MA22 Medical Assisting, Diploma
Offered at the Griffin and Flint River Campuses
| Program Entrance Term: |
Fall, Spring, Summer (Day Classes ONLY)
|
| Minimum Length of Program: |
5 or 6 terms |
| Minimum Credit Hours for Graduation: |
54 |
Program Description
The Medical Assisting diploma program is certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and prepares competent entry-level Medical Assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. According to the Standards and Guidelines for the Accreditation of Educational Programs in Medical Assisting, the program goal is to prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession. The sequence of courses emphasizes a combination of medical theory and practical application necessary for successful employment. The grading system for Medical Assisting requires a minimum course grade of C for progress from specified courses to more advanced courses. Classroom instruction and practical experience are divided between administrative skills and clinical skills in a variety of areas: scheduling appointments, banking, bookkeeping, insurance coding, hospital admissions, laboratory services, maintaining patient files, examination room techniques, assisting with minor surgery, administering medications, and performing diagnostic procedures including lab work and electrocardiography. During the program, the student gains experience in a physician's office or appropriate facility by participating in an externship. Clinical externship(s) may be scheduled day, evening, and on weekends. There is no remuneration for clinicals.
Employment Opportunities
Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, including clinics, physicians’ offices, insurance companies, public and private hospitals, inpatient and outpatient facilities, as well as with specialty practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists in outpatient care centers, nursing, and residential care facilities.
1. The medical assisting program at Southern Crescent Technical College has a five-year average of 92.98% for job placement for the years 2019-2023.
2. The five-year average for the AMT exam passage rate for the years 2019-2023 is 99.12%
Occupational Risks
Medical Assisting is a profession with many rewards, as practitioners can perform both administrative and clinical services, filling several roles in a variety of healthcare environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly outlines that it is a growth field, with an anticipated 18% growth from 2020 to 2030.
Medical Assistants work directly with providers and patients, with the goal of providing healthcare and ensuring patient safety. It is a position with a great deal of responsibility.
As with any healthcare position, there are certain occupational risks that come into play with being a medical assistant, and those hazards include the following:
- Exposure to infectious diseases
- Sharps injuries
- Bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards
- Chemical and drug exposure
- Ergonomic hazards from lifting, sitting, and repetitive tasks
- Latex allergies
- Stress
At the same time, there are protections set up with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and those protections are particularly important within a healthcare environment. OSHA has a series of standards that protect the safety of healthcare workers and patients.
Accredited medical assisting programs are required to teach students about the hazards that they face on the job and the protocols that can be put into place to ensure a workplace culture that prioritizes safety.
College Admission Requirements
Prospective students entering all degree, diploma and certificate programs must do all of the following:
Program Admission Requirements
- The student will be responsible for making sure that all transcripts are received by the college and evaluated by the College Registrar by the application deadline.
- Program applications received after the deadline will not be accepted.
- If the student is not accepted and wishes to apply for the next semester class, the student must submit a new Medical Assisting Program application and test scores during the next application period.
- There is no waiting list for this program.
-
The College accepts credit from the College Board's College-Level Examination Program (CLEP). A grade of EXP is assigned for awarded CLEP credit. Quality points are not awarded for CLEP, therefore, courses with CLEP credit are not calculated into the GPA during the competitive admissions process.
Readmission Policy
Withdrawal from any MAST program class constitutes withdrawal from the program for that term. If a student withdraws for any reason (whether academic deficiency or personal issues), the student may be allowed to re-enter a cohort class at the point he/she withdrew from the program, provided the student demonstrates proficiency. This courtesy is extended only once. Readmission into the Medical Assisting program following withdrawal or first-time failure will be based on the following:
- Successful completion of written, comprehensive examinations for each previously successfully completed medical assisting course with a minimum competency of 85 percent, and
- Successful completion of a comprehensive lab skills check-off with a minimum of 85 percent.
Deficiencies will result in the student repeating course(s). Upon readmission into the Medical Assisting program, the student must complete additional requirements as deemed necessary by the program faculty, i.e. a physical, drug screen, background check, etc. Readmission will be based on availability within the classroom setting and clinical sites. This courtesy is extended only once. Students who do not successfully complete the Medical Assisting program after two attempts, whether at Southern Crescent Technical College or at another college, will not be readmitted into the program.
Transferring medical assisting students from other technical colleges must first complete and submit an enrollment application and official transcripts to Southern Crescent Technical College. Each medical assisting course listed in the transferring student's official transcript will be considered for transfer credit after the transferring student has demonstrated proficiency by examination as noted above with the exception of MAST 1080 and MAST 1090. MAST 1080, MAST 1090, MAST 1170 and MAST 1180 are not transferrable into the Medical Assisting program. A minimum of 25 percent of program courses must be completed on the SCTC campus for graduation from SCTC. Students who do not successfully complete the Medical Assisting program after two attempts, whether at Southern Crescent Technical College or at another college, will not be readmitted into the program.
Withdrawn students or transfer students who desire readmittance must meet current admissions and curriculum requirements and will be admitted following the demonstration of competencies as noted above, completion of the online application https://www.sctech.edu/programs/allied-health-program-application/ with accompanying attachments, and classroom and clinical site availability.
All first-term MAST students and all MAST transfer students will be required to complete a new drug screen and background check.
Approximate additional costs other than tuition, fees, and textbooks
|
Uniforms
|
approximately $150.00
|
|
Equipment/supplies
|
$50-100
|
|
National Registry (RMA)
|
$135.00
|
|
Liability insurance
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$11.00 per semester
|
|
Background check/drug screen
|
varies
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|
CPR (If Needed)
|
varies
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|
ACEMAPP
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$50.00
|
NOTE: Grading standards for medical assisting courses are very stringent. For students to progress to the next course of study, a minimum grade of C must be maintained.
Students who are unsuccessful after a second attempt at courses within the Medical Assisting curriculum will be advised to choose another program of study.
A student who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be admitted to the Medical Assisting program; however, such a conviction may prohibit a student from attending certain clinical sites and/or taking the Registry/Certification examination. Documentation of satisfying the penalty of the felony must be presented to the National Board with the exam application. Permission to sit for the examination rests solely with the National Board. Permission to attend a clinical site rests solely with the clinical facility.
Medical Assisting is a diploma program located on the Griffin and Flint River campuses. Medical Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board.
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 – 113th St. N., #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
(www.caahep.org)
The following is a suggested path to complete this program in a timely manner. An individual’s path to completion may be different based on institutional and personal factors affecting his/her academic progress.
Note: While all courses are offered, they may vary by term and campus. See the program advisor for any questions. Grading standards for medical assisting courses are very stringent. For students to progress to the next course of study, a minimum grade of C must be maintained.
Contact Us
Christy Smith, B.B.A., Program Coordinator
Email: christy.smith@sctech.edu
Phone: 770.229.3197
Program Courses
First Term
Second Term
Choose One: (Required)
| COLL 1500 | Student Success | 3 |
| OR | |
| COMP 1000 | Introduction to Computer Literacy | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Day Program Courses
Third Term—Day Program Courses
Fourth Term—Day Program Courses
Fifth Term—Day Program Courses