What is Medical Assisting?
A key member of a health care team who works in the administrative office, examining room, and laboratory. You are a vital liaison between doctor and patient and play an important role in diagnosis and treatment.
What will I do on the job?
Schedule and monitor appointments, arrange hospital and outpatient admissions, manage medical records, process insurance claims, and manage office financial records. What medical and technical tasks would I perform? In the clinical area, you:
- Prepare patients for exams, procedures, and treatments
- Assist with physical examinations
- Record medical histories
- Take vital signs
- Chart patient information
- Administer medications and injections
- Perform electrocardiograms
- Assist with minor office surgeries
- Perform venipuncture
- Collect and prepare specimens
- Perform basic laboratory tests
What are my career choices?
Doctors offices, outpatient clinics, and other ambulatory health care facilities. As health care expands, the demand for medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all other occupations.
What will I study?
Anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical procedures, laboratory procedures, and administrative procedures.
What are my degree, diploma, or certificate options?
You can earn a degree and diploma in medical assisting. You'll be prepared to take the certification exam of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). We also offer the following certificates under Medical Assisting:
- Medical Assisting Diploma (46-53 credit hours)
- Medical Office Administrative Assistant Certificate (17-20 credit hours)
- Medical Office Insurance Billing and Coding Certificate (18-20 credit hours)
- Electrocardiograph Technician Certificate (11-18 credit hours)
- Display an awareness of the role, rights, responsibilities and functions of the Medical Assistant through awareness of personal, professional and interpersonal relationships; psychological concepts; medical ethics and laws; and communication techniques
- Process insurance forms and code for the medical office using ICD and CPT coding, and HCPCS systems.
- Communicate effectively with patients and co-workers, process mail and office correspondence, file, schedule patient appointments, process medical records and perform proper telephone technique.
- Perform duties consistent with the medical office environment including fee collection, banking procedures, bookkeeping, payroll management and hospital admission procedures.
- Apply computer concepts to the medical office including set-up and maintenance of medical records, scheduling of appointments, bill generation, and insurance form preparation.
- Demonstrate professionalism through verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.
- Perform electronic medical software applications
- Apply the principles and techniques of medical asepsis, infection control, vital signs, and assisting with the patient physical exam
- Apply Standard Precautions for health maintenance, infection control and personal safety.
- Apply proper procedures for disinfection, sterilization and sanitization of medical instruments and equipment used for patient examination, minor surgical procedures, diagnostic procedures and treatments
- Perform mathematical skills including conversion measurements for medications, percentage calculations, body measurement conversions and office accounting procedures
- Interpret the role and responsibilities of the health care professional in applying drug therapies.
- Prepare and administer medications as required.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the structure and function of body systems and organs.
- Define the role of body systems in maintaining homeostasis.
- Analyze and interpret disease processes including etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and prevention
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic human needs for health maintenance.
- Educate patients in disease prevention strategies.
- Perform basic laboratory tests including urinalysis, hematology, hemostasis, chemistry and microbiology.
- Apply proper technique for collection, handling and processing of body fluids including blood, urine, and cultures.
- Document laboratory tests, record results accurately and perform quality control as required.
- Perform First Aid and CPR according to standardized procedures of the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
- Interpret and apply medical terminology.
- Interact with patients, peers and medical staff in a professional manner.
Resources:
Gainful Employment Disclosure Information
Admission Requirements (for Medical Assisting Diploma)
- Student must meet the minimum ACT or equivalent score requirements
- It is preferred, but not required, that general education and support courses be completed prior to program admission
- A grade of "C" or higher must be achieved on all program required courses
- Attend Pre-Program Conference
Pre-Program Conference Dates
Pre-Program Conferences for the Medical Assisting Program enrolling for August, 2023 will be held in room Room 217 on the Rowan Campus.
Spring 2023 dates:
- Wednesday, March 15 at 10:00 a.m.
- Tuesday, March 21 at 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, March 22 at 10:00 a.m.
- Thursday, March 23 at 3:00 p.m.
- Monday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m.
Attendance at one conference is MANDATORY in order to be considered for admission to the Medical Assisting Program. Unable to attend or have questions? Contact diana.reeder@kctc.edu
Where will I take classes?
The Medical Assisting Diploma and GO/TS degree is offered on the Maysville and Rowan campuses. All certificates except ECG Tech can be earned on the Maysville, Rowan, and Licking Valley campuses. ECG Tech is only offered on the Maysville and Rowan campuses.
Transfer Guidelines for Medical Assisting
Applicants who have attended another medical assisting program, or wish to transfer from another KCTCS Medical Assisting Program must meet the following conditions/policies:
- Students wishing to transfer from one Medical Assisting program to another will be considered on an individual basis.
- Admission will be dependent upon available resources at the college.
- Students must meet all program admission requirements set by the college to which transfer is sought.
Length of Program
With additional courses, you can earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in two years if you maintain full-time status.
This information should not be considered a substitute for the KCTCS Catalog. You should always choose classes in cooperation with your faculty advisor to ensure that you meet all degree requirements.
The Maysville Community & Technical College, Maysville & Rowan Campus, Medical Assisting Diploma Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355-113th St. N. #7709
Seminole, FL 33755
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
Retention Rate of 89%
Job Placement of 100%
Exam Passage of 100%
Program Goals
To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
