A Medical Assistant is vital in the day-to-day work of most health care facilities such as doctors’ offices, immediate care facilities, nursing homes, clinics, and hospitals. Certified medical assistants perform both hands-on patient care, such as taking blood pressure and drawing blood, as well as handling administrative and clerical duties, including taking a patient’s medical history and scheduling appointments.
Through American National University’s 100% online Medical Assisting associate degree program, you will participate in clinical laboratory classes using our at-home lab kits to apply the knowledge you have learned in the classroom and build real-world skills today’s employers are looking for. You will also participate in a mandatory externship, which offers further opportunities to apply learned skills and competencies. Our hands-on medical assistant classes will give you the experience and confidence to succeed.
In addition to giving you the skills and techniques needed for employment as a medical assistant, our accelerated medical assistant program also serves as a strong foundation for pursing a bachelor’s degree in Medical and Health Services Management.
Your Learning Experience
Your coursework includes hands-on medical assisting training to develop the skills you need:
- Medical procedures training to cover areas such as taking patients’ vital signs, collecting laboratory specimens, performing routine tests such as electrocardiography (EKG), and administering therapeutic injections and vaccinations.
- You will also complete a foundation set of courses in anatomy, pharmacology, healthcare law and ethics, and learn how to handle administrative and clerical duties.
- A clinical externship of 162 hours of real-world work experience to include caring for patients one-on-one, performing medical procedures, gathering patient information, and helping healthcare facilities stay organized. (See if there is an existing clinical site in your local area.)
For a full version of the lab kit click here. WARNING: Graphic content in this video
Upon successful completion of the medical assistant associate degree program, students will be able to:
- Work as a healthcare team member in a professional manner while prioritizing and performing multiple tasks as a medical assistant. This will include administrative procedures, like scheduling, coordinating, and monitoring appointments, like inpatient or outpatient admissions and procedures, or utilizing technology and equipment to receive, organize, prioritize, and transmit patient information.
- Perform the clinical fundamentals of a medical assistant. This can include applying principles of aseptic technique and infection control, screening and following-up on patients’ test results, and performing diagnostic testing by collecting and processing specimens.
- Actively participate in patient care by adhering to established patient screening procedures. This can include obtaining patient history and vitals, preparing examination and treatment areas as well as preparing patients for procedures and treatment, and assisting with examinations, procedures, and treatment.
- Adapt communications to an individual’s ability to understand by recognizing and respecting cultural diversity, as well as how to treat all patients with compassion and empathy by utilizing psychological theories. Serve as a liaison to patients as they navigate their needs through tasks like providing instruction of health promotion and disease prevention and locating community resources.
- Perform legal and ethical boundaries by properly preparing medical records and documents within federal and state health care legislation and regulations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of math computations, drug usage and reference information, and pathology related to body systems and their diagnostic measures and treatments.
- Recognize and respond to emergencies and coordinate patient care information with other health care providers.
In addition to the program outcomes listed, students will take the following certification exams: CPR exam through the American Red Cross as part of MED202 Clinical Medical Assisting, Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam offered through the National Healthcareer Association as part of MED298 Medical Assisting Exam Success Class, Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPTC) as part of MED298 Medical Assisting Exam Success Class, and Certified EKG Technician (CET) as part of MED298 Medical Assisting Exam Success Class.
Accredited Program
The Medical Assisting Associate’s Program offered at the Salem, VA campus and its in–residence locations are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) on recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board. The address and phone number for CAAHEP is: 9355-113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775; 727–210–2350.
Annual Report Outcomes
The five-year average for the exam passage rate for the years 2018-2022 is 81.31%
There are some occupational risks for medical assistants. Read about them here.
Check out our “Not-What-You-Would Expect” Guide to Medical Assisting to learn more about this high-demand field.
