Medical Assisting Online Pre-Admission Conference

Mission Statement

The mission of the Somerset Community College Medical Assisting Program is to provide the didactic, psychomotor, and affective instruction and resources necessary to enable students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes which are necessary to become successful, competent, professional Registered Medical Assistants.

Vision

It is the aspiration of the program faculty to continually improve the Medical Assisting program whose graduates and faculty have a reputation for excellence, thus incorporating learning that involves the total person. Our vision is for students to embrace a desire for life-long learning.

Purpose and Goals

The faculty desire to:

• provide instruction in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) areas which will enable students to become a proficient Medical Assistant.
• prepare graduates who will pass the national certification exam and perform as a competent Registered Medical Assistant.
• serve the needs of the surrounding communities by training responsible, highly skilled, Medical Assistants.
• encourage students to seek educational opportunities to improve and maintain their professional competence.

The Faculty of the Medical Assisting Program believes:

• the purpose of this program is to provide selected learning experiences which enable graduates of the SCC Medical Assisting Program to enter the workforce as an entry level medical assistant that will serve others through compassion, confidentiality and provide patients with competence in his/her skills.
• knowledge, skills, behavior, and attitudes are of equal importance in the development of Medical Assistants.
• the graduates of the program should possess competence at the level of the trained medical assistant, with adequate knowledge in the scientific foundation, critical thinking skills, and strong ethical principles.
• the program faculty and students hold sacred the dignity and worth of all people regardless of race, creed, sex, disadvantage, disability status, or social status.
• becoming a professional Registered Medical Assistant is a noble objective, worthy of intense effort.
• the belief that students should be enabled and encouraged to strive to continue their education after graduation from the Medical Assisting Program.

Medical assistants are trained in a variety of skills in their job and are cross trained to perform many administrative, clinical and laboratory duties. Below is a quick overview of the types of tasks a medical assistant does during a typical workday. (Duties vary from office to office depending on location, size, and specialty.)

• Administrative: schedule and receive patients, perform telephone and written communications, arrange hospital admissions, manage medical records, process insurance forms, keep office financial records, and maintain inventory.
• Clinical: prepare patient for examinations, record medical histories, obtain vital signs, chart patient information, administer medications and injections, provide patient instruction and education, venipuncture, collect and prepare specimens for examination, perform electrocardiograms, sterilize instruments and perform basic laboratory procedures.
• General:  project a professional manner and image, adhere to legal and ethical principles, use medical terminology effectively, and use effective and correct verbal and written communication.

This program prepares the graduate to take an active role in the maintenance and/or restoration of overall health for their patients. The Medical Assisting graduate will become an integral member of the health care delivery system, qualified by education and experience to work in the administrative office, the examining room, and the physician’s laboratory. The curriculum includes intensive course work in the supporting sciences and specific diagnostics and therapeutics. Classroom instruction is supplemented with learning opportunities in the skills laboratory on campus as well as at clinical sites in area physician’s offices, outpatient clinics, urgent care facilities, and hospitals. Students enrolled in the program are required to achieve a minimum grade of “C” in each of the Medical Assisting courses. MA Diploma can only be awarded to students who have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher at graduation. Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to apply for national certification exams offered through the American Medical Technologist Association to be awarded the credential of Registered Medical Assistant; thus, allowing graduates to quickly enter the workforce. The many different roles assumed in this profession ensures a fast moving and challenging career.

Upon completion of the Medical Assisting Program, the student can:

1. demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and competencies required of an entry-level Medical Assistant.
2. demonstrate appropriate and effective communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, written, and technological) with patients, patient’s family and/or significant others and members of the health care team.
3. demonstrate clinical decision-making, problem solving, and critical thinking skills related to Medical Assisting through analysis and integration of knowledge and information to formulate clinical judgments.
4. perform essential clinical/administrative and laboratory skills at job-entry level.
5. recognize situations beyond one’s knowledge and experience and seek consultation from appropriate resources.

General Education/Technical Courses: (May be taken during any semester.)

• AHS 115 Medical Terminology
• BIO 135 or BIO 137 and BIO 139
• CPR 100
• ENG 101 Writing I
• CIT 105 Introduction to Computers

Transportation to the physician’s offices for externship hours is the responsibility of each student.

Immunizations

Immunizations can vary based on student needs. Below is a list of required immunizations that students will need prior to going on externship. A student may also choose to have titer testing performed if immunization records are not available.

Estimated Cost for Immunizations: $300

*The estimates listed above are subject to change.