Medical Assistant Program
We are very excited that you are considering a
profession in Medical Assisting.
Medical Assistants help physicians examine and
treat patients and perform routine tasks to keep offices running smoothly.
The duties of MA`s vary.
MAs usually handle both clerical and clinical duties and report directly to
the office manager or physician.
Some clerical duties include answering phones, greeting patients,
updating patient medical records, filling out insurance forms, and arranging
for hospital admission and laboratory services.
Some clinical duties include taking and recording vital signs and
medical
histories,
explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for exams,
and assisting during the exam.
Most MA’s work a regular 40-hour
work week, with some evenings and weekends.
A Certified Medical Assistant can expect to make between $9-$12 per
hour, more at times depending on employment.
The MA Program is a certificate program. Students receive a certificate of completion for Front Office Medical Assistant after completing four (4) classes and a certificate of completion in Medical Assistant after completing all eight (8) classes.
What do I need to take?
For a
certificate as a
Front Office Medical Assistant,
the following courses are
required:
AHP 100
Medical
Terminology (may be taken concurrent with the courses below)
(3.0 units)
AHP 070
Administrative
Med Asst I
(4.5 units)
AHP 072
Administrative
Med Asst II (4.5 units)
AHP 074
Clinical Externship I (2 units)
AHP 100, 070, and 072 are completed in one semester. AHP 074 is taken
the following semester, after completing the above
For a
certificate as a
Medical Assistant,
and take the certification exam, the
following
courses are required in addition to the
above courses:
AHP 080
Specimen Collec
and Lab Proced (3.5 units)
AHP 082
Exam Room Procedures (3.5 units)
AHP 084
Pharmacology
&
Administration of Meds (3.5 units)
AHP 086
Clinical Externship II (2 units)
AHP 080
and 082
are
only
offered in
the Fall
and AHP 084 and 086
in the
Spring.
Students
take the state exam from the California Certifying Board for Medical
Assistants after completing all courses.
A national exam is also available.
Fees:
Required fees include tuition ($26/unit),
parking ($15-20/sem), two textbooks and workbooks for the whole program
($150), CPR materials ($25), uniforms ($25-36), malpractice insurance
($13), and State certification exam ($155).
How do I enroll?
All students must
enroll online using
WebSTAR.
First-time students need to apply online first to enroll in
classes, click
here. Class days and
times can be found on the online schedule.
Students having a current nursing assistant certificate can waive
the AHP 100 requirement by completing a Student Petition from the
Admissions Office.
For more information, contact the Division of Nursing Education and Health Technologies at (760) 355-6348 or by email: laura.hartsock@imperial.edu