3.00 |
| MEDPT-240 | PHARMACOLOGY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-245 | PHLEBOTOMY FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONS | 2.00 |
| MEDPT-255 | MEDICAL ASSISTING I | 5.00 |
| Credits | 16.00 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| CORE | Oral Communication | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-175 | ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTING I | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-251 | MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION I | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-260 | MEDICAL ASSISTING II | 5.00 |
| Program Requirement | AHLTH-130, GNBPT-101, GNBPT-185, MEDPT-259 or MEDPT-285 | 3.00 |
| Credits | 17.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| MEDPT-170 | MEDICAL INSURANCE | 3.00 |
| MEDPT-252 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE | 5.00 |
| MEDPT-275 | MEDICAL CODING | 3.00 |
| Program Requirement | AHLTH-130, GNBPT-101, GNBPT-185, MEDPT-259 or MEDPT-285 | 2.00 |
| Credits | 13.00 | |
| Total Credits | 60.00 | |
As one of the fastest growing Allied Health Care careers, Medical Assisting offers terrific opportunities for advancement. Medical Assistants can advance to office manager, clinical supervisor, a variety of advanced administrative support occupations, and even teach Medical Assisting. Another great thing about earning your MA degree and because LCSC graduates are prepared to become CMA (AAMA) Certified, is that your new skill set opens a series of doors beyond medical assisting. our graduates are uniquely qualified to excel in both existing careers and emerging new Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) roles available like:
- EKG Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Pharmacy Technician
- Electronic Health Records Specialist
- Patient Care Technician
- Health Unit Clerk
- Medical Office Assistant
- Medical Office Manager
- Billing and Coding Specialist
- Public Health Inspector
- Panel Manager
- Patient Navigator
- Wellness/Health Coach
- Patient Care Coordinator
Check out the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website for more information about the potential careers above.