Prepare for Certification
Upon successful completion of this course, students are eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) national certification examination.
In addition to facilitating entry-level clinical medical assisting related positions, this course is ideal for students interested in pursuing a future formal Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Nursing (LPN) or a Nursing (RN) program.
What You Will Learn
This course will prepare students with the necessary training and skills to assist physicians by performing functions related to the clinical responsibilities of a medical office. Instruction includes among other things preparing patients for examination and treatment, routine laboratory procedures, diagnostic testing, technical aspects of phlebotomy and the cardiac life cycle.
Students will review important topics including phlebotomy, pharmacology, the proper use and administration of medications, taking and documenting vital signs, cardiology including proper lead placements, a professional workplace behavior, ethics and the legal aspects of healthcare.
The CMA Profession
Medical assistants perform routine clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and optometrists running smoothly. Clinical duties may include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises. They instruct patients about medication and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms and change dressings.
CMA Employment
Upon successful completion of the Clinical Medical Assistant course you will have the skills necessary to gain employment in a number of capacities. Job opportunities will be prevalent in physician's offices, clinics, chiropractor's offices and outpatient facilities. The occupational outlook handbook, states that employment of medical assistants is expected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average.