The Anoka Technical College Medical Assistant accredited diploma is a 37-credit program that prepares students to be a professional, multi-skilled medical assistant who is dedicated to assist in patient care management. Graduates are prepared to assist medical providers with examinations and treatments, conduct medical histories, perform Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waived testing, sterilize instruments and supplies, assist with minor surgery, medical office administrative services and administer medications.
Graduates of the Medical Assistant program are eligible to take the Certification Exam of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
Prerequisites
Score of 81 or higher on the Arithmetic portion of the Accuplacer test taken within the past 2 years OR score of 22 or higher on the Mathematics subject area of the ACT test taken within the past 2 years OR Anoka Technical College MATH 0801 with a grade of “B” or better within the past 2 years
Score of 86 or higher on the Sentence Skills portion of the Accuplacer test taken within the past 3 years OR score of 18 or higher on the English subject area of the ACT test taken within the past 3 years OR Anoka Technical College ENGL 0101 with a grade of “C” or better within the past 3 years
Score of 78 or higher on the Reading Comprehension portion of the Accuplacer test taken within the past 3 years OR score of 21 or higher on the reading subject area of the ACT test taken within the past 3 years OR Anoka Technical College READ 0900 with a grade of “C” or better within the past 3 years
Course Prerequisites
Some courses may require appropriate test score or completion of basic math, basic English and/or reading courses with a "C" or better.
Documentation Requirements, if the test is positive, the individual must have the following:
- A negative chest x-ray within six months prior to beginning of the clinical experience. This test may be required more frequently by clinical site requirements.
- Documentation from a medical provider will be required to work with patients.
Background Study
Minnesota Law requires any person with direct patient and resident contact at a health care facility licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to have a background study conducted by the state. An individual disqualified from direct patient contact as a result of the background study, and whose disqualification is not set aside by the Commissioner of Health, will not be permitted to participate in a clinical placement in a Minnesota licensed health care facility. Anoka Technical College will withdraw any student from the Medical Assistant program who is disqualified by the MDH. The student is then responsible for requesting the commissioner to reconsider the qualification.
Fall 2020 Sequence
First Semester
|
17 |
ENGL 1107 OR ENGL 2105
|
Composition I/Business and Technical Writing |
4
|
| HLTH 1005 |
Anatomy and Physiology
|
4
|
HLTH 1040
|
Medical Terminology
|
2
|
MAST 1200
|
Medical Assistant Seminar
|
2
|
MAST 1300
|
Medical Administrative I
|
2
|
MAST 2300
|
Medical Administrative II |
2
|
MATH 1010
|
Dosage Calculations
|
1
|
Second Semester
|
14 |
MAST 1401
|
Introduction to Pharmacology
|
2
|
MAST 1601
|
Laboratory I
|
3
|
MAST 1700
|
Clinical Procedures I
|
3
|
MAST 2601
|
Laboratory II
|
3
|
MAST 2701
|
Clinical Procedures II
|
3
|
Third Semester
|
6 |
MAST 2901
|
Externship
|
6
|
Part-Time Options
Students can choose to complete this program part-time. Part-time students will take longer to complete their program than students who follow the full-time sequence listed on the official program guide (see the program guide PDF under the LINKS section to the right). Because every course may not be offered each semester, it is important for part-time students to reach out to their faculty advisors for help in planning their long-term, part-time course sequence. Refer to the below PDF document for first semester part-time course options and further information.
Part-time Options
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of program requirements, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of clinical procedures, laboratory and medication administration in a medical practice utilizing critical thinking skills.
- Apply knowledge of medical laboratory techniques to accurately collect specimens, perform Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waived testing, and report lab results appropriately.
- Communicate effectively with individuals, families, groups, and/or colleagues of diverse sociocultural backgrounds through the use of verbal and non-verbal skills, written abilities, active listening, and information technologies within ambulatory care settings.
- Identify, interpret, and apply ethical, legal and social issues associated within the field of a medical assistant scope of practice.
- Employ a variety of administrative policies, procedures and techniques in a medical practice to deliver cost effective and quality healthcare.
- Professionally demonstrate confidentiality, communicate effectively, collaborating within teams along with professionalism.
- Use computer literacy skills and the ability to maintain electronic health records.
- Illustrate a caring and empathic approach to all people and cultures when interacting with a diverse patient population in the healthcare field.
- Reinforce healthy lifestyles through health promotion education of teaching individuals, families, and the community.
Program Goals
- Competently perform as entry level Medical Assistants in the cognitive (learning), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behaviors) learning domains
- Continue to provide quality graduates to support the needs of our community and area employers
- Help students and communities live and learn well
- Foster an environment of critical thinking, effective communication, personal responsibility and initiative
Graduation Requirements
Anoka Technical College students seeking an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or diploma in Medical Assistant must complete all of the required course outlined on the program plan with a C or better grade in each course.
Accreditation
The Anoka Technical College Medical Assistant diploma 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).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP):
9355 135th St N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org
Certification
Graduates can take the National Certification Examination to become certified with the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
Transfer Opportunities
To see how this program may transfer into other Anoka Technical College programs or into another college, please visit:
Industry Information
A medical assistant is eligible to work in clinics, urgent care/express care/ minute clinics, blood collection centers, research facilities and insurance companies. Duties could include administering injections, taking blood pressure readings, rooming patients, drawing blood, performing commonly ordered laboratory tests and electrocardiograms (EKG), insurance coding, medical records and scheduling patients for special procedures or other medical appointment.
Medical assistants have direct patient contact and work closely with physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. The ability to demonstrate professionalism, communicate effectively, multitask, and perform procedures quickly and accurately is essential for success.
Advancement typically requires more training and certification. Many medical assistants choose to become nurses or other health care workers through further study. Administrative positions provide another popular career path because an administrative medical assistant can rise to the position of office manager without additional education.
Wage/Outlook/Advancement
USDE Professional Licensure Disclosure
Arizona, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington require the completion of some sort of medical assisting education program. However, CAAHEP accredited medical assisting programs meet the requirements of these six states. Therefore, our program meets the educational requirements of these states. All other 44 states do not require certification and because our program exceeds that requirement by leading to certification we have determined we meet the requirements to become a medical assistant in those 44 states.
Faculty