2018-2019 Catalog > Health Sciences and Human Services Department > Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant

Contact: Kara Mahannah, (208) 732-6728 kmahannah@csi.edu

The Medical Assistant Program prepares graduates to assist health care providers in outpatient setting performing administrative and/or clinical tasks. Medical Assistants are multi-skilled, allied health care workers who perform a variety of skills assisting health care providers with patient care. They assist with clerical duties, referrals, insurance billing and coding, minor in-office procedures; perform phlebotomy with lab tests, EKG’s, as well as many other administrative and clinical tasks. This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756; Phone: 727-210-2350, FAX: 727-210-2354 on recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE). Upon completion of the program students are eligible to sit for the national medical assistant certification exam, CMA (AAMA) by the Certification Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants. The CMA (AAMA) is considered the gold standard of medical assisting professionalism. The CMA (AAMA) means a professional edge, increased prestige among peers and employers, better job security, and greater career advancement opportunities.

Additional information and current application requirements (including deadlines) can be found at: http://hshs.csi.edu/medical_assistant. You must be a high school graduate or have completed the GED/HSE before applying to this program. To promote success on the certification/licensure examination(s), all Required Courses must be passed with a grade of C or better.

Upon successful completion of the Medical Assisting program, a student will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate cognitive knowledge and psychomotor competencies required for entry into the medical assisting profession as outlined for accredited programs by the Medical Assisting Education Review Board.
2. Incorporate critical thinking skills when performing patient care, interacting with patients and/or visitors in the medical office, medical providers, other medical office staff, or third-party payers.
3. Use professional, effective, tactful, sensitive, culturally diverse, empathetic communication skills to interact with patients and/or visitors in the medical office, medical providers, other medical office staff, or third-party payers.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the medical assistant’s legal, ethical, and personal boundaries when providing patient care while understanding patients’ rights, HIPPA, individual state laws, and accurate reporting and documentation.
5. Recognize potential unsafe working conditions and demonstrate knowledge of protective practices used in the medical office setting.
6. Adhere to the standard code of conduct for the medical assisting profession.

Sample Career Opportunities: Medical Assistants