Program Description
A Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled allied health professional who works primarily in ambulatory settings such as primary care medical offices, specialty clinics, 24-hour treatment centers and Occupational Health. 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 can also work 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:
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Incorporate clinical and theoretical knowledge while safely performing clinical skills efficiently.
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Apply computer skills while entering varying data accurately.
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Prioritize patient care support activities effectively and efficiently.
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Combine varying methods of communication to support patient centered care.
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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
Prerequisite General Education
| BIO-100 | Introductory Human Biology | 3 |
| ENG-101 | Composition I | 3 |
| SPH-131 | Fundamentals of Communication | 3 |
| PSY-170 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Term I
| HLT-110 | Medical Terminology | 2 |
| BIO-185 | Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology | 5 |
| PHL-153 | Medical Ethics | 3 |
| MDA-101 | Introduction to Medical Assisting | 4 |
| MDA-102 | Patho-Pharmacology for the Medical Assistant | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Term II
| OFF-144 | Insurance Procedures/Medical Office | 1 |
| OFF-147 | Coding | 4 |
| MDA-103 | Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures I | 5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 10 |
Term III
| OFF-245 | Introduction to Health Information Technology | 3 |
| OFF-250 | Health Care Revenue Cycle | 3 |
| FWS-237 | Nutrition for Optimum Living | 3 |
| MDA-104 | Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures II | 5.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14.5 |
Term IV
| MDA-105 | Medical Assistant Externship | 4 |
| MDA-106 | Medical Assistant Seminar | 1.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 5.5 |
Medical Assistant Core
Program Sequencing
General Education Prerequisites
Term I
| MDA-101 | Introduction to Medical Assisting | 4 |
| MDA-102 | Patho-Pharmacology for the Medical Assistant | 4 |
| BIO-185 | Foundations of Anatomy and Physiology | 5 |
| PHL-153 | Medical Ethics | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Term II
| MDA-103 | Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures I | 5 |
| OFF-144 | Insurance Procedures/Medical Office | 1 |
| OFF-147 | Coding | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 10 |
Term III
| MDA-104 | Medical Assistant Clinical Procedures II | 5.5 |
| FWS-237 | Nutrition for Optimum Living | 3 |
| OFF-245 | Introduction to Health Information Technology | 3 |
| OFF-250 | Health Care Revenue Cycle | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14.5 |
Term IV - Externship
| MDA-105 | Medical Assistant Externship | 4 |
| MDA-106 | Medical Assistant Seminar | 1.5 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 5.5 |