Program: Medical Assistant - Community College of Baltimore County

Program Description

This course series prepares students to take the national certification exam to become a certified Medical Assistant (MA). The MA program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, www.caahep.org, upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review board (MAERB).

Medical Assistants perform clinical duties and some administrative duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, taking EKGs, and administering medications (e.g. flu shots) as directed by a physician.

Program Outcomes

Successful Completion:

CCBC Credential:

Students will be awarded a Continuing Education Workforce Training Certificate and have access to a Continuing Education academic record (transcript). Students will be prepared to take the national certification exam through National Healthcareer Association.

Certifying Organization:

National Healthcareer Association

www.nhanow.com

Medical Assistant exam cost: $155 (approx.)

Venipuncture exam cost (optional): $115 (approx.)

Financial Aid and Payment Options:

Continuing Education Opportunity Grant
Partial Payment Option (through Nelnet Business Solutions)
Tuition Waiver for those who qualify
Baltimore County College Promise
Workforce Development Sequence Scholarship
Employer/Sponsor Paid Tuition
Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
Local Office of Workforce Development
Students may apply for a career training scholarship through Central Scholarship (http://www.central-scholarship.org/)
Pell Funding: Eligible for grants and college loans. Go to www.fafsa.gov to apply for Federal financial aid.

Program Length

11-13 months

Courses start in July at CCBC Hunt Valley (daytime; moves slightly faster than the weekend/evening sessions), in October at CCBC Randallstown (evening/weekend), and the Essex campus (daytime), and in February at CCBC Essex (evening/weekend).

Program Requirements

A High School Diploma or GED is required for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) exam and employment

All students must be computer literate and have Internet access.

The following paperwork is due at specified times. Completing it too early could result in the student having to redo the clinical tests or drug test. Students must have the following paperwork turned in to the coordinator PRIOR to beginning clinicals:

Negative PPD (six months) or negative chest x-ray less than one year old
Positive titer or proof of vaccination/immunity for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella
Current Flu vaccination
Hepatitis B vaccination or declination form
Tetanus shot (less than ten years)
Copy of health insurance card
Copy of high school diploma or GED

Clinical eligibility is in part dependent upon a criminal background check and random urine drug testing. Cost of testing is the responsibility of the student. Go to http://precheck.com/ for more info.

Application Process

To apply, go to ccbcmd.edu/apply and complete the CCBC Non-Credit Workforce Training Certificate application. An email will then be sent with program information and any additional requirements necessary to apply for the program.

Selective Entry - The Medical Assistant program requires the following application and acceptance process:

1. New Students: Call CCBC Registration at 443-840-2222 or 443-840-4700 to apply for a CCBC Student Identification (ID) number. Application cost is $10.00. After receiving your ID number, proceed to Step 2 below.

2. Go to https://shwa.ccbcmd.edu/ to retrieve your user name and create a password.

3. Go to https://ccbcmd-bb.blackboard.com/ to access the online application.

4. Enter your User Name and Password.

5. Click the “Course” tab at the top of the page. You will see the application course for your area of study on your list: Medical Assistant Series Application - AHC 381

6. Click on the application course and read the instructions on the first page.

7. You must submit the following items by the cutoff date – ‘Assignments’ in Blackboard - to meet all of the requirements for the application:

Application (2 pages)
- Must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf
Essay
- Topic listed in Blackboard
- Must be submitted as a .doc, .docx or .rtf
Scanned copy of one or more of the following:
- High School Diploma or other proof of completion
- GED
- College Transcript
- Other requirements for specific areas of study as detailed in Blackboard

8. Check the Blackboard “Gradebook” for admissions decision approximately 10 days after the submission deadline.

9. Plan to attend the mandatory orientation for your series as detailed on Blackboard.

Application timeframes:

Course series starting in July: March 1 – May 15
Course series starting in September: June 1 – July 31
Course series starting in February: October 1 – November 30

Contact Claire Loeblein for more information 443-840-1389

Program Course Sequence

CPR and First Aid classes REQUIRE 100% attendance. Students arriving late to class will not be admitted. Late arrival to, or early exit from, class will also result in a failing grade and no refund. Students will then be required to retake the class at their expense.

