Program Overview

The Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Program prepares students to work alongside physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in a variety of medical settings. This program focuses on the clinical aspects of patient care, equipping students with the knowledge and skills to perform hands-on procedures, assist during examinations, and ensure efficient clinical operations.


Program Objectives
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Obtain and record patient medical histories and vital signs.

• Assist physicians during examinations and minor surgical procedures.

• Perform clinical tasks such as injections, EKGs, and specimen collection.

• Prepare and maintain examination rooms, instruments, and supplies.

• Follow infection control and safety protocols.

• Communicate effectively with patients and healthcare team members.

• Demonstrate professionalism, ethics, and respect for patient confidentiality.

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Delivery Method:

This program is delivered in a blended format. The blended format requires that students complete some required classes/modules online synchronously via eleconferencing, asynchronously via the school’s Learning Management System, and in person at school laboratories on campus. Externship must be completed in person at affiliated sites.

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Medical Assisting Program Summary

This program requires 16 weeks of accelerated training broken into 7 Modules.

​Classes are conducted: 7 Hours a day, 5 days a week for 16 Weeks for 420 Total Clock Hours and an additional 180 hours required externship (castone course) consisting of 40 hours per week of supervised clinical or practical training.

New students may begin the program at the start of any module currently in session. All instructional modules must be completed successfully to meet graduation requirements.

​​​Schedule

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Monday: On-Ground Instruction

Thursday: Live Online (Zoom)

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: Online (Asynchronous)

Externship 5 weeks

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Program Outline

Module 1   General Orientation, Medical Law and Ethics, Human Relations 70

Module 2   Medical Therminology, Anatomy and physiology                          70   

Module 3   Clinical Procedures, Pharmacology                                              70

Module 4   Clinical Laboratory Procedures                                                     70

Module 5   Administrative Procedures                                                            70

Module 6   Computer Skills                                                                             70

Module 7   Medical Assisting Externship  or                                                   180

Medical Assisting Capstone (100% didactic)

​Capstone Procedure for Medical Assistant Under specific circumstances a student in this program may apply to complete the online capstone course in lieu of the physical externship course.

 

General Orientation
Graduates will be able to:
a. Describe the current employment outlook for the medical assistant
b. Compare and contrast the allied health professions and understand their role in medical
assisting
c. Describe and comprehend medical assistant credentialing requirements
d. List the general responsibilities and skills of the medical assistant

Anatomy and physiology
Graduates will be able to:
a. List all body systems and their structures and functions
b. Describe common diseases and disorders as they apply to each system
c. Identify diagnostic and therapeutic modalities as they relate to each body system
d. Provide patient education by identifying diet and nutrition requirements

Medical terminology
Graduates will be able to:
a. Define and apply the entire basic structure of medical terminology and accurately identify
the correct context (i.e., root, prefix, suffix, combinations, spelling and definitions)
b. Apply medical terminology for each specialty
c. Define and use medical abbreviations when appropriate and acceptable

Medical law and ethics
Graduates will be able to:
a. Follow documentation guidelines
b. Institute federal and state guidelines when:
i. Releasing medical records or information
ii. Entering orders in and utilizing electronic health records
c. Follow established policies when initiating or terminating medical treatment
d. Distinguish between employer and personal liability coverage
e. Perform risk management procedures
f. Comply with federal, state, and local health laws and regulations as they relate to
healthcare settings
i. Define the scope of practice for the medical assistant per state requirements
ii. Describe what procedures can and cannot be delegated to the medical assistant and
by whom orders can be given
iii. Comply with meaningful use regulations
iv. Comply with HIPAA guidelines, the ADA Amendments Act, and the Health Information
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act

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Human relations
Graduates will be able to:
a. Respond appropriately to patients with abnormal behavior patterns
b. Provide support for terminally ill patients
i. Communicate effectively with empathy
ii. Identify the stages of grief
iii. List organizations and support groups that assist patients and family members
c. Assist patient in navigating issues and concerns (i.e., insurance policy information,
medical bills, and physician/ provider orders)
d. Define the developmental stages of life and their appropriate care
e. Analyze the effect of hereditary and environmental influences on behavior
f. Demonstrate an understanding of the core competencies for an inter-professional
collaborative practice (i.e., values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, interprofessional
communication, teamwork)
g. Partner with health care teams to attain optimal patient outcomes
h. Display effective interpersonal skills with patients and caregivers
i. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity

