Program Description

Medical Assisting is a comprehensive program that prepares students for entry-level employment in a variety of health care settings. The student is trained as a generalist but may concentrate in one area of interest. The Medical Assistant who focuses on clinical aspects would assist the physician and prepare patients for examinations and procedures performed by the physician.

Laboratory testing plays an important part in the detection, diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Medical Assistants who are laboratory-oriented are the phlebotomists who collect, process, and distribute blood samples to the various laboratory stations for testing. All students receive certification training in emergency First Aid, CPR (Adult, Child, and Infant), AED (American Heart Association programs) and perform microbiological procedures as well as electrocardiograms and urinalysis.

A third area of concentration is the operation of a medical office. Telephone receptionist skills, filing, scheduling appointments, data entry computer skills, office procedures, and record keeping are included in the program of study. Depending on the size of the office, a Medical Assistant might perform all of the above duties or concentrate in one area. Medical Assistant students are given a firm foundation in medical terminology, human anatomy, and physiology, medical ethics, and interpersonal relationships, as well as clinical, laboratory and office skills.

Medical assistants must maintain a professional and pleasant image as they are the persons who communicate in person or on the telephone with the public and the physicians and is often the only representative of the organization seen or heard by the public.