MEDICAL ASSISTING – ASSOCIATE DEGREE REQUIRED COURSES
96 credit hours required/192 quality points required. All courses are 4 credit hours
Program Core (Required) 52 total credit hours required
BIO206 Diseases of the Human Body
4 Credit Hours
This course examines diseases affecting the various tissues, organs and body systems. Topics include genetics, mental health disorders, and diseases affecting children and the older adult.
MED110 Dosage and Calculation of Medications
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MAT090 if applicable) The core of the course involves the basis for proper calculation for medication dosages. Topics include dosage calculation, how to properly interpret medication labels and identification of equipment used for dosage measurement. A letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course.
MED160 Health Care Law and Ethics
4 Credit Hours
Introduction to law and ethics pertinent to medical careers. Topics include legal issues that are important to health care professionals, including the foundations of law and ethics as well as professional, social, and interpersonal health care issues.
MED175 Pharmacology I for the Medical Assistant
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MED110) This course examines the basic principles of pharmacology, including drug nomenclature, dosage forms, administration routes, drug actions, and body responses. Topics include Federal Regulations such as the Controlled Substance Act, Pure Food and Drug Act, and Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and Amendments. Other topics introduced in the course are dietary nutrients and their functions, sources, and signs of deficiencies. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course.
MED202 Clinical Medical Assisting
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq.–BIO201, BIO202) The focus of this course is to introduce the students to entry-level clinical skills including integrated clinical procedures, assisting with specialty examinations, and assisting with minor surgery. Information on patient education for health maintenance and disease prevention will be reinforced throughout the course. Blood borne pathogen and standard precaution training will be required in this course. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course and a score of 70% on all skill-based competencies.
MED208 Medical Office Procedures
4 Credit Hours
Course includes skills needed to handle administrative duties in a busy medical office including reception, telephone procedures, computer skills, and scheduling and office equipment usage. Topics include the electronic healthcare record, patient navigator, written and oral communications skills. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course and a score of 70% on all skill-based competencies.
MED218 Communication for the Healthcare Professional
4 Credit Hours
Effective communication is a critical skill for the healthcare professional. This course provides the basic skills to communicate orally and in writing within an interdisciplinary, multicultural, and multigenerational healthcare environment. The essential of communication and the “soft-skills” needed for entry level healthcare jobs and career success are taught.
MED225 Pharmacology II for the Medical Assistant
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MED175) This course examines the major drug classifications in relation to the treatment of diseases and disorders, including the effects of selected medications on pathophysiology. Topics include an analysis of the classes of medically approved drugs, their action, indications, side-effects, and interactions for the body systems including cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, reproductive, nervous, integumentary, and ophthalmology. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course.
MED273 Invasive Clinical Procedures
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. –BIO201) This course provides an introduction to the tools and skills used in the physician’s office laboratory by the Medical Assistant. Examples of skills taught are blood specimen collections including venipuncture and capillary puncture; injection procedures; basic hematological procedures; clinical chemistry, and immunologic testing in the CLIA-waived laboratory. Instruction are given in medication administration and diagnostic testing. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course. Each student must demonstrate each skill identified in the course to the minimum stated level of competency for successful completion of the course or score a 70% on all skill-based competencies.
MED275 Non-Invasive Clinical Procedures
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – BIO202) Instruction will be provided regarding OSHA compliance with blood-borne (and airborne) pathogen; urinalysis procedures; basic microbiological principles and procedures; diagnostic imaging; nutrition for health and disease; spirometry testing, and electrocardiography. The basic elements of nutrition and dietary management will be reviewed. Principles of body mechanics and ergonomics will be taught and practiced. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course. Each student must demonstrate each skill identified in the course to the minimum stated level of competency for successful completion of the course or score a 70% on all skill-based competencies.
MED285 Medical Office Finances
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MED208, MAT090 if applicable) This specialized course is designed to teach basic medical office skills. Instruction will be provided in the preparation of various medical forms and reports, and medical office financial procedures such as recording payments, reconciling bank statements, and general bookkeeping procedures. This course also provides detailed instruction in processing insurance claims including: ICD and CPT coding, completion of CMS1500 and other specialized insurance forms, and third party billing and reimbursements. A minimum letter grade of “C” is required for successful completion of this course and a score of 70% on all skill-based competencies.
