Medical Assistant Certificate of Completion

(51 credits)

Program Description

The Medical Assistant Certificate of Completion (C.C.) is a 10-month preparatory program that provides a competency-based learning approach to prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. Students learn to perform medical office administrative duties such as scheduling and receiving patients, handling telephone calls, preparing and maintaining electronic health records, managing practice finances, developing effective written, oral and interpersonal-communication skills, and performing within the legal and ethical scope of practice for a medical assistant.

Building on program courses which provide base knowledge of medical terminology, human body systems, human health and disease, commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, and cultural diversity, the medical assistant student learns hands-on application of various clinical duties. Under the supervision and direction of a physician, the medical assistant's clinical duties include asepsis and infection control, measuring and recording vital signs, receiving and documenting patient histories, specimen collections to include venipuncture and capillary sticks, CLIA-waived testing, electrocardiography, medication preparation and administration, patient education and assisting the healthcare provider with examinations and treatments.

In addition to spring quarter courses, medical assistant students complete the minimum requirement of 160 supervised hours in a medical office administrative practicum setting, as well as a medical office clinical setting while under the supervision of a physician. The practicum provides an opportunity for medical assistant students to perform procedures and skills they learned throughout the medical assistant certificate program. Upon successful completion of the required practicum hours, the medical assistant student becomes eligible, and is required to sit for the credentialing examination. Completion of practicum hours and preparation for the credentialing examination occur throughout the month of June.

Career Opportunities

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics employment of Medical Assistants is projected to grow 14 percent from 2022 to 2032. Medical Assistant is currently one of the fastest growing professions. As a result, physicians will hire more medical assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), the median annual Medical Assistant salary is $38,270 or $18.40 per hour. However, salaries can vary widely depending on a variety of factors such as location and type of health care facility.

Medical Assisting Program Goal

The goal of the Medical Assistant Program is, to prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Medical Assisting Program Outcomes

To prepare students to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical (CCMA) examination.
To provide medical assistant students an optional phlebotomy course for those interested in sitting for NHA's Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) examination.
Qualify for employment in the healthcare field.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Medical Assistant Certificate of Completion, students will be able to:

Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a healthcare setting.
Display professionalism and respect for diversity in relation to culture, age, and gender.
Perform within the legal and ethical scope of practice in the role of a Medical Assistant.
Demonstrate professional and effective forms of communication with patients, families and other health care professionals in culturally diverse communities.
Demonstrate proficiency in the administrative and clinical competencies that are required in the role of a Medical Assistant.

Requirements Specific to the Medical Assistant Certificate of Completion

Physical Demands: The industry standards for a Medical Assistant are to have a full range of motion. This includes handling and lifting patients, stooping or stretching and hand-eye coordination. The job will require a Medical Assistant to stand 8-10 hours a day with occasional sitting. MA students must be able to carry 40-50 pounds.

All students are required to have a complete federal background check done prior to the end of the fall term. Failure to pass the federal background check may result in the student's inability to progress in the medical assistant program.
Note: Students with a history of criminal convictions (whether felony or misdemeanor) relating to crimes such as, but not limited to, physical assault, use of a dangerous weapon, sexual abuse or assault, abuse of children, the elderly or infirm and crimes against property, including robbery, burglary and felony theft, may not be eligible for employment in a healthcare facility as a medical assistant. Students with concerns in this area should consult with the program director.
Computer Skills: The program requires students to have knowledge of basic computer terms and to be able to demonstrate basic computer skills. Throughout the medical assistant program, students are required to learn and use various software programs such as the college's learning management system (LMS) and program learning platforms. In addition, placement at a practicum site further requires students to learn, and safely use, electronic health records and scheduling software. Successful completion of SKC's CAPP104 Computer Literacy for Allied Health is recommended for individuals who are interested in the medical assisting program but have not yet acquired basic computer skills.

