Medical Office Assisting

The program prepares you for a wide range of duties in medical offices. Administrative responsibilities may include scheduling and receiving patients, keeping medical records, handling telephone calls and correspondence, and purchasing and maintaining supplies and equipment. Medical office assistants may be responsible for administrative functions and processing insurance claims, accounts, fees and collections. Students should contact the advisors of the Health Services Management program as some classes taken in the program may apply toward the Associate of Applied Science degree.

Your clinical duties may include assisting with examinations and treatments, obtaining medical histories, sterilizing instruments and equipment, and performing certain diagnostic tests and laboratory procedures in a health care facility.

The program offers clinical experience as well as theory and laboratory courses. Students in the program must earn grades of C or better in all required courses and complete all courses required in the first two terms to be eligible for the practicum offered spring term.

This program is a fall term entry program with special admission requirements and enrollment limits.

Program outcomes

Students completing the Certificate will:

• Use medical business procedures to link patients to identified health care systems.
• Perform basic clinical assessments and minor treatments.
• Accurately record patient history and related information.
• Apply current technology associated with health care systems that are the standard of practice in outpatient clinics, health departments and medical practices.
• Use specific skills related to the scope of practice for a medical assistant in order to maintain and upgrade the delivery of health care.
• Comply with the professional ethics policies and procedures related to medical and legal matters, including confidentiality, medical
• records management, release of information, patient rights, workplace rights, and informal consents in health care facilities.

Getting started

The first step to entering this program is to take part in an assessment process which includes taking the college's free placement test and meeting with Counseling and Career Services. You may need to complete pre-program courses. Then, your advisor will help you develop an individualized program of study, which may include one or more of the following:

If you have questions about the requirements, call Counseling and Career Services at 503.399.5120 or 503.399.8343. Failure to be assessed may delay your entry into program classes.

Medical Office
^{Certificate of Completion}

In addition to tuition, estimated costs for students who complete the entire program listed below are books, $1,743; class fees, $237; universal fee, $312; equipment and supplies, $248; physical examination, $110; measles vaccination, $25; Hepatitis B vaccination series, $150. Contact the Financial Aid Office at 503.399.5018 to find out if you qualify for help with these costs.

Health care institutions may require criminal background checks before a student can begin MED130, Medical Assisting Practice, in Term 3.

You may earn a Certificate of Completion by successfully completing these 52 required credit hours:

Chemeketa Community College Catalog 2006-2007

Updated March 2007 by the College Advancement Department.