Medical Assisting, D.A.S. - MED1
The Medical Assisting program prepares a multi-skilled graduate to function in clinical and administrative areas of the physician’s office and ambulatory care centers. Medical assistants work under the supervision of a physician and are competent in both administrative and clinical procedures. Medical assisting is an exciting and rapidly-expanding healthcare profession.
Administrative duties of the medical assistant include scheduling and receiving patients, preparing and maintaining medical records, transcribing medical dictation, handling telephone calls, performing basic clerical functions and managing medical practice finances.
Clinical duties of the medical assistant include: practicing safety and infection control, obtaining patient histories and vital signs, performing first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, preparing patients for procedures, assisting the physician with examinations and treatments, collecting and processing specimens, performing selected diagnostic tests and administering medication.
The medical assistant must work well with people, have good communication skills, like a variety of work experiences, be accurate in work performance and be trustworthy with confidential information. Medical Assisting graduates may earn the CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) credential by passing the National Certifying examination. Felons are not eligible to take this examination unless a waiver is granted by the AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants). Students enrolled in this program must be enrolled on a full-time basis.
Admission: Acceptance into Piedmont Technical College’s MED program is competitive and is limited to 20 students to begin fall semester. See the college calendar or website for application dates.
To become eligible for entry into the Medical Assisting major studies coursework applicants must complete the following:
- Complete the following courses (minimum "C" required):
Course List Courses Course Title Credit Hours AHS 102 Medical Terminology 3 BIO 112 Basic Anatomy and Physiology 4 ENG 101 English Composition I 3 MAT 155 Contemporary Mathematics 3 PSY 201 General Psychology 3 - Minimum grade point average for the above courses of 3.0. A grade point average calculator can be found under the Application and Advising tab.
- Good academic standing at the college.
Students are required to maintain a current American Heart Association “Basic Life Support” certification throughout the major studies courses.
Requirements
| Courses | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Courses | ||
| BIO 112 | Basic Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| MAT 155 | Contemporary Mathematics | 3 |
| PSY 201 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Subtotal | 13 | |
| Required Core Subject Areas | ||
| MED 103 | Medical Assisting Introduction | 3 |
| MED 104 | Medical Assisting Administrative Procedures | 4 |
| MED 107 | Medical Office Management | 4 |
| MED 114 | Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures | 4 |
| MED 115 | Medical Office Lab Procedures I | 4 |
| Subtotal | 19 | |
| Other Courses Required for Graduation | ||
| AHS 102 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| MED 108 | Common Diseases of the Medical Office | 3 |
| MED 117 | Clinical Practice | 5 |
| MED 118 | Pharmacology for the Medical Assistant | 4 |
| Subtotal | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
Graduation Plan
Fall Start
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| AHS 102 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| BIO 112 | Basic Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MAT 155 | Contemporary Mathematics | 3 |
| PSY 201 | General Psychology | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| MED 103 | Medical Assisting Introduction | 3 |
| MED 107 | Medical Office Management | 4 |
| MED 118 | Pharmacology for the Medical Assistant | 4 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MED 104 | Medical Assisting Administrative Procedures | 4 |
| MED 114 | Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures | 4 |
| MED 115 | Medical Office Lab Procedures I | 4 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| MED 108 | Common Diseases of the Medical Office | 3 |
| MED 117 | Clinical Practice | 5 |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Total Hours | 47 | |
Application Process
This is a limited enrollment program that has special admissions requirements. These requirements must be completed before you can be accepted.
If you are a new student, there are three key steps to complete before entering the program:
- Step 1: Apply to the college and complete the enrollment process
- Step 2: Take the necessary courses and testing (if required) to become Program-Ready
- Step 3: Apply to the program
Are you Program-Ready?
Before applying for program entry, be sure you meet the requirements for acceptance. Start by connecting with an advisor and review program requirements.
We've also provided the resources below to assist you with the program acceptance process.
Fact Sheet
Fact Sheets are designed for students and advisors to review program-specific requirements and program application procedures. Please make an appointment with your advisor to discuss your academic goals and progress, and to develop your individualized degree plan.
GPA Calculator
There are minimum GPA requirements for program-ready coursework. The Program-Ready GPA Calculator can be used to calculate your GPA.
Application Worksheet
The application worksheet is used to calculate points toward competitive program entry.
Health Care Program Acceptance Data
These are NOT the scores required to be accepted. These are scores from past applicants that were accepted. Since the applicant pool changes each time, there is no way to predict how high the application points need to be for acceptance into the program.
Guided Pathways
Guided Pathways are designed to assist students in scheduling the order of courses to become program-ready or to complete the Health Care Certificate for their desired program.
