About Our Program

When students have completed the curriculum for medical assisting including a 160 hour unpaid externship, the student will be eligible for national certification through the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) which offer the CMA (certified medical assistant) credential.

Nature of Work and Employment

Demand for medical assistants is expected to far exceed supply in the next few years. In fact, locally, there is already a shortage of these workers, as reported by local human resource executives. These workers are highly desirable in clinic settings, with multiple technical skills which provide flexibility to clinical managers and frees up nursing staff for higher level activities. Statewide projections are also dramatically good for this occupational group, with most employment occurring in physician’s offices, hospitals, and offices of other health care providers (nurse practitioners, etc.).

Special Considerations

Students entering the health care professions (i.e., nursing, medical assistant) must have a positive attitude about the importance of the work that they are being prepared to do. In part, a professional attitude involves personal integrity, the use of positive communication techniques, flexibility in regards to clinical assignments, and taking on a leadership role when necessary.

Physical Demands

The following physical demands are representative of those that must be met, with or without reasonable accommodations, to successfully perform the essential functions of both the clinical experiences and job requirements of a health care professional.  While performing the duties of a health care student, the student is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers; handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; and see, talk and hear.  The student frequently is required to sit, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The student must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and or move up to 200 pounds with assistance.

To Be Considered for the Program, Students Must Have:

1. A completed high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) on file with the admissions department.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges attended must be submitted to the Admissions Department and an unofficial copy to the Nursing/Allied Health Department.
3. HCC placements test results indicating that the applicant does not need any reading development course, does not need any math course below MATH 090 Intermediate Algebra I, and does not need any English communication course below ENGL 121 Rhetoric and Composition I. Successful completion of appropriate courses will satisfy any deficiencies identified by placement tests.
4. All prerequisite and support courses must be completed with at least the grade of “C” or better.
5. Complete program entrance exam.
6. Submit application & other admission requirements to the Coordinator of Nursing & Allied Health by June 1st.

Program requirements are subject to change. For the most current admission criteria, please contact Alicia Kepner at 815-599-3657 or Stephanie Eymann at 815-599-3439.

Admission to the Medical Assistant Program

Students may earn a certificate in Medical Assisting (428) or complete the support courses and earn an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting. Please contact an advisor for more information.

1. A Request for Admittance into the MA Program must be received by June 1st by the Coordinator of Nursing & Allied Health to be considered for admission to the MA Program.
2. When the Request for Admittance is received and application materials and entrance exam results are on file, the selection committee (Dean of Nursing and Allied Health and faculty) will make the decision regarding admission. Incomplete folders will not be reviewed.
3. All individuals are welcome to apply for the Highland Community College Medical Assistant Program, but we accept all in-district students who qualify and meet our criteria first. If there is space available, out-of-district applicants will be reviewed for admittance into the program. For the MA program, in-district is defined as “students who meet the residency requirements and/or work 20 or more hours a week in our district."

Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Program Support Courses
BIOL 120	Found of Anatomy & Physiology	5
ENGL 121	Rhetoric and Composition I	3
PSY 161	Introduction to Psychology	3
ITHC 101	Basic Medical Terminology I	1
ITHC 102	Basic Medical Terminology II	1
ITHC 102	Basic Medical Terminology II	1
SPCH 191	Fund of Speech Communication	3
INFT 180	Intro to Information Systems	3
Elective Courses		8
Core Curriculum
NURS 120	MA Clinical Procedures I	6
NURS 121	MA Clinical Procedures II	6
NURS 123	MA Externship	6
NURS 126	Admin Procedures in Hlth Care	4
NURS 128	Admin Procedures II	4
NURS 103	Pharmacology	3
NURS 188	Pathophysiology	3
Total Hours		60

• Please note that core Medical Assistant classes designated with the NURS prefix follow a different grading scale requiring an 80% to successfully complete the course and continue on in the Medical Assistant program.
• The curriculum is planned sequentially so that if a student drops, withdraws from, or fails any core course, he/she will need to withdraw from the Medical Assistant Program.

Program Outcomes

• Understand and apply concepts of the MA professional and technical role and responsibility to the health care team, the health care organization, and meet standards of certification, continuing education, and licensure.
• Understand, apply, and exhibit standards related in the Code of Ethics for Medical Assistants and the Medical Assistant Creed (http://www.aama-ntl.org/about/code_creed.aspx, 2009, AAMA website).
• Understand and apply ethical and legal responsibilities to scope of practice with an intent to reduce risk of malpractice, liability, or negligence.
• Apply concepts of good communication, both oral and written, using professional terminology to the multicultural, multilingual, and sensory impaired client in all aspects of the professional interaction with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Apply principles of homeostasis, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology to the care of the client.
• Appropriately use technology and medical equipment pertinent to duties required by a MA.
• Begin to develop an association with MA professional organizations.
• Cognitive: Students will display knowledge of the clinical and administrative medical assistant scope of practice.
• Psychomotor: Students will demonstrate safe and effective care of patients across the life span.
• Affective: Students will model reset and professional behavior required for the medical assistant role while developing and fostering a sprint of inquiry.

Program Contacts

Call Highland at 815-235-6121 for the following program contacts:

• Stephanie Eymann, DNP, RN, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health, 815-599-3439
• Alicia Kepner, Nursing and Allied Health Coordinator, 815-599-3657
• Beth Groshans, Student Advisor, 815-599-3483