MED298 Medical Assisting Exam Success Class
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – Should be taken in final term and student must have completed all MAA Core courses except MED299) This course is designed to prepare the student for success on the certification exam through a structured classroom review and testing to reinforce the student’s recall and knowledge of materials presented throughout the program. This is a capstone course culminating with the student taking the certification exam as the final examination. This course consists of 30 direct instructional hours and 30 clock hours of on‐site practical experience for your externship.
MED299 Medical Assisting Externship
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – Should be taken in final term in conjunction with MED298 and MED298EX. Student must have completed all MAA Core courses prior to externship.) The course will provide a real life-experience in an ambulatory care setting performing the skills and processes they have acquired through their studies. This externship consists of 132 clock hours for MED299 and 30 clock hours for MED298 of on-site practical experience.
Electives (Required) Select 5 20 credit hours required – students may only take two COM classes
MED107* Medical Terminology
4 Credit Hours
Medical terminology is the language of medicine. Students will be taught using a systematic approach to word building and term comprehension based on the concepts of word roots, prefixes and suffixes. This course will provide the student the primary skills to use terminology to accurately describe the body and associated components, conditions, processes, and procedures. Students will learn terms pertaining to all the body systems and terms pertaining to pharmaceutical treatment.
COM151* The Microsoft® Office
4 Credit Hours
This is an introductory course that provides a comprehensive study of The Microsoft® Office. This course is a combination of lecture and hands-on training.
COM234 Desktop Applications
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – COM151) Students taking this course will learn how to use Microsoft® Word and Microsoft® PowerPoint to prepare documents and presentations.
COM235 Spreadsheet Applications
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – COM151) Students taking this course will learn how to use Microsoft® Access and Microsoft® Excel to prepare databases and spreadsheet applications.
BUS125 Principles of Management
4 Credit Hours
This course focuses on decision-making, strategic planning, organizing, and job organizational design aspects that are essential to the field of management.
BUS225 Business Communications
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq.- ENG090) A comprehensive course in business communication, that includes the study and practice of concepts and skills as they apply to business and professional settings including written communication, business and professional presentations, interpersonal and group dynamics. Special attention is given to learning to communicate effectively in multiple formats as professional in today’s digital, social, and mobile world.
MED200 Medical Office Management
4 Credit Hours
This course introduces a systems approach to medical office management and the vocabulary used in a medical office management setting. Topics include the importance of monthly planning meetings, the value of time management skills, emergency preparedness procedures for a medical office setting, and the difference between an office procedure manual and a personnel policy manual.
M247 Health Insurance Billing & Coding
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – BIO201, BIO202) This course provides information about major insurance programs and federal health care legislation. Topics included in this course are diagnosis and procedure coding systems, reimbursement methodologies, and the roles to accurately process medical insurance claims.
PEC198 Phlebotomy and ECG Review
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq.- Must be taken in student’s last term and in conjunction with PEC199) This course is designed to prepare the student for success with the AMCA certification examinations. Instruction will be
provided through a structured classroom review and testing to assess and support the student’s recall of materials presented throughout the program. This is a capstone course that culminates with the
student completing the certification exams.
PEC199: Phlebotomy and ECG Externship
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. or Co-Req.- MED273, MED275.) This course provides students with the opportunity to receive hands-on experience in phlebotomy and electrocardiography. Course work includes 120 clock hours
of on-site experience under the supervision of the facility’s staff, Externship Coordinator, and/or Academic Department Chair of Health Science (ADCHS).
EHR100 Electronic Health Records
4 Credit Hours
This course introduces the basic concepts of medical charting which are applied to an Electronic Health Record (EHR). Topics include concepts of implementation, skill development for basic navigation of an electronic health record, components of the electronic record, technology that is used for input into the record, and privacy and security issues affecting access to the patient information. Other topics introduced are ethical and legal aspects of the patient’s medical record in a hospital or clinic setting.