Health Care FAQ
We strongly recommend that students review the Health Care Division FAQ to be fully aware of our program entry requirements.
Apply to the Program
Once you’ve taken the necessary steps to become program ready, it’s time to apply to the program.
Applications are accepted for the fall entry into college healthcare programs on the following schedule:
- Application Dates - May 1-16
- Notification of Program Acceptance Emails Sent - Mid June*
Program applications must be submitted during the scheduled dates for this program to be considered.
Note: If you haven't already done so, you must apply to the college before completing the program application.
Complete The Program Application
* Students accepted into any Healthcare program will be required to attend a program orientation. Accepted students will NOT be excused from attending this mandatory orientation.
Current Student Program Resources
Medical Assisting Handbook
Health Care Division Handbook
This handbook is designed to be utilized in conjunction with the PTC Academic Catalog, PTC Student Calendar and Handbook and PTC Health Care webpages. Please refer to them for additional information.
Health Care FAQ
We strongly recommend that students review the Health Care Division FAQ to be fully aware of our program entry requirements.
Health Care Readmission
Health Care readmission students who fail or withdraw from a Health Care curriculum class must complete and submit a readmission application in order to be considered for readmission.
Accreditation Information
The Medical Assisting Diploma program at Piedmont Technical College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
9355 - 113th St. N #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
(727) 210-2350
www.caahep.org
Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB)
2020 N. California Ave., #213 Suite 7
Chicago, IL 60647
(312) 392-0155
maerb@maerb.org
CAAHEP requires all Medical Assisting Programs to share with the public one or more measurable program outcomes. In compliance with this requirement, Piedmont Technical College presents the following outcomes for the Medical Assisting Diploma Program:
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Purpose Statement
The purpose of the CAAHEP accredited Medical Assisting Program at Piedmont technical College is to prepare competent certified medical assistants to perform in entry level positions in ambulatory health care settings. These medical assistants will assume responsibility for life-long learning and professional growth as well as become a contributing member of the community.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Learners who complete the Medical Assisting degree will be able to:
- Perform entry-level competencies in the psychomotor (skills), cognitive (knowledge), and affective (behavior) domains for a medical assistant as developed and published by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) in cooperation with the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
- Perform all administrative and clinical procedures, which are assigned by a supervising medical assistant, with a high degree of technical skill, effectiveness, efficiency, and safety as an entry level medical assistant.
- Recognize emergency situations and respond appropriately to emergency care techniques in various life-threatening situations.
- Demonstrate basic pharmacology dosage calculations, and route for administration of medications.
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of the human body including structure, function, and basic pathologies.
- Comply with ethical, legal, and professional guidelines as a member of a health care service profession.
Program Goals
The educational goals of the Medical Assisting Program at Piedmont Technical College are founded upon the learning domains established by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and those adopted by the American Association of Medical Assistants.
The 2022 Core Curriculum for Medical Assistants, as established by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), requires that individuals graduating from Medical Assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) must demonstrate knowledge of the subject matters required for competence in the medical assisting profession. They must incorporate the cognitive (C) knowledge in performance of the psychomotor (P) skills, and the affective (A) behaviors.
The Medical Assisting Program will:
- Prepare graduates to become licensed, entry-level medical assistants in an ambulatory health care setting that requires a multi-skilled health care professional, performing clinical and administrative duties.
- Educate students enabling the graduate to demonstrate proficiency in all entry-level competencies as set forth in the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) curricula. Students will be instructed and assessed in the achievement of cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domain learning objectives as established by the MAERB.
- Assess the needs of the local community through the program advisory committee and other various avenues in order to provide a Medical Assistant educational program that is responsive to change and designed to meet the needs of the community so that students receive the best educational preparation for local employment.
- Prepare graduates for the Certified Medical Assistant examination through quality curriculum, instruction, practice, and assessment.
Minimum Expectations
Specifically, the minimum expectation is “To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.”
- Psychomotor skills are to be demonstrated and assessed through instructor demonstration, open lab time, practice and “check-offs. Each psychomotor skill must be performed competently at entry level. Graduates must be able to perform all skills at entry level.
- Affective skills are to be demonstrated and assessed through presentations, written, verbal or non-verbal means at entry level. Graduates must demonstrate all affective skills at entry level.
- Cognitive knowledge is demonstrated and assessed by quizzes, assignments, projects, games, internet research, papers and written exams utilizing the grading scale established by the Medical Assisting program. Cognitive knowledge must be applied to practice and is assessed by written means within the program and by taking the CMA examination upon completion of the program.