Course Number	Course Title	Course Hours	Costs T=Tuition/F=Fees	Textbook Information (approximate cost; subject to change)
*Module I:*
AHE 534	Medical Terminology for Health Occupations	30	$329 T-$147/F$188	A Short Course in Med Term, 4th Edition; 9781496351479 $65.99
AHE 125	Introduction to Health	30	$329 T-$141/F-$188	Core Concepts in Health; published by Insel/Roth; 13:0078028670; $133.35
AHE 641	Introduction to Health Care Systems	15	$199 T-$93/F-$106	Introduction to Health Care, 4th edition; published by Mitchell and Haroun; 9781337192422; $159.95
WOS 064	Basic Math for Health Care Workers	10	$145 T-$55/F-$90	Handouts online
AHL 140	Essential Skills for the Healthcare Prof.	20	$179. T-90/F-$89	Handouts online
*Module I Totals:*		105	$1181 T-$526/ F-$655	$359.29
*Module II:*
AHE 672	Anatomy and Physiology For Health Care Workers Online	30	$355 T-$159/F-$196	The Human Body in Health & & Disease; Patton & Thibodeau, Elsevier Mosby; 7th edition; 978-0-323-402118; $74.60
AHE 577	Pharmacology	18	$275 T-$119/F-$156	Essentials of Pharmacology for Health Occupations 13; 7th ed; published by Woodrow/Colbert/Smith; 9781285077888; $112.95
AHE 528	Medicine Administration	18	$275 T-$119/F-$156	Same as AHE 577
AHE 796	Basic Patient Intake	50	$575 T-$385/F-$190	Comprehensive Medical Assisting Text & Study Guide Package; Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins; $149.65*
AHE 802	Basic EKG Technician Training	20	$425 T-$220/F-$205	Huszars ECG & 12 lead Interpretation, 5^th Edition; published by Elsevier; 978-0-323-03974; $78.90
AHL 929	Certified Medical Administrative Assistant	75	$715 T-$247/F-$468	Same as AHE 796
*Module II Totals:*		211	$2620 T-$1250/F-$1370	$416.10
*Module III:*
AHE 126	Phlebotomy	60	$1099 T-$371/F-$728	Phlebotomy Essentials, 6th Edition; published by Wolter’s Kluwer, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 9781451194524; $90.35
AHE 578	Intermediate Patient Intake	70	$935 T-$550/F-$385	Same as CMAA AHL 929
AHL 721	Introduction to Laboratory Techniques	36	$879 T-$330/F-$549	Same as CMAA AHL 929
AHE 805	CPR for Healthcare Providers	7	$109 T-$52/F-$57	Books brought to class. $15.20.
*Module III Totals:*		173	$3022 T-$1303/F-$1719	$105.55
*Module IV:*
AHE 122	Medical Assisting Practicum I	80	$275 T-$93/$182	None
AHE 123	Medical Assisting Practicum II	80	$275 T-$93/$182	None
AHL 097	Medical Assisting Certification Review	3	$79 T-$39/F-$40	None
*Module IV Totals:*		163	$629 T-$225/F-$404	$0
*Course Series Totals:*		652	$7452 T-$3304/F-$4148	$880.94*

Additional Information

Course Substitutions:
Medical Terminology (AHE 534) can be substituted with: OFAD 141 or ALHL 115 or AHL 717 or AHE 124

Anatomy and Physiology (AHE 519) can be substituted with: AHL 672 or AHE 715 or BIOL 109 or BIOL 220 and BIOL 221

Basic Math (WOS 064) can be substituted with: AHL 716 or MATH 083

Additional Expenses:
The cost of all medical testing, background check, drug screening, scrubs/uniforms, is paid by the students. An estimate of these costs is $850.

Skills for Success:
See Technical Standards at the end of this document

Career Opportunities:
The outlook for medical assistants’ positions from 2016-2026 is 29% which is higher than average. Medical assistants acquire a variety of skills. Some team members have become lead certified medical assistants, master certified medical assistants, back office supervisors.

