Clinical Medical Assisting Short-Term Technical Certificate
This program is available at the Springfield - Leffel Lane and Xenia locations.Clinical Medical Assistants are multi-skilled allied healthcare professionals who may administer medications, assist with minor procedures, record vital signs, take medical histories, prepare patients and rooms for examinations, handle laboratory specimens, and provide patient education. Clinical medical assistants act as supporting staff working alongside doctors and nurses to educate and help with patient care.
The primary goal of the Clinical Medical Assisting Short-Term Technical Certificate program is to prepare students to successfully enter the workforce as a medical assistant, with the relevant academic knowledge and technical skill to become nationally certified. In addition, students in the program will be responsive to the needs of the community and the role the medical assistant will play in meeting those needs.
Completion of this certificate will provide a pathway for non-credentialed medical assistants currently working in the field to receive formal training and education to successfully meet the eligibility criteria to apply for national certification through the National Healthcareer Association to become a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA).
Students may fully apply this short-term certificate toward the completion of the Medical Assisting Associate Degree.
Explore CareersOutcomes and Curriculum
Upon completion of the clinical medical assisting short-term technical certificate program, a graduate will be able to:
- Identify the components of a preliminary patient interview.
- Describe the components of obtaining accurate and complete vital signs.
- Characterize assessment methods and equipment used by physicians during patient examinations.
- Identify the proper care and use of medical office clinical equipment.
- Describe the proper procedures of assessing and responding to various medical office emergencies.
- Describe the medical assistant's role in preparation and administration of medication.
- Identify principles of anatomy and physiology.
- Describe the medical assistant's role in preparing for and assisting with specific office surgical procedures, including identifying surgical instruments.
- Analyze the principles of nutrition and diet.
- Examine the principles of electrocardiography including equipment, recording and troubleshooting.
- Comprehend the medical assistant's role in preparation and administration of therapeutic modalities.
- Identify Laboratory Procedures in a medical office, including collection of specimens for transporting or testing, venipuncture, urinalysis, infection control, quality control, and laboratory safety.
- Describe the medical assistant's role in preparing for and assisting with specific medical office specialized procedures.
Academic Requirements
To be eligible for admission to the program, students must provide documentation of having worked as a medical assistant for a minimum of one year.
Academic requirements include:
- Reading: Appropriate score on reading placement test (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of ENG 0850 with a C or higher. Students are excused from reading p lacement tests if they have obtained a C or higher in a college-level English composition course or an appropriate recent high school senior English grade in accordance with College policy.
- Writing: Appropriate score on writing placement test (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of ENG 0900 with a grade of C or higher. Students are excused from writing placement testsif they have obtained a C or higher in a college-level English composition course or an appropriate recent high school senior English grade in accordance with College policy.
- Math: Appropriate scores on math/algebra placement tests (ACCUPLACER, ACT, or SAT) or completion of MTH 0500 with a grade of C or higher within the past ten (10) years. Students are excused from math/algebra placement tests if they have obtained a C or better in a college-level math course within the past ten (10) years or an appropriate recent high school Algebra II grade in accordance with College policy.
- Grade Point Average (GPA): A minimum cumulative Clark State transcript GPA of 2.0 (college preparatory courses are not included in the transcript GPA) as well as a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the courses in the Clinical Medical Assisting Curriculum.
Students who have met the admission requirements are eligible to start the Clinical Medical Assisting Short-Term Technical Certificate program's technical (MAS) course sequence. Students must contact the Medical Assisting Program Coordinator for academic advising and approval to enroll in the MAS courses. Students must maintain an overall C or 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for the courses in the Clinical Medical Assisting Short-Term Technical Certificate curriculum in order to be enrolled in the MAS courses.
In order to progress through the program, students must maintain an overall GPA of 2.0 and a grade of C or better in BIO-1105 and all MAS and MST courses. Admitted students who drop out, must complete and submit a request for reinstatement into the MAS courses. Students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 and may be required to retake technical courses that are more than one-to-two years old to be considered for reinstatement.
Health and Background Check Requirements
All Clinical Medical Assisting Short-Term Technical Certificate program students must provide documentation of having worked for a minimum of one-year as a medical assistant. Students who are currently employed as a medical assistant already meet the health and background check requirements. Students who are not currently employed as a medical assistant must meet health requirements, obtain a criminal background check, and have current Basic Life Support (BLS)/professional cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification prior to admission for the certificate.
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Kathy Harris Assistant Professor, Health Technologies