MEDICAL ASSISTING PROGRAM
The Medical Assistant is an ancillary healthcare worker performing a variety of duties in many health care environments. Medical Assisting is projected to have one of the fastest growth rates of all medical fields over the next decade. In the course of the program, the student will have supervised internship experiences in physicians’ offices and selected departments in area hospitals.
The program consists of skills and theory of both the administrative and clinical components of the medical assisting position. The educated Medical Assistant is able to function as both an administrative and/or clinical assistant in a variety of health care settings.
As an administrative assistant, the Medical Assistant will be able to maintain patient medical records, complete medical insurance forms, answer correspondence, properly process mail, schedule appointments, use proper telephone techniques, greet and interview patients, transcribe and maintain medical records, process and record all office accounts, order supplies, and keep accurate inventory records. The student will also learn word processing and office management skills using a computer.
As a clinical assistant, the Medical Assistant will record height, weight, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure; assist the patient in positioning and draping for physical examination; perform sterilization techniques for assisting with minor office surgery; and understand the basic theory and manual techniques of electrocardiogram.
Further, the course provides the student with an exposure to basic laboratory procedures, i.e., macroscopic and microscopic urinalysis, veni and capillary puncture, hemoglobin and microhematocrit testing, preparing blood smears, pregnancy testing, throat cultures, and other routine tests performed in the physician’s office.
The qualified Medical Assistant has the unique privilege of acting as a liaison between the physician and other health care workers and their patients. The opportunity afforded the medical assistant in this regard is one of great importance and responsibility.