Pharmacology
Graduates will be able to:
a. Identify drug classification, indications, dosages, side effects, and contraindications for
the most commonly used medications
b. Calculate proper dosages for medication administration
c. Prescriptions
i. Identify parts of the prescription
ii. Identify abbreviations commonly used in prescriptions
iii. Comply with legal aspects of creating prescriptions, including federal and state laws
d. Properly utilize the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR), drug handbooks, and/or other drug references to identify a drug’s classification, usual dosage, usual side effects, and
contraindications.

Administrative procedures
Graduates will be able to:
a. Collect and process documents
b. Navigate electronic health records systems and practice management software
c. Perform coding, billing, and collection procedures
d. Process insurance claims
e. Apply scheduling principles
f. Maintain inventory of equipment and supplies
g. Display professionalism through written and verbal communications
h. Perform basic computer skills

Clinical procedures
Graduates will be able to:
a. Practice standard precautions and perform disinfection/ sterilization techniques
b. Obtain and document chief complaint, patient history, and vital signs
c. Assist provider with general/physical examination​

​d.Assist provider with specialty examination, including pediatric care, cardiac, respiratory,
OB-GYN, neurological, and gastroenterology procedures
e. Perform specialty procedures, including but not limited to pediatric care, minor surgery,
cardiac, respiratory, OB-GYN, neurological, and gastroenterology
f. Prepare and administer oral and parenteral medications and monitor the patient
g. Recognize and respond to medical office emergencies

h. Teach self-examination, disease management, and health promotion
i. Identify community resources and Complementary and Alternative Medicine practices
(CAM)
j. Accommodate patients with special needs (psychological or physical limitations)
k. Demonstrate and identify care for patients across life span
l. Demonstrate nationally recognized CPR for healthcare providers

Medical laboratory procedures
Graduates will be able to:
a. Practice quality control
b. Perform selected CLIA-waived tests that assist with diagnosis and treatment
i. Urinalysis
ii. Hematology testing
iii. Chemistry testing
iv. Immunology testing
v. Microbiology testing
c. Dispose of biohazardous materials
d. Collect, label, and process specimens
i. Perform venipuncture
a. Evacuate tube system
b. Winged Infusion Set
c. Syringe
ii. Perform capillary puncture
iii. Perform wound culture procedures
iv. Obtain throat specimen
e. Instruct patients in the collection of
i. Urine specimens
ii. Fecal specimens
iii. Sputum specimens

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Medical Assisting Capstone
Method of Delivery: Online
Lecture Hours: 80
Lab Hours: 0
Clinical/Externship/Practicum: 0
Prerequisite: Successful completion of all prior courses
Concurrent Prerequisite: None
Co-Requisite: None
The capstone course focuses on learning opportunities to integrate and apply both administrative
and clinical knowledge, theory and understanding from previous course work in the medical
assistant program. The learning experiences in this course result in a consolidation of a student’s
educational experience and emphasis will be placed on the application of knowledge and skills
acquired during the program. Virtual learning and web related activities will occur for front office,
back office competencies, critical thinking skills and teamwork skills expected of a medical
assistant. Study and test taking techniques will be reviewed. Students demonstrate the
achievement of program competencies through online experiences culminating in a
comprehensive course project. Successful completion of either this Capstone course or the
Externship course is required for graduation.
This course is offered 100% on online and divided into units through the learning management
system. To earn a grade in this course, students are required to complete all of the
assigned course work within each unit by the published deadlines. Students will log in to their
course several times per week to submit critical thinking assignments and participate in
discussion forums. The weekly online discussions help the learner provide an opportunity to
interact and share with other students. Learners will design a public service announcement or
brochure for patient education as a primary deliverable of this course.