Certificate · Program Code: 180 · Credit Hours: 34-36 · Contact Hours: 45-47
Associate Dean: René Bieganowski
Medical Assistant training provides diverse employment opportunities. Students in this program can develop skills necessary for entry-level employment in the healthcare field. Special emphasis is placed on increasing skills needed to work in physicians’ offices and health clinics. Students must complete a minimum of 31 credit hours to earn a certificate in Medical Assisting. This program also has a Work-Based Learning component.
Since this program is very rigorous and demanding, students should consider carefully their outside work schedule given the requirements of the program, and especially in AH 285 (Work Based Learning Medical Assistant) where students will be placed for 10 hours each week of a normal semester in a clinical setting (20 hours each week in a shortened summer semester) and complete one hour of exam review each week (two hours each week in a shortened summer semester). Students should also realize that they may be expected to travel as much as 40-80 miles one way for work-based learning placements at regional offices or clinics so as not to overload a single clinical site. Every effort will be made to assign students to clinical and externship sites fairly.
Upon successful completion of the program and graduation from North Central Michigan College, students are eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant certification examination offered by American Medical Technologies.
This is a selective admission program. Students must apply for entry into the program each time they wish to be considered (i.e. applications will not be kept on file from one application period to the next). To be considered for final acceptance, students must be enrolled at North Central, have completed required courses (AH 130 or BIO 133 , OAS 116 ) and have completed an Allied Health Program application. Applications must be submitted to the Associate Dean of Nursing, Allied Health and Science by March 1 for fall enrollment and October 1 for winter enrollment.
Criteria for admission include a completed Allied Health Program application, completion of courses required before admission (AH 130 or BIO 133 , OAS 116 ), with a minimum of a C+, successful completion of other courses in the MA program shared with other programs (such as B 104 or MATH 112 , OAS 141 , OAS 220 , OAS 221 ) and relevant work experience. Acceptance is not guaranteed. Students may not enroll in AH 107 , AH 108 and AH 285 until they have been accepted into the MA program. North Central will order a criminal background check on all students accepted into the program. Students may be denied admission based on the results of the background check
Additional information:
Students are strongly encouraged to complete B 104 or MATH 112 (or higher) prior to applying to the program, since B 104 or MATH 112 (or higher) is a prerequisite for AH 180 .
All Allied Health core classes in the Medical Assistant program (AH 130 or BIO 133 , OAS 116 , AH 107 , AH 108 , AH 180 and AH 285 ) must be completed with a minimum of a C+.
AH 107 and AH 108 and AH 180 and OAS 190 and OAS 220 and OAS 221 must be completed before enrollment into Work-Based Learning AH 285 .
Students must show proof of current CPR certification (American Heart Association: BLS for Healthcare Providers or American Red Cross: CPR for the Professional Rescuer) prior to the start of AH 285 . North Central’s EMS 101 , CPR and First Aid, satisfies this requirement.
Students must have basic computer skills, ability to type at 30 wpm and use a computer mouse, access the internet and have knowledge of word processing programs.
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