Medical Assistant, Certificate

The Medical Assistant certificate program prepares students to be proficient in the clinical and administrative tasks of the profession. Upon successful completion of this program, the student will have the skills required to obtain an entry-level position in the medical assisting profession and sit for the RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) examination through the American Medical Technologists (AMT).

General Education (GE) Courses

The medical assistant program is designed as a terminal certificate program. Certificate students are not required to take placement exams before enrollment, so they should work closely with their advisor to determine appropriate electives and the most efficient method of obtaining career goals, as students completing this program will earn several credit hours that can be applied to an associate degree in a related field.

Program Core Courses

All courses listed on the recommended sequence of courses (or equivalent courses transferred from other institutions) are required for the completion of the program and must be passed with a C or better and a GPA of 2.0 or higher is required for graduation. *Students completing courses in the Cert A “Medical Assistant Trainee” option, will be ineligible to sit for the national RMA exam.

Program Outcomes

Perform fundamental safety procedures and quality control.
Explain and perform specimen collection and processing, venipuncture, and capillary punctures.
Employ fundamental workplace computer skills.
Identify fundamental aspects of anatomy and physiology.
Explain and perform point of care testing (POCT).
Communicate effectively in various formats and when instructing patients.
Analyze legal and ethical concepts in healthcare.
Evaluate time management and organizational strategies.
Perform fundamental clinical medical office procedures.
Evaluate elements in the reimbursement and claims process.
Identify operational functions in the medical office.
Analyze aspects of pharmacology and the various forms of medication administration.

Course Sequence

The listing that follows is a recommended sequence of courses for full-time students. The student should consult with an advisor for individualized needs specific to their academic situation and flexibility of course sequencing order.

For More Information, Contact:

Program advisor
Rachele Cosby (620)432-0398
rcosby@neosho.edu

Medical Assistant Certificate Requirements

(Summer) Semester I

ALHE 102 - Nurse Aide 6 Credit Hours
or
ALHT 250 - Reimbursement Methodologies 3 Credit Hours and
ALHT 210 - Legal & Ethical Issues in Healthcar 3 Credit Hours >

Total Credit Hours: 6

(Fall) Semester II

ALHE 105 - Medical Terminology 3 Credit Hours *
ALMA 155 - Emergency Preparedness 1 Credit Hours *
ALMA 156 - Patient Care Assessments 1 Credit Hours *
ALMA 157 - Clinical Aspects of Patient Care 1 Credit Hours *
ALMA 123 - Fundamentals of Phlebotomy 3 Credit Hours *
CSIS 100 - Computer Concepts & Applications 3 Credit Hours
or
CSIS 105 - Computer Literacy 1 Credit Hours
ALMA 145 - A&P for Allied Health 4 Credit Hours * #
or
BIOL 257 - Human Anatomy & Physiology 3 Credit Hours and
BIOL 258 - Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab 2 Credit Hours

Total Credit Hours: 14-17

(Spring) Semester III

ALMA 110 - Medical Professional Issues 2 Credit Hours *
ALHT 170 - Electronic Health Records 3 Credit Hours *
ALMA 132 - Phlebotomy Procedures 1 Credit Hours *
ALMA 165 - Patient Care Application 2 Credit Hours *
ALMA 120 - Medical Administrative Aspects 4 Credit Hours (Lab 1)
ALHE 104 - Medication Aide 5 Credit Hours
or
ALHE 122 - Introduction To Pharmacology 3 Credit Hours *

Total Credit Hours: 15-17

(Summer) Semester IV

ALMA 181 - Patient Care in Practice 2 Credit Hours * ^
ALMA 180 - Medical Assistant Externship 4 Credit Hours ^

Total Credit Hours: 6

Total Medical Assistant Certificate Certificate Credits: 41-46 (Minimum)

^Must show proof of CPR certification, immunizations, etc. prior to entering into a clinical rotation.

#Students pursuing an associates or advanced degree following graduation should take BIOL 257 Human Anatomy & Physiology Lecture and BIOL 258 Human Anatomy & Physiology Lab in place of ALMA 145 A&P for Allied Health .

*Courses designated for Cert A “Medical Assistant Trainee” (25 credits) are intended to prepare students with minimal clinical skills to obtain direct entry-level employment. However, students are ineligible to sit for national examination unless all medical assistant program courses are successfully completed (2.0 or better) in all courses required for graduation.

>Students should work with their advisor in advance if they wish to substitute courses.