Practicum in Health Science-Medical Assistant

Prerequisites: Prerequisites or corequisites: Biology, Chemistry, Principles of Health Science, and Anatomy and Physiology, 12th grade only

Application and recommendation from a health science teacher are required to take this course.

Credits: 2

The Medical Assistant program is a certificate program that prepares students to be multi-skilled allied health professionals specifically trained to perform in ambulatory settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics, and group practices, and perform administrative and clinical procedures. The healthcare industry is slated to expand because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Employment growth will be driven by the increase in the number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel, particularly the flexible medical assistant who can handle both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, a rapidly growing sector of the healthcare industry. MAs are flexible, performing a variety of tasks such as:

Taking patient vital signs
Assisting providers with exams and procedures
Administering injections or medications
Performing EKG, phlebotomy, and other essential laboratory procedures
Checking patients in and out upon arrival and departure
Answering phone calls and questions
Updating and maintaining electronic health records (EHR)

Upon successful completion of the course, students take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam through NHA.