The goal is to provide:

• medical office administration skills.
• clinical skills required to assist physicians and patients.
• guidance in ethical behavior and professionalism befitting the medical assistant.
• career guidance and placement assistance of graduates after their externships.
• communication and collaborative skills necessary for effective interaction with other members of the medical team.
• critical thinking skills.
• support of the Medical Assisting profession.

The curriculum is designed to provide students with a "hands-on" approach to gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to perform the functions of a medical assistant while understanding the professional and ethical responsibilities. Courses in computer billing applications, administrative procedures, and medical law train the student for administrative responsibilities. Courses in vital signs, collecting and processing specimens, administering EKGs and injections, drawing blood and maintaining examination and treatment rooms train the student for clinical responsibilities. General courses in oral communication, written communication and the humanities, along with computer coursework, serve to develop the student's interpersonal skills, writing skills, and work place adaptability.

The graduate is prepared to enter the medical profession as an entry-level medical assistant, capable of performing both administrative and clinical duties. Employment can be with a physician's office, managed health care organization, laboratory, or other allied health facility.

Upon completion, the medical assisting student may sit for the national voluntary Registered Medical Assistant exam.

The normal time to complete this program for a full-time student is 15 months.