Certificate Program
15 weeks/ 430 Clock Hours with 100 hours of Externship
Objectives and goals
The Clinical Medical Assistance MA430 Program is
designed to prepare students to become skilled
entry-level Clinical Medical Assistants. The main
objective of this program is to teach students to
provide patient care. Students will be able to take
vital signs, perform EKG, urinalysis, Point-Of-Care
Testing (POCT),
venipuncture, dermal puncture, and administer
immunizations. In addition, students will
also receive an overview of the front desk duties i.e.
scheduling appointments, filling out insurance forms and
various patient related issues. They will be trained how
to become multi-faceted members of the health care team
and work closely with doctors, nurses, and other health
care professionals delivering patient care and assuming
appropriate responsibilities before, during and after
hospital stays, surgical procedures, and doctor's care.
Training also consists of the basic knowledge of medical
terminology, anatomy and physiology and pharmacology.
The core curriculum for the Clinical medical Assistant MA430 Program is design to meet national standards and competencies for Clinical Medical Assistants in preparing individuals to enter the profession of Clinical Medical Assistants. Medical Career Institute provides on-campus lectures and work-simulated training with program appropriate equipment needed to successfully prepare students for this highly technical environment. The on-campus classroom and office affords space for lectures, demonstrations and laboratory practice for mock medical office procedures. Space, equipment and supplies for patient care, proper blood drawing and obtaining correct electrocardiograms are also provided in the Clinical Medical Assistant classroom and lab area. The off-campus Clinical Externship module of the curriculum is structured to include supervised hands-on training (requiring competencies logs and evaluations) at Clinical Externship Site.
Upon successful completion of the program, the diligent graduates will be awarded the Certification of Completion (Diploma) and should be proficient in performing entry-level clinical and office duties, and can seek an employment in both general practice as well as specialty practice, inpatient and outpatient facilities, emergency rooms, clinics and other health care facilities.
Working conditions
Medical Assistants work in clean, well lit, cool and relatively quiet
environments. They may well be required to stand for long periods of time, and
it is vital their attention be focused on the tasks at hand. They may at times
be exposed to communicable diseases, sights and material.
Most medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week: although they may be
"Part-time", work nights, weekends and holidays on a rotating basis, depending
on their facility.
Employment
Many medical assistants are employed in Doctor's offices, hospitals, ambulatory
centers, and emergency departments. Some are employed directly by doctors in
the "private assistant role," while others work as surgical assistants. They
are also utilized in clinics, surgery centers, and general and specialty
medical offices. Their broad educational background plus specialized focus,
allows medical assistants to function well in a number of diverse areas of
their field. Employment possibilities in addition to Medical Assistant include, surgery
schedulers, materials management, organ/tissues procurement and preservation,
cardiac catheterization laboratories, product development, EKG technicians,
phlebotomists and marketing and sales. A number of medical assistants become instructors
after 3 years of experience in the field.