Medical Assisting

MCC’s Medical Assisting Associate Degree/Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied

Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). As such, graduates are eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Certification Examination. Upon successful completion, students are awarded the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential.

The medical assisting curriculum prepares skilled health care professionals who are qualified to perform clinical, administrative and laboratory procedures. Some of the settings in which students find employment include: physicians’ offices, ambulatory health care facilities, emergency rooms, hospital medical records departments, and medical insurance and billing departments. Students may also choose among specialties such as OB/GYN, orthopedics, pediatrics and internal medicine.

Students learn clinical functions such as collecting laboratory specimens, performing routine laboratory procedures, assisting with examinations and treatments, taking electrocardiograms, preparing and administering medications under physician supervision, assisting with minor surgeries including suture removal and dressing changes. Administrative functions of the medical assistant include scheduling appointments, using computer applications, answering the telephone, greeting patients, coding and processing insurance and billing.

The Medical Assisting program requires 230 hours of clinical externship in a medical office. Externships are supervised by an instructor and an on-site resource person. Students do not receive monetary compensation for their externship but work directly with patients to gain real-world experience in the field.

About the Profession

Medical assisting is one of the nation’s fastest growing careers through the year 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CMA credential is a national certification recognized by employers across the country. CMAs have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties. CMAs enjoy contact with patients while working alongside physicians and other health care professionals.

Extracurricular Activities

The Medical Assisting Club is a voluntary campus organization comprised of students, faculty and staff at MCC. The club works to provide students with opportunities to promote their profession in the community, participate in fundraisers, outreach activities, conventions and seminars, and learn about people and agencies that play a vital role in the medical assisting field.