Graduates from our program who become nationally certified can receive up to 60 credits toward the AAS (Associate of Applied Science) degree in Medical Assisting offered here at CCBC.

Additional Courses:
A study guide and practice exam for the MA national certification exam is available on www.nhanow.com, which provides an additional method of preparation for the examination.

Students may choose to take an optional Venipuncture Clinical (AHL 674) to become eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become a Certified Phlebotomist (CPT).

Career Coach

Research your career interests, explore live job postings, take a career assessment, discover which companies in the Baltimore region are hiring, and more. View a brief tutorial video on how to use Career Coach at: https://youtu.be/C7KpznbPYfA . Explore career and training opportunities at: https://ccbcmd.emsicareercoach.com/.

Gainful Employment Disclosure

http://www.ccbcmd.edu/migrate/gainfulemployment/medical%20assistant.html

Program Contact Information

Technical Standards

Technical Standards for CCBC’s Medical Assistant Training Series

The primary goal of The Community College of Baltimore County’s Medical Assistant Series is to adequately prepare students for an entry-level position in the medical field. Medical Assistants work under the direction of a physician, and therefore, are most often employed in physician practices.

The duties of a medical assistant require the ability to stand for long hours while moving among a variety of tasks. They need to exercise safe practices while exposed to unpleasant sights, odors, materials, and communicable diseases. Their duties also require them to be detail oriented and to have strong human relation skills.. A high level of manual dexterity, psychomotor skills, and integrity are vital.

Following is a partial listing of the types of skills usually required for adequate job performance:

Physical Requirements

A. Sufficient strength and mobility to:

Lift and position patients as needed.
Move swiftly within close quarters
Lift up to 50 pounds without assistance
Move quickly among tasks in different areas of an office

B. Fine motor coordination sufficient to perform precise and delicate tasks such as:

Handle instruments for minor surgeries
Safely handle hypodermic needles
Manipulate instruments
Perform a variety of tasks involving patients (needles, blood draws) requiring strong eye-hand coordination
Record medical information into an electronic record system

C. Adequate vision to:

Read physician or lab orders
Read small numbers on thermometers, sphygmomanometers, or other equipment
Identify correct instruments to assist with exams or procedures
Read small print as found on medication labels
Read instruction sheets and computer screens

D. Sufficient hearing to:

Hear and understand verbal instructions under noisy conditions from masked personnel
Sufficiently record breaths, heart rate or other sounds in noisy conditions

Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism

A. Have the ability to:

Work in a professional manner as a member of a medical team in stressful situations
Remain calm and perform as trained during emergency and life and death situations
Interact in a professional manner with many personalities and attitudes and with people from many different backgrounds
Respect and protect patient rights and confidentiality without regard to personal beliefs and judgments
Maintain proper certifications required to perform the duties of the profession
Work shifts as assigned, which may include on-call, holidays, and weekends
Respond professionally to patients, colleagues and physicians in all circumstances
Demonstrate a strong work ethic with outstanding attendance

B. Sufficient communication skills to:

Give and receive accurate written and verbal instructions
Carry out all written and verbal instructions
Follow proper channels of communication
Communicate in a calm and professional manner
Accurately interpret the patient’s needs
Communicate clearly and effectively to any team member
Provide patient/public education related to the medical office where employed

Intellectual ability and emotional stability to:

Exercise independent judgment to properly care for patients
Accurately utilize all resource material available perform tasks assigned
Accurately identify, calculate dosage, and transfer medications
Work calmly and efficiently in stressful situations
Maintain calm during emergency situations
Perform duties while exposed to communicable diseases and unpleasant sights, odors, and materials
Accept feedback from others
Complete program requirements

Environment Requirements

Medical Assistant work involves risks and/or discomforts that require special safety precautions including, but not limited to:
Wearing gowns, caps, masks, gloves, and eye protection
Providing proof of recent immunizations against infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, and rubella
Receiving Hepatitis B vaccine and annual testing for exposure to tuberculosis
Submitting to periodic drug screening
Being exposed to bio-hazardous materials (blood).