The Medical Assisting Certificate program is designed exclusively to students and professionals who have previously earned an associate or bachelor’s degree and are:
- Recent college graduates seeking a career as a medical assistant.
- Experienced professionals seeking a career change into the medical field.
As a skill credential, this certificate program has been created to provide additional training to accompany your existing degree(s) to make you stand out in the workplace. An earned associate degree or higher from an accredited institution is required to be enrolled in any skill credential program. Our online medical assistant certificate program is accredited by DEAC and ABHES in Kentucky.
Our practical and comprehensive online medical assistant courses will include anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, administering injections, performing EKGs, and venipuncture. You can complete your program in as soon as eight months with our accelerated medical assistant certificate program!
Your Learning Experience
Your coursework includes hands-on medical assistant training to develop the skills you need:
- You will complete a foundation set of online medical assistant courses in anatomy, pharmacology, physiology, and phlebotomy.
- Medical assistant 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.
- A clinical externship of 162 hours of real-world work experience to include caring for patients one-on-one and performing medical procedures at participating locations across the country. (See if there is an existing clinical site in your local area.)
Upon successful completion of the medical assistant certificate program, students will be able to:
- 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.
- Recognize and respond to emergencies and coordinate patient care information with other health care providers.
Online + Hands-On and Certification-Based
The program is an online medical assistant program that includes at-home labs and a comprehensive hands-on externship. 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 training will give you the experience and confidence to succeed. Graduates of the Medical Assisting Certification program are eligible to take the CCMA – Certified Clinical Medical Assisting exam administered by NHA, the NCMA (National Certified Medical Assistant) administered by NCCT, and CPR administered through the American Red Cross.
Check out our “Not-What-You-Would Expect” Guide to Medical Assisting to learn more about this high-demand field.
MEDICAL ASSISTING - CERTIFICATE REQUIRED COURSES
48 credit hours required/96 quality points required. All courses are 4 Credit Hours
Program Core (Required) 48 total credit hours required
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For all courses: See course description for applicable prerequisites.
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