Medical Assistant

​Program:  Medical Assistant
 
Program Level: vocational/undergraduate
 
Clock Hours:  420
 
Program length: 5 months (21 weeks)
 
Admission Requirement:  Persons with high school diploma or GED or college degree or passing score on ATB test are eligible to apply.  In addition, applicant is required to pass MEI entrance exam to be admitted to this program.
 
Program Descriptions & Objectives: Medical Assistants are multi-skilled professionals dedicated to assisting in patient care management.  This health care professional performs administrative and clinical duties and may manage emergency situations, facilities, and/or personnel. Medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals and other medical facilities under the supervision of a physician. 
 
Occupations:  Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.  Medical assistants typically record patient history and personal information, measure vital signs, such as blood pressure, help the physician with patient examinations, give patients injections or medications as directed by the physician and as permitted by state law, schedule patient appointments, prepare blood samples for laboratory tests, enter patient information into medical records and be able to keep that information confidential and discuss it only with other medical personnel who are involved in treating the patient. Electronic health records (EHRs) are changing some medical assistants’ jobs. More and more physicians are adopting EHRs, moving all their patient information from paper to electronic records. Assistants need to learn the EHR software that their office uses. In larger practices or hospitals, medical assistants may specialize in either administrative or clinical work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 20016-17 Edition).

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