2024-2025 College Catalog 
    
    Dec 07, 2024  
2024-2025 College Catalog

Medical Assistant AAS


The Medical Assistant Program prepares students to perform administrative, clinical, and laboratory duties in a variety of health care settings. As one of the fastest growing health care occupations, medical assistants are most commonly employed in medical offices and clinics.

Their administrative responsibilities may include front office reception, billing, bookkeeping, basic correspondence, and scheduling of appointments. Clinical duties include taking medical histories, recording vital signs, collecting laboratory specimens, performing basic laboratory tests, taking electrocardiograms, and assisting the physician during the examination and treatment of patients.

Medical Assisting Program Goals

  • To prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
  • Safely and effectively perform a variety of clinical and administrative tasks as an entry level medical assistant.
  • Display professionalism in the workplace and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing within a work environment.
  • Follow standards, policies and procedures of the physician’s office within the medical assistant scope of practice demonstrating ethical and legal behaviors.

Working Conditions

Medical assistants work closely with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals and office personnel. Although most medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week, they may be assigned evenings or weekends dependent upon their place of employment. The medical assistant provides direct patient care and must be able to obtain the knowledge (cognitive function), skills (psychomotor function), and demonstrate professionalism (affective function).

If you are considering this field, you should be able to accurately record and keep track of information, maintain confidentiality, deal calmly and professionally with patients, follow medical charts and understand diagnoses, and work with electronic health records. Please refer to the Essential Skills & Abilities of a Medical Assistant to determine if you are able to meet these functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

Employment

Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 19% from 2019-2029, much faster then the average for all healthcare professions. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.

Licensure

Upon successful completion of the program, the graduate will be eligible to take the certification exam offered by the American Medical Technologists (AMT) or American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

Program Requirements

Students will be required to show proof of immunizations and required titers, TB test, physical examination, criminal background check, and drug screen. Students are responsible for all fees incurred, in addition to tuition. Please refer to the Medical Assistant Program Cost Sheet. Please note findings on the criminal background check and drug screen may void conditional admission and prevent entrance to the program. Findings on the physical examination and drug screen may prevent placement at the clinical sites.

Department of Health Professions

2400 Tom L. Wilson Blvd.
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309.341.5299

For Additional Information Contact:

The Welcome Center
Phone: 309.345.3500
welcomecenter@sandburg.edu

For Graduation Requirements:

See the graduation policies and procedures page for details .

Degree Requirements


Faculty


Cathy Gebru, RN, CMA
Instructor, Medical Assisting

Tiffany Viggiano, M.Ed., Ph.D.
Dean, Department of Health Professions

Facilities


The Medical Assistant Program offers courses on the Galesburg Campus with access to the skills lab and health assessment lab where essential skills will be demonstrated and practiced. Practicum experiences for the Medical Assistant program will be gained with physician offices and clinics in the Galesburg area such as: OSF St. Mary’s Medical Center and Clinics, and other surrounding community agencies as needed.