Program: Medical Assistant - Community College of Baltimore County

Program Description

The Medical Assistant 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.

Students must be computer literate and have access to a computer. The student should meet the technical standard requirements. To be successful in the Medical Assistant program, you should have motivation, self-discipline, and the desire to help others in a health-care setting.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23 percent from 2018 to 2028 - much faster than the average for all occupations. The growth of the aging baby-boom population will continue to increase demand for preventive medical services, which are often provided by physicians. As a result, physicians will hire more assistants to perform routine administrative and clinical duties, allowing the physicians to see more patients.

Program Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Continuing Education Workforce Certificate, students will be able to:

1. produce competent entry-level Medical Assistant function in the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning domains as assigned by the accrediting body;

2. function as integral members of their ambulatory healthcare teams;

3. contribute to the healthcare industry as professional and ethical Medical Assistants; and

4. continue their lifelong educational goals.

CCBC Pathway

Health Professions Pathway. Pathways are designed to help you meet your academic and career goals by aligning related courses and programs. Pathway students participate in a variety of activities that help explore career opportunities in their field of study. You can meet with a CCBC advisor who help align — or realign — your educational plan with the Pathway that best supports you and your goals.

Program Credentials

Successful Completion:

CCBC Credential:

Students will be awarded a Continuing Education Workforce 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

Disclosures

CCBC cannot confirm whether the course or program meets requirements for professional licensure in states other than Maryland. If you plan to apply for licensure in a state other than Maryland, contact that state’s licensing board to determine whether the CCBC course or program meets requirements for licensure in that state. If you need assistance finding contact information for your state, click here .

Financial Aid and Payment Options:

CCBC currently offers Continuing Education (CE) financial aid to those who qualify. We package public and private funding options to benefit students which include COVID-19 relief funding, the Maryland Sequence Scholarship, CCBC Opportunity Grant funding, Maryland Promise, and Baltimore County College Promise. Financial aid funding is available for select CE courses and programs.

Additional opportunities for financial support include partial payment options through Nelnet Business Solutions and tuition waivers for those who qualify. Resources outside of CCBC may also be available through employer/sponsor paid tuition, the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), and your local office of workforce development.

For more information about funding resources and how to apply for them, please contact the CCBC Continuing Education Information Center at 443-840-4700.

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), CCBC Catonsville (daytime), and the Essex campus (daytime), and in February at CCBC Essex (evening/weekend).

Program Requirements

Orientation: email CEHealth@ccbcmd.edu for information about the application process.

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.

Prior to beginning a clinical practicum(externship), students must have the following paperwork submitted to www.CastleBranch.com.

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
Copy of Covid-19 vaccination card

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.

Prior Learning Assessment

This program has potential options for waiving select courses based on previous coursework or articulated coursework from an approved curriculum, or successful completion of a CCBC placement or challenge exam. A maximum of 489 program hours may be earned from prior learning.

Application Process

To apply, go to www.ccbcmd.edu/apply and complete the CCBC Non-Credit Workforce Training Certificate application. Then, email CEHealth@ccbcmd.edu for information about upcoming class options and application instructions.

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.brightspace.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 – ”Submit Admission Materials” in Brightspace- to meet all of the requirements for the application:

Application (2 pages)
- 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 Brightspace

8. You will receive an acceptance or declination email within 5 days after the closing date of the application period.

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

Application timeframes:

Course series starting in October: June 1 – August 15
Course series starting in February: October 1 – December 15

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.

Module I

Course Number	Course Title	Course Hours	Textbook Information (approximate cost; subject to change)	Costs T=Tuition/F=Fees
AHE534 or AHE124	Medical Terminology for Health Occupations Medical Terminology for Health Occupations Online	30	Programmed Learning Approach to Medical Terminology, 3rd Edition Author: Judi Nath Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning ISBN: 9781284224825 Price is approximately $87.95	$329 T-$99/F$230
AHE125	Introduction to Health	30	Core Concepts in Health; published by Insel/Roth; 13:0078028670; $133.35	$329 T-$99/F-$230
AHE641	Introduction to Health Care Systems	15	Introduction to Health Care, 4th edition; published by Mitchell and Haroun; 9781337192422; $159.95	$199 T-$60/F-$139
WOS064 or AHL217	Basic Math Skills for the Healthcare Worker Basic Math Skills for Heathcare Worker Online	10	Handouts online	$145 T-$44/F-$101
AHL140	Essential Skills for the Healthcare Prof.	20	Handouts online	$179. T-$54/F-$125
*Module I Totals:*		105	$381.25	$1,181 T-$356/ F-$825

