2023-2024 College Catalog

Associate in Applied Science #5700

Program Website: RockValleyCollege.edu/MedicalAssistant

Program Description

A Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled allied health professional who works primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices, treatment centers and clinics. The Medical Assistant functions as a member of the health care delivery team by performing a vast array of clinical procedures to facilitate the physician and also works simultaneously in an administrative role. The Medical Assistant is versatile and essential in the smooth workflow of a medical office.

The two year Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Medical Assistant Program at Rock Valley College prepares graduates in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains for the entry level Medical Assistant. The program follows the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) core curriculum required by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Instruction is delivered in the classroom, skills lab, and clinical setting including a final 200-hour non-paid externship in a physician’s office.

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

  • Incorporate clinical and theoretical knowledge while safely performing clinical skills efficiently.

  • Apply computer skills while entering varying data accurately.

  • Prioritize patient care support activities effectively and efficiently.

  • Combine varying methods of communication to support patient centered care.

  • Demonstrate the professional behaviors in the Medical Assistant profession.

Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and earn the credential of CMA-AAMA.

Work and Employment

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Medical Assistants is projected to grow 18 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations. More Medical Assistants are employed by practicing physicians than any other type of allied health personnel.

Requirements

Core Requirements

HLT-110Medical Terminology

2

PHL-153Medical Ethics

3

OFF-144Insurance Procedures/Medical Office

1

OFF-147Coding

4

OFF-245Introduction to Health Information Technology

3

OFF-250Health Care Revenue Cycle

3

MDA-101Introduction to Medical Assisting

4

MDA-102Patho-Pharmacology for Medical Assistant

3

MDA-103Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures I

5

MDA-104Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures II

5.5

MDA-105Medical Assistant Externship

4

MDA-106Medical Assistant Seminar

1.5

Total Credit Hours:39

General Education Requirements

BIO-185Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology

5

BIO-100Introductory Human Biology

3

CHM-110General, Organic and Biochemistry I

4

ENG-101Composition I

3

SPH-131Fundamentals of Communication

3

FWS-237Nutrition for Optimum Living

3

Total Credit Hours:21

Total Credit Hours: 60