The Medical Assisting
The program in medical assisting comprises general studies in the humanities, business, and the natural sciences along with preparation for clinical and administrative health care occupations. Medical assistant positions often include such tasks as reception, appointment scheduling, medical coding and transcribing, computer use, taking patient histories, taking and recording vital signs, medication administration, assisting the physician with minor procedures, venipuncture, and giving injections. The medical assisting program is accredited by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary & Vocational Education (BPPVE). To ensure that the program teaches current and relevant skills, it follows the objectives outlined in the American Association of Medical Assistants Role Delineation Study. As of February 1998, any student wishing to take the national Medical Assisting Certification Exam must graduate from an accredited program. American College of Medical Technology’s medical assisting program was one of the first few in Los Angeles area to be accredited. The program is offered through online or paper-based independent study as well as traditional classroom study.
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Upon successful completion of the MA program at SACM, the student graduates with an Associate of Science degree. Graduates are then eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assisting exam, a national test which, when passed, gives the medical assistant the privilege of including the credential CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) behind their name. Many graduates of the program have chosen to use MA as a stepping stone to further their education and go on to earn a B.S. in Nursing, Office Administration and/or Management or Medical Informatics. Some have gone into the PA program after graduating from ours. Some students double major—they couple MA with an Associate’s degree in Office Administration, Medical track. These two programs are very compatible, and students who have double majored have done very well with these two programs. There are many job opportunities for the successful graduate of our program. Since our students are dually trained, administratively and clinically, they have the option of doing both or concentrating on one area or the other. Typically, the MA who does both administrative and clinical tasks works in a smaller doctor’s office and usually for only one or at the most, two doctors. Physicians really like this because they actually get “two for one.” MAs are versatile, can multi-task, and are flexible. They fit well into the scheme of a busy doctor’s office. In the last few years, some medical assistants have been employed at hospitals; this has not always been the case, but it is more common now than it used to be. Some MAs like the administrative end so much that they go on to become office managers, work for insurance companies in an advisory/auditory capacity, or further their education in a management field. Many rural clinics and physicians’ offices hire MAs because of their well-rounded background and experience. This is very common in CA. On the other hand, we have several graduates who have secured positions in large clinics in Los Angeles and San Diego, CA; and other metropolitan areas. The outlook for the MA for the future is very bright. According to national labor statistics, MA is the fastest-growing allied health profession in the US.
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| Medical Assisting Program Details |
The medical assisting program comprises general studies in the humanities, business, and the natural sciences along with preparation for clinical and administrative health care positions. Medical assistant positions often include such tasks as reception, appointment scheduling, medical coding and transcribing, computer use, taking patient histories, taking and recording vital signs, medication administration, assisting the physician with minor procedures, venipuncture, and giving injections. MA at SACM is the only program where students are dually trained - both in administrative (business) skills and clinical skills - thus, the inclusion of the program in both former MCA program and MOM program. Students learn to run the “front” office and can schedule appointments, answer the phone, call in prescriptions, prepare and maintain patient charts, do billing and collections, process insurance claims, transcribe medical documents, and many other administrative duties. Students also learn to assist the physician in the “back” office, which is the clinical area. They take patient histories, screen patients, take and record vital signs, do basic laboratory tests, do EKGs, venipuncture, give injections, and assist the physician with different procedures. The Admission and Application of Medical Assisting Because the program has a rolling admissions policy, there is no application deadline. Qualified applicants who apply early are accepted as soon as their completed application is reviewed. It is strongly, suggested, however, that applications be submitted by March 15. Qualified applicants who apply after that date are accepted until the class is filled. Once the class is filled, qualified applicants are placed on a waiting list. Students enter the program in the fall semester. Acceptance to SACM does not guarantee admission into the program. To be considered for acceptance into the program, you must have an overall high school GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or a GED equivalency. If you are applying to transfer in to the program from another program at AUMT or from another institution, you are required to have a college GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and must include copies of any professional certifications, licenses, and relevant credentialing materials with your application. Applicants who have completed their prerequisites at ACMT and who are otherwise qualified for the program are given preference over those who are transferring prerequisites from other colleges or universities. The Prerequisite of Ultrasound Program Progress to the next level of the program requires a grade of C or higher in all MAST courses and an overall minimum GPA of 2.0. The minimum passing score for all MAST courses is 70 percent. The Prerequisites of Medical Assisting is the followings
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