Medical Assistant School & Classes for a Certificate in NJ at Eastern International College

Program Outline

This curriculum is designed to provide students with the clinical and administrative skills necessary to succeed in medical offices today. Medical Assistants perform the necessary preparations of patients before they see the doctor. Medical Assistants perform such tasks as taking vital signs, performing EKGs, drawing blood, giving immunizations, and setting up examination rooms. Modern Medical Assistants aid the physician during routine clinical procedures and in-office surgeries. They also perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, ordering supplies, completing insurance forms, and initiating patient-related correspondence.

Graduates of this program are thoroughly prepared for employment in a doctor’s office, both in general practice and in specialty practice, hospital, emergency room, clinic, and other health care settings. They are prepared to effectively perform tasks assigned or delegated by a supervising doctor in both the front and back offices. They are initially employed as an entry-level Medical Assistant. The curriculum outline is below:

Program Major Courses

Course Number	Course Title	Quarter Credit Hours
MA 521	Anatomy and Physiology I	5.25
MA 522	Anatomy and Physiology II	5.25
MA 501	Medical Computing	5.25
MA 503	Patient Care Techniques	3.0
MA 504	EKG Techniques	2.75
MA 505	Medical Terminology	4.5
MA 507	Laboratory Procedures	12.0
MA 508	Medical Office Procedures	12.5
MA 510	Medical Communications	6.0
MA 900	Externship	10.0
Total		66.5

Program Overview

The Medical Assistant Program leads to a certificate in Medical Assistant. The program teaches students all of the skills necessary to work in a doctor’s office, ambulatory care center, specialty care center, or hospital. Students learn – via lecture and hands-on experience – a variety of techniques, such as patient care techniques, EKG techniques, medical billing, medical transcription, medical coding, and clinical techniques used in the medical assistant field.

Abbreviations:

MA – Medical Assistant

Length of Program:

Day Session	38 Weeks	9.5 Months
Evening Session	56 Weeks	14 Months

Course Descriptions

MA 501- Medical Computing 5.25 Quarter Credits

This course includes alphanumeric keyboarding instruction, including the proper techniques needed to develop and build speed and accuracy. Once the keyboard has been mastered, lessons center on writing paragraphs with medical terms and definitions, creating language arts applications, formatting medical documents, inputting medical materials into a log, and creating business letters and memos. Hands-on exercises for Word 2000 mirror the real-life business setting.

MA 503 – Patient Care Techniques 3.0 Quarter Credits

This course teaches students the principles and techniques of patient care, including but not limited to body mechanics, positioning and draping, transfer activities, ambulation aids, wheelchair features and activities, vital sign, special equipment, and patient care environments. Students begin their study of infection control techniques, as well as learn how to respond in the event of a hazardous incident or office emergency. Procedures relating to specialty practices are covered.

Prerequisites: MA 521

MA 504 – EKG Technique 2.75 Quarter Credits

This course teaches students the anatomy and physiology of the heart and cardiac cycle and how it relates to electro-physiology and the principles of the electrocardiograph machine. Through lecture and work in the lab, students learn the standardization of the electrocardiograph, placement of the electrocardiograph leads, the marking and mounting the electrocardiogram, and the capabilities of the electrocardiograph.

MA 505 – Medical Terminology for Medical Assistant 4.5 Quarter Credits

This course centers on medical terms, spellings, meanings, pronunciations, and common medical abbreviations. Basic medical terminology is addressed, with focus on the rules, elements, and roots of medical terms. Special emphasis is placed on word components, particularly singular and plural endings.

MA 507 – Laboratory Procedures 12.0 Quarter Credits

This course focuses on basic laboratory procedures, beginning with the study of hematology, and more precisely, the study of blood and its constituents, the functions of the blood and the blood forming organs, the anatomy and physiology of the blood cells and their relationship to illness, and the proper cell preparation of WBC and RBC for examination as an aid in diagnosing disease. The course continues with the study of urinalysis — the examination of the appearance and condition of the urine both grossly and microscopically, and the study of its chemical constraints to detect a wide variety of diseases or conditions and to follow the results of treatment, Urine composition, organic, inorganic, normal values and the clinical significance of abnormities, disease and disorder.

Through this study, students become familiar with the fundamentals of human biochemistry, with focus on water balance, the kidneys, renal function, amino acids and proteins, enzymes, the liver, hepatic function, endocrinology, and metabolism disorder. Finally, students become familiar with pharmacology — the study of drug actions, interactions, and administration. Students learn proper intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal injection techniques, as well as theory behind the indications and contraindications of many drugs used in common office procedures. Students also learn the correct care and use of the microscope and other instruments in the clinical laboratory. Infection control and universal precautions as mandated for healthcare workers by CDC, OSHA and CLIA are addressed. Prerequisites: MA 521; MA 522

MA 508 – Medical Office Procedures 12.5 Quarter Credits

This course teaches the basic functions related to processing medical insurance claims and provides extensive practice with the universal medical insurance claim form, HCFA-1500. Topics covered include hospital coding, diagnostic coding, procedural coding, managed care and indemnity plans, workers’ compensation, disability, dental insurance, electronic media claims, and billing. Students use MediSoft Patient Accounting for Windows to complete medical insurance-simulated exercises.

MA 510 – Medical Communications 6.0 Quarter Credits

This courses centers on communication in the medical field. Medicine requires effective communication between patients and health care providers. In this course, students learn how to communicate effectively by taking medical histories, discussing procedures, and meeting with next-of-kin. Students also learn how to discuss documentation in a medical environment, and how to communicate with other members of a healthcare team.

MA 521- Anatomy and Physiology I 5.25 Quarter Credits

This course introduces students to information about the human body. Students learn about the chemistry of life, cell structure, skeletal system, muscular system, nervous system, and body orientation. The laboratory components include microscopy, histology, and bone/muscle identifications. Students also learn spelling, meaning, and pronunciation of ideal, normal, and pathological terms related to the structure and function of the human body. Common medical abbreviations and common singular and plural endings are also learned.

MA 522 – Anatomy and Physiology II 5.25 Quarter Credits

This course is a continuation of Anatomy and Physiology II. It introduces students to information about the human body. Students learn about the heart, blood, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, urinary system and body fluids, reproductive system, and body metabolism. The laboratory component includes dissection of specimens relating to each system studied. Students learn spelling, meaning, and pronunciation of ideal, normal, and pathological terms related to the structure and function of the human body. Common medical abbreviations and common singular and plural endings are also learned.