Medical Assistant

175 Hours / Access Length: 12 Months / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced

Course Overview:

In this course, we will explore the profession of medical assisting by looking at the role of the medical assistant, the importance of health records, and key terminology in the field. We will learn the fundamentals of medical assisting such as infection control and medical emergencies. Assisting with medications, helping with the different medical specialties, and working with the clinical lab are topics that will be explored.

This course prepares the student to take the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Medical Assistant Certification (CCMA) national certification exam.

Students will:

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of a typical medical assistant.
• Discuss the importance of patient health records. 
• Use anatomical and medical vocabulary correctly. 
• Explain the role of medical assistants in infection control. 
• Identify the average body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure for various age groups. 
• Identify typical solutions, medications, and equipment used in minor surgical procedures.
• Detail the medical assistant's role in minor office surgeries.
• Identify the classifications of medications, including the indications for use, desired effects, side effects, adverse reactions, forms, and medical administration.
• Summarize the important parts of a drug label.
• Describe how a medical assistant should assist in various medical specialties. 
• Explain how the medical assistant works with the clinical laboratory. 
• Explain best practices in searching for a job in medical assisting.

Course Outline:

Lesson 1: Introduction to Medical Assisting

In this lesson, we will learn the basic roles of a medical assistant, the importance and types of patient records, and explore proper medical terminology.

Lesson 2: Fundamentals of Clinical Medical Assisting, Part 1

In this lesson, we will learn the fundamentals of clinical medical assisting, including infection control,

Lesson 3: Fundamentals of Clinical Medical Assisting, Part 2

In this lesson, we will learn about the basics of surgical supplies and instruments, assisting with minor surgeries, electrocardiography, and the role of a medical assistant during medical emergencies.

Lesson 4: Assisting with Medications

In this lesson, we will learn about medications. Principles of pharmacology, reading labels, pharmacy math, and types and methods of medication administration will all be covered.

Lesson 5: Assisting with Medical Specialties, Part 1

In this lesson, we will learn about the medical specialties that employ medical assistants. The basics of each field are covered, including ophthalmology, dermatology, allergy and infectious disease, gastroenterology, orthopedics, and physical medicine.

Lesson 6: Assisting with Medical Specialties, Part 2

In this lesson, we will learn about the medical specialties that employ medical assistants. The basics of each field are covered, including neurology, behavioral health, endocrinology, cardiology, and pulmonology.

Lesson 7: Assisting with Medical Specialties, Part 3

In this lesson, we will learn about the medical specialties that employ medical assistants. The basics of each field are covered, including urology, obstetrics, pediatrics, and geriatrics.

Lesson 8: Assisting with Clinical Laboratory Procedures

In this lesson, we will learn about how medical assistants work with the clinical lab and the medical equipment associated with working with the lab.

Lesson 9: Advanced Clinical Skills

In this lesson, we will cover some advanced skills medical assistants may need in clinical settings with a focus on intravenous therapy and radiology considerations.

Lesson 10: Job Seeking

In this lesson, we will learn about how to apply for and find a job in the field of medical assisting.

All necessary materials are included.

Certification(s):

This course prepares the student to take the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Medical Assistant Certification (CCMA) national certification exam.

• Cable and DSL internet connections are recommended for the best experience.

• CPU: 1 GHz or higher
• RAM: 2 GB or higher
• Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher
• Speakers / Headphones
• Microphone (Webinar / Live Online sessions)

• Microsoft Windows 7 or 10 (Home, Pro)
• Mac OSX 10 or higher.
• Latest Chrome OS
• Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

• Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
• Latest Mozilla FireFox
• Latest Microsoft Edge
• Latest Apple Safari

• Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
• PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
• Courses may require other software that is denoted in the above course outline.