*this program requires this course as a selection
General Education: At least 1 from each discipline required; 24 total credit hours required
Written and Oral Communication
ENG102 English Composition*
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – ENG090 if applicable) Students taking this course will study and discuss rhetoric, style, and composition, with special emphasis on written communication skills.
ENG126 Oral Communication
4 Credit Hours
Students taking this course will develop the ability to express themselves effectively in public and private settings.
Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic
LOG215 Thinking Critically
4 Credit Hours
This course introduces students to the process of critical thinking and offers knowledge and experience that can be applied to academic, professional, and personal growth. Students will learn to examine and evaluate the information they are exposed to, confidently select appropriate evidence from conflicting data, and craft that evidence into viable answers, arguments or solutions.
MAT101 Understanding Mathematics
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MAT090 if applicable) Students taking this course will examine the fundamental principles of mathematical theory and grow to understand the logic and inter-relationship of various mathematical functions.
MAT214 Algebra
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. – MAT090 if applicable) Students will learn algebraic problem solving, radicals, quadratic equations, polynomials, inequalities, and applied problem solving.
MAT220 Algebra and Basic Statistics
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq. MAT090, if applicable) This course introduces algebra topics and basic elements of exploratory data analysis. This course will cover constructing, evaluating and analyzing mathematical models, specifically linear and exponential functions, to represent relationships in quantitative data.
Arts and Humanities
ETH205 Ethics
4 Credit Hours
Students taking this course will study ethical thought and ideals, with emphasis on the central assumptions of personal and social morality. Students will also investigate ethics and related problems in industry, civil society, and the typical American community.
GEN241 Cultural Appreciation
4 Credit Hours
The need for cultural awareness doesn’t just apply to one’s relationship with others; conflicting cultural perspectives often exist within the individual. Students will learn to appreciate their own heritage and understand how their heritage influences their perspectives while gaining an appreciation for the cultural heritage of those around them. Students will be challenged to think and discuss their beliefs and opinions in light of cultural influence and understand how those values affect their work ethic and working relationships. Course content will incorporate experiences similar to those that will occur in the vocation’s students have chosen to study.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
POL202 Political Science
4 Credit Hours
This course provides the student with the means and opportunity to engage their government as a concerned individual. Global political systems and principal theories will be examined and compared to events and decisions affecting each student at the local level. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to become participants in their local government and to recognize and understand the various challenges that influence local decisions. The information and skills students learn in this course may be applied to many professional fields.
PSY127 Psychology
4 Credit Hours
This course provides students with an overview of the fundamental principles and methods of psychology. Topics for discussion include biological basis of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes, learning, motivation, developmental changes, personality, social behavior, and behavioral disorders.
PSY200 Human Growth and Development
4 Credit Hours
This course is designed to study human growth and development across the life span with emphasis upon normal growth and milestones achieved in the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional systems. Professional consideration is given to understanding changes that occur at different stages of development, and how care and interaction with individuals needs to be appropriate for their stage of development.
SOC103 General Sociology
4 Credit Hours
This course is a combination of applied sociology, communications and interpersonal relations designed to acquaint the student with the tools for self-examination and understanding of business and social relationships.
Physical/Natural Science
BIO201 Basic Anatomy and Physiology* I
4 Credit Hours
A study of the anatomy, physiology and medical terminology of the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, hematological, digestive, and reproductive systems. This course covers human development, birth and genetics.
BIO202 Basic Anatomy and Physiology* II
4 Credit Hours
(Prereq.-BIO201) Students taking this course will study the anatomy, physiology and medical terminology of the cell, tissues, membranes, and structures of the nervous system, the sensory system, the integumentary system, the digestive, the urinary system, and the endocrine system. This course will discuss the basic chemistry, water acids, bases, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and classes of macromolecules in cells.
For all courses: See course description for applicable prerequisites.
* This program requires this General Education course or equivalent
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