Cert./Medical Assistant (XMA)

This course is the first of two classes, and provides the student with an introduction to the study of the Anatomy & Physiology of the human body. This class includes the study of the structure and function of major organ systems, the introduction to common disease processes, and accompanying medical terminology. This course also integrates a nutritional component into each body system further supporting student understanding on how nutrition not only contributes to good health, but how the human body relies on nutrients to optimally function. Unique nutrient needs of people in different stages of the life cycle, including pregnant and lactating women, infants, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly are examined. Physiological changes and conditions that influence nutrient needs, factors that influence food choices and appropriate dietary recommendations, and recent research are discussed. This course also provides information on basic clinical skills. Through understanding and application of these concepts, the student will be able to apply this knowledge in their clinical practice setting.

This course is the second of two classes, and provides the student with a continuation of the study of Anatomy & Physiology of the human body, common disease processes, and medical terminology. The course also provides the student with information on basic clinical skills, and medical record documentation. Additional content included addresses principles of pharmacology, including medications, immunizations and safe medication practice for the medical assistant. This course also introduces the topic of food safety and technology. As a healthcare professional, it is important that the student understand how foodborne illness can affect the population, including those that are healthy, and those that have chronic illnesses. This also gives the student the opportunity to understand how to prevent food borne illness. The student is also introduced to the foundations of complementary and alternative medicine. Through understanding and application of these concepts, the student will be able to apply this knowledge in his or her clinical practice setting.

This course provides the learner with a basic introduction to healthcare ethics, legal issues, risk management procedures, professional liability insurance and infection prevention. The course content will include legal, ethical and moral considerations including professional ethics, cultural and social norms. The course will provide information description of the laws and regulations within the Medical Assistant Scope of Practice. Additional course content will provide the student with an understanding of Meaningful Use regulations and compliance in healthcare. The learner will be able to explain and apply emergency planning, safety techniques, infection prevention measures including specimen collection and processing techniques.

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of administrative practices, business etiquette, and finance for today’s Medical Assistant. Key topics that are discussed and applied include administrative responsibilities, the psychology of human interaction, effective communication, financial considerations and challenges in the medical office setting. Additional topics in this course include cultural awareness, understanding human behaviors, growth and development and the stages of death and dying to support the student’s understanding of communication skills and techniques.

The course provides the student with hands-on training in a clinical practice setting based on the cumulative learnings from the previous four Medical Assistant courses. Key activities include 160 hours of unpaid clinical internship/practicum and career planning. The course will cover information on preparing the student for the Medical Assistant certification process and will include how to obtain and maintain continuing education for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA).

This course is designed to support employed Medical Assistants (MA) who are seeking national credentialing to obtain their certification to become a Certified Medical Assistant. The course serves as an exam prep course for the MA who has completed a program or, is actively employed as an MA, seeking knowledge supporting the hands-on work performed in the healthcare setting. The course takes place over eight (8) consecutive weeks and is offered in an online format with assignment due dates. The MA is provided opportunities throughout the course to apply the concepts of the course contents to practice tests and have access to answers and explanations to each test item. You will have an assignment that requires you to register and pay for a national exam (Week 6). The MA will participate in various discussion forums and create a student study plan based off activities in this course. In the final week of the course, the MA will complete a cumulative practice exam emulating an actual certification exam which will help support the MA in preparing for their national credentialing exam.

This course is designed as a career development pathway for employed Medical Assistant Registered (MA-R) professionals with a minimum of 2000 work hours seeking national certification as a Medical Assistant Certified (MA-C). To be eligible for enrollment, students must meet the specified prerequisites. This hybrid course consists of sixteen consecutive weeks of online coursework and five in-person Skill Labs. (Please note that this is not a self-paced course as there are assignments due each week.) Students taking the course are eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam. Successful completion of the course requires a minimum of 75% in all online course content and skill lab evaluations. Washington Residents: Successful completion of this course includes completing skill validations for all authorized duties listed under the MA-C RCW 18.360.050 and completing the educational hours that meet the requirement of the Washington State Department of Health for an MA-C licensure.