About Medical Assisting
Definition of the Medical Assisting Profession
Medical assistants are multi-skilled health professionals specifically educated to work in a variety of healthcare settings performing clinical and administrative duties. The practice of medical assisting necessitates mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience that serve as standards for entry into the profession.
Goal of Columbus State Community College Medical Assisting Program
The goal of the Medical Assisting Program (Certificate and Degree) at Columbus State Community College is, "To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession."
The communities of interest that are served by the CSCC Medical Assisting Technology Program include, but are not limited to, students, graduates, faculty, sponsor administration, employers, physicians, and the public.
Technology Overview
Columbus State Community College (CSCC) was awarded approval from the Ohio Board of Regents to implement a Medical Assisting Program in 1996. The college began accepting candidates for the Associates Degree in Applied Science Medical Assisting in June 1996. In April of 1999 the CSCC MAT program received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) as an associate degree program. In 2006 the program was converted to a one plus one program in which students can follow the plan of study for the Medical Assisting Certificate Program and then choose to continue at CSCC to achieve the Medical Assisting ATS degree.
According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (1996-2015), Graduates of the Medical Assisting Certificate Program are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant exam CMA (AAMA). Those students who successful complete the CMA (AAMA) examination are credentialed through the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants, therefore credentialed with The Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) or CMA (AAMA). The CMA (AAMA) is evidence of competence in a demanding field.
Testing for the CMA (AAMA) includes the following disciplines according to the American
Association of Medical Assistants (1196-2015):
- General medical knowledge, including terminology, anatomy, physiology, behavioral
science, and medical law and ethics
- Administrative knowledge, including medical records management, collections and insurance
processing
- Clinical knowledge, including examination room techniques, medication preparation
and administration, pharmacology and laboratory procedures
The CSCC Medical Assisting Certificate Program received an eight and 1/2 year accreditation in November 2017. Compulsory review of the CSCC Medical Assisting Program to obtain renewal of accreditation will commence in autumn 2025. The Medical Assisting Certificate and Associate Degree Program are a subdivision of the Health and Human Services Division at Columbus State Community College.
As a graduate of Columbus State’s Medical Assisting program, you will be the first person many patients see when they visit the doctor. You will learn clinical procedures, laboratory procedures, administrative procedures, computer applications, office management, psychology, and pharmacology.
This program provides students with the knowledge to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains.
To enter the Medical Assisting Technology program, you must attend an information session.
Where Do They Work?
Medical Assistants work primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices, urgent care facilities, clinics and hospitals.
Job Titles
Medical Assistant, Medical Office Manager
Clinical and Administrative Duties
They perform a broad range of clinical and administrative duties. Administrative duties include: scheduling and receiving patients, establishing and maintaining medical records, secretarial skills, handling telephone calls, billing, coding, insurance, writing correspondence and managing finances.
Clinical skills include: patient preparation, assisting in minor surgery and patient treatments, performing vital signs, venipuncture, CLIA-waived testing, urinalysis, injections, electrocardiography, pulmonary function test, holter monitor, eye and ear instillations and irrigations, various routine diagnostic tests, sterilization procedures, and assisting physicians with various examinations.
Employment Prospects
Nationwide, Medical Assisting is #1 on the Top Ten Most Rising Careers list according to the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical Assisting is expected to grow 29% over the next seven years. Medical Assisting is growing due to the appeal of an in-demand occupation, coupled with the convenience of multi-skilled hands-on training.
Job Placement
Columbus State Community College does not guarantee job placement for graduates.