2013-2014 College Catalog | Mount Aloysius College
MEDICAL ASSISTANT Department Chairperson - Ms. Cheryl Kowalczyk, MSN, RN, CMA Consistent with the philosophy of the College, the Medical Assistant Program centers on preparing students who are seeking gainful employment in community and hospital settings. The curriculum combines science and technical courses with the core courses to provide quality education that will assist the student in acquiring, maintaining, and improving competence in the delivery of patient healthcare. Students in the Medical Assistant Program may choose one of three specializations offered depending on their career or individual interests. With selection of a specialization, students are eligible to sit for national certification examinations for EKG Technician, Certified Phlebotomy Technician, Certified Medical Transcriptionist, and/or Certified Professional Coder. Upon completion of the Associate Degree Medical Assistant program graduates will: 1. have a solid grounding in liberal arts that includes general science, psychology, medical terminology, and anatomy and physiology of the human body; 2. have an in depth knowledge of the clinical responsibilities of a medical assistant to include: medical law and ethics, asepsis and infection control, specimen collection and processing, diagnostic testing, pharmacology, medical emergencies and patient care; 3. have a working knowledge of the administrative responsibilities of a medical assistant to include: legal concepts, communication skills, professionalism, patient instruction, clerical functions, bookkeeping and basic accounting, insurance and coding and facility management; 4. be able to effectively use basic equipment utilized by a medical assistant to include: autoclave, electrocardiograph, microscope, centrifuge, spirometer, audiometer, glucometer, computer, transcriber, and dictaphone; 5. be able to perform invasive and non-invasive procedures that provide pertinent information in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient; 6. understand the code of ethics for Medical Assisting, be able to work collaboratively, and attend to patient needs; 7. develop the commitment to life long learning and the pursuit of personal and professional growth through the participation in education and professional activities; 8. be able to successfully pass the certification exam given by the American Association of Medical Assistants and secure an entry-level position in the Medical Assisting field; and 9. successfully complete pertinent certification examinations in their chosen area of specialization. The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) on recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Medical Assistant Education*. Students are encouraged to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants Certification examination and may also test for Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), Certified EKG Technician (CET), Certified Medical Transcriptionist (CMT), and Certified Professional Coder (CPC). *The Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants’ Endowment (AAMAE).
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