Medical Assistant Application

Medical Assistant Certificate Program

Medical assistants are multi-skilled, allied health workers who work primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics. Medical assistants function as members of the health care delivery team and perform routine clinical and administrative procedures to keep health care delivery settings running smoothly. As assistants in the clinical setting, graduates perform duties such as vital signs, exam room preparation, patient data collection, simple dressing changes, lab tests, phlebotomy, medication instruction and EKG’s. Medical Assistants carry out administrative duties such as scheduling, reception, insurance monitoring, record maintenance, and bookkeeping.  Students develop knowledge of pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and nutrition to assist the physician with patient teaching. The program includes 180 hours of unpaid clinical and externship experience.

Graduates of this program are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification examination administered by the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) Certifying Board. The exam is recognized by the National Board of Medical Examiners. The course work in this program can be applied to an Associate’s Degree in Medical Office Management.

Accreditation:

The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program (CAAHEP), and the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (CRB-AAMAE), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60601, (312) 553-9355.

Program Outcomes
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, graduates will be able to:

1.    Function as multi-skilled health workers in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics

2.    Perform vital signs, exam room preparation, patient data collection, simple dressing changes, lab tests, phlebotomy, medication administration and EKG’s

3.    Carry out front office duties such as reception, transcription, insurance monitoring, record maintenance and bookkeeping

4.    Communicate effectively with clients using appropriate knowledge of psychology

5.    Assist the physician with patient teaching related to pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and nutrition

6.    Function within the legal and ethical standards as a medical assistant within the medical profession

7.    Function safely and effectively as a medical assistant

Educational Advancement

Courses taken in the Medical Assisting Certificate Program at NCC can be applied towards an Associate’s Degree in Business Office Technology, Medical Office Management or General Studies.

Employment Opportunities

Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010 as the health services industry expands due to technological advances in medicine, and a growing and aging population.

Program Expenses

Tuition is very affordable. Additional costs such as lab coats, testing, stethoscopes and physical examinations are the responsibility of the student.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial aid and scholarships are available to Medical Assistant Program students. Applications are available through the NCC Financial Aid office.

Admission Requirements:

Applicants to the Medical Assistant Program must complete an application for admission or re-admission to the college. Students must also submit a Medical Assistant Program Application to the Division of Nursing and Allied Health. Applications must be submitted by April 15^th for priority acceptance. Admission is based upon academic achievement. After April 15^th students are admitted to the program on a rolling basis depending on space availability.

Requirements:

•  Placement testing as per NCC policy

•  High school graduate or GED

•  Eligible for Math 094

•  Eligible for ENG 101

•  High school or college GPA of 2.2

•  Students must follow the policies outlined in the Medical Assistant Handbook.

Medical Assistant Curriculum Plan

Medical Assistant Admission Checklist

Program of Study

Course Descriptions

BOT 180 Medical Terminology

This course contains Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology for Insurance Reimbursement. In this course, students learn the basic structure and functions of the human body and become familiar with common diseases and disorders. The prefixes, roots and suffixes which comprise medical terminology are covered and that terminology is applied to the body systems studied.

BOT 287 Foundations/Management of Medical Insurance
Pre-Requisites: BOT 180

This course includes three modules:
1. Introduction to Medical Billing and Reimbursement
2. Medical Billing Practices
3. Medical Billing Procedures

This course provides a thorough understanding of the billing and reimbursement process that takes place in the business office of a health care facility. Federal regulatory issues, third party reimbursement, and the entire life cycle of an insurance claim will be discussed. It covers the accounts receivable management of the billing department of a health care facility, completing the HCFA 1500 Universal Insurance Claim Form and will work with actual explanations of benefits from a variety of insurance carriers. Students will also learn a popular accounting system used in many medical offices.


MED 245 Clinical Lab Procedures I
Pre-requisites: Admission to the Medical Assistant Program
Corequisites: BOT 111, BOT 180, and BOT 282

This course provides an overview of health care procedures required by Medical Assistants. The course teaches students to prepare examination and treatment areas in health care settings. Concepts of Universal and Standard Precautions, aseptic technique, and infection control are presented. Therapeutic communication, medical ethics, confidentiality and accountability are stressed. In addition, the course teaches students to perform simple lab tests, vital signs, and specimen collection. Introduction to medication administration and pharmacology are presented. The four-credit course has 3 hours of class and 3 hours of clinical laboratory experience per week.

BOT 288 Computer Applications for Medical Offices
Pre-Requisites: BOT 287

This course includes three modules:
1. Computerized Medical Billing
2. ICD-9 Coding
3. CPT-4 Coding
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to do medical billing and practice management on Medical Office Manager, a highly popular medical billing software package, and will learn inputting of patient demographics and insurance information; patient chargers and supporting billing information; payments, credits and adjustments; appointment scheduling, and accounts receivable reports.

MED 246 Clinical Lab Procedures II
Prerequisites: BOT 111, BOT 180, BOT 282 and *MED 245 with a grade of “C” or better.
Corequisites: ENG 101, PSY 111, BOT 289

This advanced clinical procedure course builds upon the knowledge from clinical procedures I and provides the student with phlebotomy skills, EKG skills, and basic principles of radiology safety. The course will present concepts related to simple dressing changes and response to medical emergencies. Principles of pharmacology, nutrition and medication administration will be continued. The course will include 3 hours of class and 3 hours of lab per week and 45 hours of clinical over the semester.

MED 296 Cooperative Education Work Experience
Pre-Requisite: ENG 101, PSY 111, *MED 246 with a grade of “C” or better, BOT 288

This course combines a classroom seminar with on the job learning. Students who meet program eligibility work at approved Cooperative Education sites and attend regularly scheduled seminars on campus. Seminars cover the establishment of learning goals for the work assignment, work-related problem solving, and legal and ethical dilemmas facing health care personnel. A final project is designed to incorporate on the-job learning and medical law and ethics. Students must complete the seminar, all assignments, the final project, and the clinical work assignment to receive credit. This five-week summer course includes 3 hours of class per week and a minimum of 135 hours of unpaid externship.