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Medical Assisting Certificate

Health and Sciences Division

General Description | Semester Layout | Course Requirements | Printable Checklist

Mission

To provide a comprehensive technical education program that prepares its graduates to work in physician office practices, clinics, and other health care settings in the College's service area.

Description

Medical assistants are multi-skilled allied health professionals who work under the supervision of physicians in their office practices and in other medical settings. In accordance with state law, they perform a broad range of administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants help other health care providers examine and treat patients and perform routine tasks needed to keep offices running smoothly. Assistants who work in a small office or health care facility may handle both clinical and clerical duties. Assistants working in an office with a sizable staff will probably specialize in either the clinical or administrative aspects of the job.

Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2009 as the health services industry expands due to technological advances in medicine, and a growing and aging population. It is one of the fastest growing occupations. The earnings of medical assistants vary widely, depending on experience, skill level, and location. Average hourly wages for medical assistants with more than five years of experienced ranged from $10.50 to $14.00. Wages were higher in the Northeast and West and lower in the Midwest and South.

Program Entrance Requirements

Course Level	Required Courses
High School	Biology, Keyboarding
College	None
NOTE: A grade of "C" or better is required for each prerequisite course.

Other	Required
Diploma or GED	Yes
Approval/Permission Needed -- Application Process Departmental Approval	Yes
Prior Experience/Observation	No
Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.0	Yes
Current CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
First Aid Certification	Yes
Hepatitis B Immunization or Signed Informed Refusal or Titer	Yes
MMR Immunization or Titer	Yes
Chicken Pox Vaccination or Titer	Yes
Two-step PPD / Chest X-Ray	Yes
Medical Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	Yes
Dental Examination Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete. Dental health must meet departmental standards.	No
Technical Standards Forms are provided by the college and should be current (within one year) and complete.	No
Negative Drug Screen	Yes
Satisfactory Background Check	Yes
Other Diplomas, Licensures, etc.	No
Recent Photograph Photograph will not be returned.	No

Academic Standards

Standard Criteria	Required
Courses requiring a grade of "C" or better Any course with one of the following prefixes: ALL	Yes
Courses that may not be attempted more than twice Any course with one of the following prefixes: MED	Yes
Complete or Maintain CPR Certification by American Heart Association or American Red Cross	Yes
Curriculum Completion Requirement	No
Drug Calculation Competency Students must demonstrate drug calculation competency each semester in order to progress in curriculum courses.	No
Dismissal Policy A student who receives a grade below "C" for any two or more required curriculum courses will be dismissed from the program and will not be eligible to re-enter the program.	Yes
Re-entry Policy	No

Agency Requirements

Students in health majors must meet the published clinical agency requirements when participating in assigned labs. Requirements include immunizations, background checks, and drug testing. To be in compliance with Article, 23, Section 44-7-2920 of the S.C. Code of Law, all students enrolled in AHS 141, DAT 154, DHG 154, HIM 102, MED 102, MLT 110, NUR 160, NUR 201, PNR 110, RAD 101, RES 101, and SUR 101 must complete the requirements listed above prior to being assigned to any direct care entity. Results of the background check/drug screening could affect the student's ability to complete required clinical rotations and/or become credentialed. For example, a felony conviction could make a student ineligible to take the licensing exam(s) required by the profession or prevent the student from participating in the clinical training component.

Graduation Requirements

Complete all required courses specified in the curriculum.
Fulfill all financial obligations to the College.
Achieve a cumulative final GPA of 2.0.
Earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours of his/her curriculum at FDTC. Exceptions can be made only by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Program Specific Notes

To progress in the MED-prefix courses, all of the required courses in each of the previous smesters of the curriculum must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.