Medical Assisting (certificate)

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Official Title of Certificate: Medical Assisting, Certificate

Award: Certificate

Code: CRT.MDA.MDA

Total Credit Hours: 32

Learn more about the Medical Assisting Certificate program

Purpose: Prepares students for employment in physicians’ offices, hospital administrative offices, clinics, medical departments of industry and government and wherever basic office and clinical skills are required. Graduates are eligible to sit for certification examinations given by the American Association of Medical Assistants to become a Certified Medical Assistant, the American Medical Technologists to earn a Registered Medical Assistant Certification, and the National Healthcareer Association exam for Certified Medical Assistants and/or Medical Administrative Assistants. Persons who already are employed in this field may enroll in this program for career development.

Anne Arundel Community College’s Medical Assisting Certificate program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Range of Occupations

Administrative medical assistant
Medical assistant to physician

Additional Program Requirements

All Medical Assisting Program students must receive a minimum grade of C in each medical assisting course. Students who receive a final grade below C in any medical assisting course will be awarded a grade of F in that course.

Special Conditions

Health Manpower Shortage: This program of study may be designated a Health Manpower Shortage Tuition Reduction Program. This means that some residents of Maryland (see the Tuition, Fees and Payments section of this catalog) enrolled in this program of study by the first day of the term may be eligible for in-county tuition rates for courses required for program completion. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm that this program still maintains a Health Manpower Shortage Program status before enrolling. Please refer to the college’s Accounts Receivable Office to confirm this designation.

Entrance/Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening

This program requires the satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and possible drug screening. For complete details, see Health Sciences Criminal Background & Drug Screening.

Planning Tool: One-Year Sequence of Courses

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Certificate Requirements: 32 credits

Fall Term 1

ACA 100 - Student Success Seminar 1 credit hour
MDA 113 - Medical Terminology 3 credit hours
MDA 115 - Administrative Medical Assisting 1 3 credit hours

Fall Term 2

MDA 117 - Administrative Medical Assisting 2 3 credit hours
MDA 200 - Electronic Health Records 3 credit hours

Total credit hours: 13

Winter Term

MDA 111 - Laws and Ethics for Health Professionals 2 credit hours
MDA 112 - Pharmacology for Health Professions 3 credit hours

Total credit hours: 5

Spring Term 1

MDA 140 - Clinical Medical Assisting 1 6 credit hours
MDA 142 - Clinical Medical Assisting 2 4 credit hours

Total credit hours: 10

Spring Term 2

MDA 274 - Professional Seminar 1 credit hour
MDA 275 - Medical Assisting Practicum 3 credit hours
Practicum (MDA 275 ) internship requires 160 hours of unpaid supervised work experience in a physician’s office or wherever medical office administration with clinical skills is required. Eligibility: Completion of all courses required for the MDA certificate with a minimum of 2.0 GPA; meeting the technical standards of the Medical Assisting department.

Total credit hours: 4

Certificate Graduation Requirements

To graduate with a certificate, students must have demonstrated eligibility for ENG 101 or ENG 101A . Refer to Academic Regulations on Graduation Requirements .

Program Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

Describe structural organization of the human body across the life span
Solve mathematical computations related to patient care and medication administration
Define the principles of Infection Control practiced within the ambulatory patient care setting
Identify the specific dietary needs related to maintaining health and disease prevention
Identify styles and types of effective communication techniques utilized in the healthcare setting
Explain the administrative functions performed in a health care setting
Describe basic practice finances performed by the medical assistant in the health care setting
Apply third party reimbursement methods related to health care operations
Describe how to use the most current procedural and diagnostic coding
Describe the legal implications related to the medical assistant scope of practice
Describe the ethical considerations of the medical assisting profession
Apply the principles of protective practices in the health care setting

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