Associate in Applied Science (AAS)
Medical Assisting
About the Program
Students develop knowledge and skills necessary for employment in clinical and administrative-support areas of medical clinics. See Learning Outcomes for details.
The Lower Columbia College Medical Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). This assures the highest standards in a medical assisting curriculum and qualifies the successful graduate to sit for the national Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam administered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
For a roadmap that identifies the preferred sequencing of courses and other specific recommendations from faculty, please see the corresponding program map(s):
Degree Requirements
Total credits required to earn this degree: 90. For any course to count toward this degree, a grade of C or better is required
LCC students must meet distribution requirements for associate degrees and specific certificates. See Diversity and Distribution Lists for more information.
General Education Requirements
-
Communications: 10 credits - **ENGL& 101 English Composition I AND
ENGL& 102 Composition II OR
CMST& 220 Public Speaking. -
Quantitative Skills: 5 credits – MATH 105 Math for Health Sciences OR
Any College Level Math. -
Human Relations / Social Science:
5 credits – PSYC& 100 General Psychology (counts for Human Relations and Social Science) OR
BUS 144 Management of Human Relations:DIV (counts for Human Relations, Social Science, and Diversity). -
Natural Science/ Humanities: 5 credits from the Distribution List. -
Diversity: 5 credits - From the Diversity Course List. Diversity courses are listed in the quarterly schedule and identified by ‘DIV’ attached to the course title. Example: ART& 100 Art Appreciation:DIV. -
Strongly Advised: MEDA 205 Certification Review for Medical Assisting, 2 cr. -
Electives: 5-6 credits – choose courses numbered 100 or above from the Distribution List OR
HLTH OR
PHED (up to 5 cr) OR
AH 166.
Program Requirements
| Course Code | Course Title | Number of Credits |
|---|---|---|
|
**AH 114 OR |
Healthcare Communication Skills OR |
2 OR |
|
CS 110 OR |
Intro to Microcomputer Apps OR |
3 OR |
| BTEC 171 | Medical Reception Procedures | 3 |
| BTEC 172 | Medical Office Procedure | 3 |
| BTEC 173 | Computers in the Medical Office | 3 |
|
MEDA 101 OR |
Medical Vocabulary I OR |
3 |
|
MEDA 102 OR |
Medical Vocabulary II OR |
3 |
|
MEDA 120 OR |
Survey of Human A & P OR |
5 OR |
|
MEDA 122 OR |
Law & Ethics for the Medical Office OR |
3 OR |
|
MEDA 145 |
Medical Laboratory Techniques | 6 |
|
MEDA 161* |
Exam Room Procedures I | 4 |
|
MEDA 162* |
Exam Room Procedures II | 4 |
|
MEDA 165 |
Medications in Medical Assisting & Diseases | 5 |
|
MEDA 190 |
Medical Assisting to Preceptorship | 6 |
|
MEDA 195 |
Medical Assisting Seminar | 1 |
Program Outcomes
Students completing this program should acquire the following skills and abilities:
- Demonstrate critical thinking by applying objective, valid methods of inquiry and problem-solving to draw rational, ethical and coherent conclusions in medical assisting practice.
- Process and utilize quantitative data in professional medical assisting practice.
- Communicate effectively in professional medical assisting practice.
- Incorporate professional interpersonal skills and caring behaviors in medical assisting practice.
- Demonstrate competencies in the following domains, according to CAAHEP accreditation
standards, for employment as a medical assistant in clinical and administrative-support
areas of ambulatory health-care settings:
- cognitive (knowledge)
- psychomotor (performance)
- affective (attitude and behavior)
- Be prepared for the national certification exam sponsored by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
- Be prepared for state credentialing as a "Medical Assistant-Certified" according to educational requirements in the law relating to Medical Assistants, Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1515.
Notes
Revised October 2022 (effective Summer 2023)
MEDA Program Director permission required to enroll.
**AH 114 OR PSYC& 200, and ENGL& 101, all with a grade of C or better must be completed before MEDA 161.
*MEDA 161 or MEDA 162 fulfill the Health requirement.
To comply with health care agency requirements, students must provide documentation of the following before MEDA 190: Current first aid card, current healthcare provider CPR, negative urine drug screen (must be within 30 days of beginning MEDA 190), all required immunizations or titers, current TB test or chest Xray, a criminal and fraud background check.
This advice for program planning is based on the information available at the time of preparation. It is always advisable to check with your LCC advisor and with the LCC catalog for LCC graduation requirements.