Certification Information: The Salish Kootenai College Medical Assistant Certificate of Completion program prepares students to sit for the National Healthcareer Association's Certified Clinical Medical Assistant examination. Sitting for the CCMA exam is a program requirement. 2017-2023 NHA CCMA exam pass rate is 100%. The SKC MA CC program conforms to requirements in Montana. The College has not determined whether the program meets specific certification requirements in other states. Students planning to work as a CCMA in another state should consult that state’s requirements.
Service Learning: Students will complete 30 hours of service learning over the length of the program

Admission Requirements

Program admissions occurs fall quarter only.
Completion of a college level math or English course, or an appropriate score on SKC's Math and English Placement Assessment: DVSP081 Academic Literacy or higher, and MATH100 College Algebra or, MATH103 Contemporary Math or higher.
Program Fees: In addition to SKC tuition and fees, all students have additional costs to include purchase of required course materials, fees for a federal background check, healthcare certification fees (Bloodborne Pathogens, BLS for HCP, First Aid, HIPAA, HIV/AIDS Awareness), credentialing exam prep materials, credentialing exam fees, student liability insurance, personal healthcare coverage, practicum uniform requirements, practicum travel expense, and costs associated with updating required vaccinations for the purpose of providing the required documentation to a practicum site(s).

Requirements for Continuing in the Program

MA CC Program Advancement: students are required to pass all competency sign-offs with an 80% or higher and pass all required courses with a 70% or higher to advance to the next quarter. Students who meet the requirements, to include successful completion of the program's identified trigger course, MAST 135 will be counted as that academic year's MA CC cohort for future external program accreditation reporting purposes.
Medical assistant students must take all courses consecutively starting fall quarter. The only exception is NASD101 History of the Indians in the U.S. which can be completed prior to student beginning the MA program, or completed any quarter while enrolled in the program.
All MA students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 160 combined hours of administrative and clinical practicum prior to program completion.
Vaccination Requirements: healthcare practicum sites require medical assistant students to provide documentation of up-to-date vaccinations as part of their student learner onboarding paperwork. Medical assisting students are required to provide practicum sites with up-to-date documentation of immunizations which may include a seasonal influenza vaccine, two doses of the varicella vaccine or a positive varicella titer, two doses of measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) or a positive titer, three doses of the Hepatitis B vaccination series or a positive or reactive anti-HBs (or HBsAB) test result, an up-to-date Tdap, two negative TB skin tests or a QuantiFERON-TB Gold test and in some cases, documentation of the Covid vaccination series. In some instances, at some practicum sites, students are able to fill out a declination form for the covid vaccination and submit it to the practicum site for their approval. Additional documentation of vaccinations beyond those listed above may be required by a practicum site per that site's facility policies.
Any changes in conviction record and/or pending criminal charges which occur between the initial completion of the criminal background/registered sexual offender check and program completion must be provided in writing to the program director within ten working days from the date of notification. Failure to provide such information within the required time frame may result in immediate dismissal from the program.
Students who are not in compliance with the Student Code of Conduct provided in the SKC Catalog and/or the SKC Medical Assistant Student Handbook may place themselves at risk for dismissal from the Medical Assistant program.

Curriculum

Fall

MAST102	Healthcare Communications with Medical Legal and Ethical Considerations	4
MAST135	Medical Office Administrative Practices	5
MAST136	Clinical Procedures I	4
MAST150	Anatomy and Physiology for the Medical Assistant I	4
Total Credit Hours:		17

The Medical Assistant Department has designated MAST 136 as a course that embeds service learning.

The Medical Assistant Department has designated MAST 150 as a course that emphasizes information literacy.

Winter

HLTH102	Foundations of Health and Wellness	3
MAST144	Medical Coding & Billing for the MA	3
MAST151	Anatomy and Physiology for the Medical Assistant II	4
MAST156	Clinical Procedures II	4
NASD101	History of Indians in the United States	3
Total Credit Hours:		17

The Medical Assistant Department has designated MAST 156 as a course that embeds service learning.

The Medical Assistant Department has designated MAST 151 as a course that emphasizes information literacy.

Spring

MAST170	Pharmacology for the Medical Assistant	4
MAST176	Clinical Procedures III	4
MAST185	Medical Office Administrative Practicum	2
MAST197	Practicum for the Medical Assistant	5
MAST198	MA Credentialing Exam Prep	2
Total Credit Hours:		17

The Medical Assistant Department has designated MAST 176 as a course that embeds service learning.

Total Credit Hours: 51