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Program Map

Medical Assistant

Certificate of Completion

About the Program

Medical assistants are health care practitioners qualified by education, experience, and examination to assist doctors in the performance of patient care, examination, and documentation. These multi-skilled practitioners, under the supervision of a physician, perform or assist in taking patient vitals, front office medical administrative tasks, back office clinical procedures, and ECG testing. Medical assistants are the face of medical offices and are often the first people with whom patients come into contact. They may perform basic medical coding and billing, scheduling, and patient flow and screening. Other duties may include point of care testing, phlebotomy and specimen collection. Medical assistants are responsible for recording patient information into the electronic medical records systems and must be able to master various computer software programs.

Successful completion of this three-term program prepares students to be eligible for the Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam through the National Health Career Association (NHA), or other national medical assisting accrediting agencies. Since January 2015, most medical practices require medical assistants to have certification. The curriculum for the program is based on the standards and guidelines for the CMA which can be reviewed on the following website: NHA www.nhanow.com.

Program students attend classes as part of a structured cohort that begins each year in fall term and spring term. Students should apply early as the required mandatory orientation is scheduled several weeks prior to the cohort start. 

Program Learning Outcomes

The curriculum in RCC courses is derived from a set of identified learning outcomes that are relevant to the discipline. Program learning outcomes for the Medical Assistant Certificate program are:

Perform and document routine administrative procedures according to current office protocol.

Collect, process, and test diagnostic specimens.

Maintain industry standards of quality control and safety principles in the workplace.

Uphold legal and ethical standards and confidentiality for patient privacy.

Effectively apply verbal, nonverbal, and written communication principles and skills in the workplace.

Demonstrate professionalism through acceptable attitude, organization and time management skills, and attire. Students may opt to continue their education by completing additional requirements and transferring to Oregon Tech, Southern Oregon University or Oregon Health and Science University to obtain bachelor’s degrees in health subject areas.  Students can also complete additional requirements and apply to the RCC Nursing program.

Entry Requirements

Students are required to complete the Placement Process to determine skill level and readiness in math, reading, and writing. As part of their training program, students must begin with the courses within their skill level as determined through the Placement Process. In addition, students may also be required to enroll in classes that would increase their employability and success.

This is a limited-entry program. Cohort students must meet certain minimum academic requirements. Students can apply for program entry prior to prerequisite completion; however, all listed program prerequisites must be satisfactorily complete with a “C” or better prior to program start.  A grade of “P” for these courses indicates a student earned the equivalent of a “C” or better grade.

Students must also complete specific health and immunization requirements and a criminal background check prior to starting the program.  Students must complete a drug screen prior to placement in a practicum. This screening process has an associated fee.  Contact the Allied Health Department for more information.

Selection Process

Applications must be received by the application deadline. Applications received after the application deadline may be reviewed based on cohort capacity and at the discretion of the department. Applicants will be selected by committee. The screening process includes a mandatory information session.  Students may be asked to participate in an interview process. This is a competitive program and not all qualified applicants may be accepted.

Advanced Standing

Coursework from accredited colleges and universities will be accepted in accordance with college policies and the program coordinator’s recommendation. In order to ensure coursework is current, program courses over seven years old must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate department coordinator before being accepted toward core requirements. College Now credit earned in conjunction with local high schools will be accepted in accordance with the current agreement.

Graduation Requirements

These requirements apply only to Medical Assistant students admitted to the program during the current academic year. The program of study, graduation requirements, and courses are under constant review and are subject to revision. Students contemplating admission in a later year may have different requirements and must obtain the graduation guide or catalog for that year. Students must complete all courses on this graduation guide with a grade of “C” or better to continue in and complete the program and receive their certificates. If certain required courses are graded only on a pass/no pass basis, a grade of “P” for these courses indicate a student earned the equivalent of a “C” or better grade.

Program Map

This guide lays out an optimal path to graduate. Where zero credits are listed in the prerequisites, students may place into a higher level(s) based on designated placement score(s). Note, some prerequisites may be required for graduation. Please consult an advisor with any program completion questions.

¹ Required for graduation.

² Approved Computer Information Science or Computer Science class, CIS120/CS120 or above, or documented computer proficiency within the past ten years.

³ American Heart Association (AHA) certification must remain current for the duration of the program.

⁴ Students who have completed either BI121 and BI122 or BI231, BI232, and BI233 (the entire sequence of either series) with an equivalent “C” or better grade do not need to take BI100SB.

⁵ Successful completion of all prior program courses is required before advancement.

For more information, contact the Allied Health Occupations Department.

Allied Health Occupations faculty and staff can also be reached by:
Phone: 541-956-7500
Email: [email protected]
Web address: www.roguecc.edu/AlliedHealth/MA
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