Module II

Course Number	Course Title	Course Hours	Textbook Information (approximate cost; subject to change)	Costs T=Tuition/F=Fees
AHE672	Anatomy and Physiology For Health Care Workers Online	30	The Human Body in Health & & Disease; Patton & Thibodeau, Elsevier Mosby;7th edition; 978-0-323-402118; $74.60	$329 T-$99/F-$230
AHE577	Pharmacology	18	Same as Basic Patient Intake	$275 T-$83/F-$192
AHE528	Medicine Administration	18	Same as AHE 577	$275 T-$83/F-$192
AHE796	Basic Patient Intake	50	Comprehensive Medical Assisting Text & Study Guide Package;Jones & Bartlett;$149.65*	$575 T-$173/F-$402
AHE802	Basic EKG Technician Training	20	Huszars ECG & 12 lead Interpretation, 6^th Edition; published by Elsevier; 978-0-323-03974; $78.90	$425 T-$128/F-$297
AHL929	Certified Medical Administrative Assistant	75	Same as AHE 796	$715 T-$215/F-$500
*Module II Totals:*		211	$303.15	$2,594 T-$781/F-$1,813

Module III

Course Number	Course Title	Course Hours	Textbook Information (approximate cost; subject to change)	Costs T=Tuition/F=Fees
AHE126	Phlebotomy	60	Phlebotomy Essentials, Enhanced 7th Edition, Author: Ruth McCall Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning, ISBN: 9781284209945 Price is approximately $ 90.95	$1,099 T-$330/F-$769
AHE578	Intermediate Patient Intake	70	Same as CMAA AHL 929	$935 T-$281/F-$654
AHL721	Introduction to Laboratory Techniques	36	Same as CMAA AHL 929	$879 T-$264/F-$615
AHE805 or AHL250	CPR for Healthcare Providers BLS Provider	7	Included in course cost and provided during class	$109 T-$33/F-$76
*Module III Totals:*		173	$90.95	$3,022 T-$908/F-$2,114

Module IV:

Course Number	Course Title	Course Hours	Textbook Information (approximate cost; subject to change)	Costs T=Tuition/F=Fees
AHE122	Medical Assisting Practicum I	80	None	$275 T-$83/$192
AHE123	Medical Assisting Practicum II	80	None	$275 T-$83/$192
AHL097	Medical Assisting Certification Review	3	None	$79 T-$24/F-$55
*Module IV Totals:*		163	$0	$629 T-$190/F-$439
*Course Series Totals:*		652	$775.35	$7,426 T-$2,235/F-$5,191

Additional Information

Course Substitutions:
Medical Terminology (AHE 534) can be substituted with: OFAD/MDAS 141 or ALHL 115 or AHL 717 or AHL149
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
CPR for Healthcare Providers (AHE 805) can be substituted with current AHA BLS Provider certification (must be completed within the last year).

Additional Expenses:
The cost of the background check and drug screening through www.Castle Branch.com is included in tuition. Scrubs/uniform is paid for by the students. The cost of the physical exam prior to practicum is the responsibility of the student.

NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam cost: $160 is included in the tuition.

National Certification Pass Rate

The Medical Assistant Program at CCBC has a five-year average of 88.1% for the national exam passage rate for years 2018 through 2022.

Year/Percentage to Pass National Certification Exam

2022– 82.35%

2021 – 100%

2020 – 100%

2019 – 75%

2018 – 94.12%

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

Career Opportunities:

The outlook for medical assistants’ positions from 2021-2031 is 16% 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 22 credits toward the AAS (Associate of Applied Science) degree in Allied Health offered here at CCBC.

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.emsicc.com/.

Program Contact Information

For more information email CEHealth@ccbcmd.edu

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).