Medical Assistant

The Medical Assistant Certificate Program prepares graduates to perform administrative and clinical duties under the direction of the 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, and administering medications as directed by physicians.

All Medical Assistant (MA) courses must be passed with a minimum grade of C+ (77%) or better.  In addition, students must successfully pass 100% of the psychomotor and affective competences in order to pass the course and/or progress in the program.  A student who passes 100% of the psychomotor and affective competencies in a Medical Assistant course will receive the letter grade received in the theory component of the course as a course grade. Students should review the MCC Student Handbook, MCC Medical Assistant website, and Medical Assistant Certificate Program Handbook for admission requirements, course progression, grade requirements, and additional information.  Students must complete a 160-hour unpaid, supervised practicum (MA110) in order to receive credit for the course.

The Muskegon Community College Medical Assistant Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
9355 113th Street North #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

Graduates of the Muskegon Community College Medical Assistant Certificate Program are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) examination through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). To contact AAMA, go to www.aama-ntl.org (http://www.aama-ntl.org/), call 312-899-1500, or send mail to 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60606.

Graduates of the Muskegon Community College Medical Assistant Certificate Program are also eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) examination through American Medical Technologists (AMT). To contact American Medical Technologists go to www.americanmedtech.org, call 847-823-5169, or send mail to 10700 W. Higgins Rd., Set. 150, Rosemont, IL 60018.

Note: The Medical Assistant Certificate flows directly into the Associate in Science and Arts degree
Note: All MA courses must be completed with a C+ our better
Note: All non-MA courses need to be completed with a C or above.

If you would like more information about the Medical Assistant Certificate Program, please contact the Counseling and Advising Office in Room 1050 or make an appointment at https://www.muskegoncc.edu/departments/counseling-advising/. You can also contact Dawn Platt at (231) 777-0548

or dawn.platt@muskegoncc.edu.

• All non-medical assistant (non-MA) courses required for the medical assistant degree, must be taken within eight years prior to the time of the evaluation. If testing/coursework is over eight years old, competency must be validated on established examinations or by repeating the course.
• As noted on the admission checklist, Computer Science courses must have been taken within the five years prior to the time of evaluation.
• No experiential learning credit, advanced placement credit, or transfer credit will be given for Medical Assistant courses.
• See admission checklist for further information.

Applicants will be admitted to the MA sequence on a first-come, first-served basis once admission requirements have been met. To complete the MA Program Application, please contact Dawn Platt in the Health and Wellness Center Room 125, call 231-777-0548, or email dawn.platt@muskegoncc.edu. Students must meet with a counselor to begin the process of acceptance into the Medical Assistant Certificate Program. Counselors can assist students with scheduling classes and changing program codes. To make an appointment, go to https://www.muskegoncc.edu/departments/counseling-advising/

As with any healthcare occupation, certain technical standards are required of medical assistants to perform their job safely, effectively, and efficiently. Therefore, the following technical standards are required of all students to participate in the Medical Assisting Program at Muskegon Community College:

• Speak clearly to communicate with clients, families, health care team members, peers, and faculty.
• Possess excellent written communication skills for accurate patient documentation.
• Stand and walk for six to eight hours/day.
• Bend, squat, and kneel.
• Assist in lifting or moving clients of all age groups and weights.
• Perform CPR, i.e., move above the client to compress the chest and manually ventilate the client.
• Work with arms fully extended overhead.
• Use hands for grasping, pushing, pulling, and other fine manipulation.
• Demonstrate eye/hand coordination for manipulation of equipment, i.e., syringes, procedures, etc.
• Possess tactile ability to differentiate changes in sensation, such as measuring pulse.
• Possess auditory acuity to note slight changes in the client’s condition, i.e., lung sounds, bowel sounds, etc.
• Possess auditory acuity to hear the client’s calls for assistance without facing the client.
• Possess auditory acuity to interpret various equipment signals and use the telephone.
• Possess visual acuity to read and distinguish colors, identify shapes, read handwritten orders, and other handwritten/printed data.
• Possess visual acuity to clearly view electronic monitors and scales to correctly interpret data.
• Demonstrate basic knowledge of computer skills, including using the internet, using email, and using Word.
• Demonstrate minimum typing skills that demonstrate the ability to document in an electronic health record and other electronic methods of communication.
• Remain calm, rational, decisive, and in control at all times, especially during emergencies.
• Function safely, responsibly, and effectively, especially under stressful situations.
• Display actions and attitudes consistent with the ethical standards of medical assisting.
• Demonstrate the ability to utilize time-management skills and prioritize multiple tasks.

These standards can be demonstrated with or without corrective or assistive devices. Examples of corrective or assistive devices include, but are not limited to, hearing aids, glasses, or an amplified stethoscope. If a student requires assistance with a disability and needs assistance in demonstrating these standards, please contact the program coordinator or Disability Support Services.