The Medical Assisting curriculum prepares multi-skilled healthcare professionals qualified to perform administrative, clinical, and laboratory procedures.
Coursework includes instruction in scheduling appointments, coding and processing insurance accounts, billing, collections, computer operations; assisting with examinations/treatments, performing routine laboratory procedures, electrocardiography, supervised medication administration; and ethical/legal issues associated with patient care.
Graduates of CAAHEP-accredited medical assisting programs may be eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants’ Certification Examination to become Certified Medical Assistants. Employment opportunities include physicians’ offices, health maintenance organizations, health departments, and hospitals.
Accreditation Statement
This program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (http://www.caahep.org/) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). Contact the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs at 9355 – 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775 or call 727-210-2350.
Competencies
Upon successful completion of the Medical Assisting program, the student should be able to:
- Demonstrate critical thinking based on knowledge of the subject matter required for competence in the profession.
- Communicate professionally and effectively, both orally and in writing, while demonstrating respect for individual diversity.
- Incorporate cognitive knowledge implementing psychomotor domains in performing clinical and laboratory procedures.
- Demonstrate cognitive knowledge and awareness of providing patient care in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations, policies, laws, and patient rights, in the practice setting.
- Incorporate protective practices and quality control measures, relating to health and safety policies and procedures, to prevent accidents and maintain a safe work environment.
Program Outcomes
- To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession
Program Effectiveness
Exam Pass Rate
| Year |
Exam Passage |
| 2024 |
100% |
| 2023 |
100% |
| 2022 |
67% |
| 2021 |
88% |
| 2020 |
100% |
The Medical Assisting program at Cleveland Community College has a five-year average of 91% for exam passage for the years 2020-2024.
Job Placement Rate
| Year |
Job Placement |
| 2024 |
83% |
| 2023 |
100% |
| 2022 |
83% |
| 2021 |
75% |
| 2020 |
90% |
The Medical Assisting program at Cleveland Community College has a five-year average of 85% for job placement for the years 2020-2024.
Admission and Selection Criteria
CCC has established admissions and selection procedures to ensure students are admitted and selected in a consistent and equitable manner. Completion of these requirements will not guarantee admission to the program. All applicants are encouraged to attend a Health Sciences Symposium, held in June and November, to learn more about the program.
All admissions criteria must be completed and submitted to the Admissions Office prior to the program deadline of January 25.
Admission Requirements
- Application to the College and NC Residency
- Reading/English: Meet one of the following to demonstrate proficiency:
- Completion of ENG 111 or equivalent with a minimum grade of “C”
- Completion of prerequisites to be eligible to register for ENG 111 without corequisite (or currently enrolled)
- Have a 2.8 or higher unweighted high school GPA
- Provide satisfactory placement test scores
- Provide proof of completion of an associate or bachelor’s degree (if applicable)
Post-Provisional Acceptance Requirements
An email notification of provisional acceptance will be sent by February 20. The following must be completed to satisfy acceptance requirements:
- Attend program specific orientation
- Complete CCC Health Sciences Medical Form
- Criminal background check and 12-panel drug screen obtained through a secure compliance tracking database
- The following immunizations are required (more information will be provided during orientation):
- Complete 2-Step TB Test or IGRA
- Hepatitis B
- Influenza (required between 9/1 – 10/31) or of current influenza season
- Varicella
- Td or TDaP
- MMR
- CPR Certification
- Comply with the Technical Standards outlined for the program
- Highly recommended for all students to have health insurance
Clinical facilities may require criminal background checks, drug screenings, and/or proof of US citizenship prior to or during participation in the clinical portion of the program. A student who is unable to complete the clinical portion of the program will not be able to graduate. Criminal background checks, drug screenings, and/or proof of US citizenship may also be required after graduation by examination boards, state licensing boards, and employing agencies.
Essential Functions and Technical Standards
Purpose Statement
The following standards reflect reasonable expectations of students. In adopting these standards, the program is mindful of the patient’s right to safe and high-quality healthcare by students. The student must be able to apply the knowledge and skills necessary to function in a broad variety of clinical situations while providing high-quality patient care. These standards reflect what may be required for employment of the entry-level professional.
It is important that students who are admitted possess cognitive and critical thinking skills, interpersonal skills, behavioral skills, physical skills, and communication skills necessary to practice in the field. Reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities will be considered on an individual basis, but each student must be able to independently perform all performance standards demanded by the clinical site and the College. Accommodations will be provided in accordance with Disabilities Services at Cleveland Community College. The following abilities/skills are required, with or without accommodations. Students must meet the following technical standards and maintain satisfactory demonstration of these standards for progression throughout the program. Students unable to meet these technical standards will not be able to complete the program. The examples used are not all-inclusive.
| Capability |
Standard |
Examples of Technical Standard Found in Program and Related to Industry |
| Cognitive Ability/Critical Thinking Skills |
Possess critical thinking skills adequate for making the necessary adjustments to meet the challenges in the examination room or office area.
Possess short and long-term memory sufficient to perform required tasks.
Ability to problem solve. |
Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations.
Make appropriate decisions in an emergency.
Make appropriate decisions where a situation is not clearly governed by specific guidelines.
Be able to demonstrate satisfactory performance on written examination, including mathematical computations. |
| Physical |
Tactile Skills: Possess sense of touch sufficient to perform physical assessment and functions.
|
Perform palpation of pulse and veins for venipuncture.
Perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
|
| Gross and Fine Motor Skills: Possess fine and gross motor skills adequate to enter data into a computer; perform functions of physical examination and those related to therapeutic interventions. |
Seize, hold, grasp, and turn with hands; input data into computer (~30 wpm), remove sutures, exhibit manual hand and finger dexterity.
Wash hands and don/remove gloves and other personal protective equipment as needed.
Administer injections, insert catheters, and other patient duties.
|
| Mobility Skills: Be able to move from area to area and maneuver in small spaces. Maintain good balance and use no devices that could impede patient safety/care. |
Be able to reach, stoop, bend, kneel, and crouch; ambulate without assistance devices for long periods of time.
Be able to independently exert force or lift up to 50 pounds to waist level.
Be able to assist patients on and off examination tables, push or pull wheelchairs, carts, and gurneys. |
| Auditory Skills: Hearing ability (with corrective devices as needed) to listen and communicate with others. |
Be able to hear instructions from medical and clerical members of the office staff with or without accommodation.
Be able to hear monitors, alarms, cries for help, telephone conversations, and hear blood pressure sounds through the stethoscope. |
| Visual Skills: Possess visual acuity to differentiate instrumentation and suture. Possess depth perception to adequately assist physician or staff. Possess good hand-eye coordination. |
Observe/assess patient responses, test results, and patient care documents. Vision correctable to 20/40 with normal depth perception and the ability to distinguish colors and read fine print.
Detect changes in patient skin color or condition. Observe color involved in specimen testing.
Distinguish between related drugs, liquids and gaseous chemicals. |
| Olfactory Skills: Differentiate smells in the physician’s office in order to ensure environmental safety and patient needs. |
Be able to distinguish and tolerate various odors during patient care. |
| Interpersonal Skills |
Ability to use interpersonal skills to be able to work well and communicate with various team members and staff.
Ability to listen and question.
Ability to take responsibility and be accountable for actions. |
Demonstrate respect for the patient, their privacy, and for family members.
Develop and maintain effective, mature and sensitive professional relationships with other members of the heath care team.
Establish rapport with patients, families and colleagues.
Respect different religious beliefs and cultural factors displayed by a diverse population.
|
| Behavioral Skills |
Be able to respond in an emotionally controlled manner in all situations. Accept responsibility for total patient care and avoid demonstrating personal stress or frustration when interacting with staff and patients. The student must not abuse any substance that may alter behavior. |
Work as a team member.
Tolerate physically taxing workloads.
Function effectively under stress.
Demonstrate self-motivation.
Accept criticism and respond appropriately.
Take responsibility for one’s own actions and self-report errors or omissions.
Accept constructive criticism and make appropriate adjustments to work methods.
Maintain personal hygiene consistent with requirements for close contact with patients.
|
| Communication Skills |
Ability to communicate with others by speech, hearing, reading, writing, language skills, and computer literacy.
Communicate clearly in telephone conversations.
Obtain and record written and oral medical histories. |
Read, comprehend, speak and write legibly in the English language.
Initiate health teaching to document and interpret clinical actions; provide clear audible directions to patients.
Relay the patient’s status to those with a need to know per HIPAA.
Be able to bring in an interpreter for the patient or family that does not speak English.
|
| Occupational Exposure |
Possess the ability to self-protect by using standard precautions when coming in contact with any patient. |
Exposure to blood and body fluids and communicable and infectious diseases, requiring the wearing of personal protective equipment, i.e., masks, goggles, and gloves.
Follow Blood Bourne Pathogen safety standards.
Working with sharps and medical waste; exposure to sticks, burns.
Exposure to latex and nitrile products if allergic.
Exposure to assault and battery
Environmental hazards – slippery floors, various levels of lighting, room temperatures, etc.
Handle hazardous medications such as chemotherapy drugs.
Be able to protect self and patient from radiation, and different toxic sterilants as well as infectious diseases.
Legal/ethical dilemmas
Liability issues
|
Estimated Total Cost for Program
| Fee Description |
Year 1 |
Year 2 |
| Tuition (Med Courses) |
$1582.00 |
$2114.00 |
| Lab Fees |
$192.00 |
$88.00 |
| Background, Drug Screen, & Immunization Tracker |
$0 |
$135.00 |
| Health Science Fee (Includes Uniforms) |
$200.00 |
$0 |
| Malpractice Insurance |
$0 |
$16.00 |
| Textbooks (for both years) |
$300.00 |
$200.00 |
| Pinning Fee |
$0 |
$50.00 |
| Estimated Total |
$2274.00 |
$2603.00 |
| Estimated Grand Total (2 Years) |
$4877.00 |
Understanding the Ranking Process
When all admissions requirements have been met, qualified applicants are ranked using a point system. Points will be awarded for each related course completed by the deadline, based on the grade earned in the course. If the course is repeated, the highest grade earned will be used in the ranking.
- A = 4 points
- B = 3 points
- C = 2 points (no points are awarded for grades lower than C)
AP credit is based on the individual scores:
- 5 = 4 points
- 4 = 3 points
- 3 = 2 points (no points are awarded for scores lower than 3)
Related course points will be added to create the total score for the ranking. Applicants with the highest ranked scores will be accepted. In the event of a tie, the GPA will be used to determine ranking order. An alternate list will be maintained in ranking order, and alternates will only be accepted if a space becomes available. Applicants not admitted to the program must reapply. The below chart can be used to track related course points.
| Course |
Grade |
Points Earned |
| BIO 168 |
|
|
| BIO 169 |
|
|
| ENG 111 |
|
|
| CNA (with clinical experience) or PBT 111 & PBT 112 Course Completion |
|
|
| PSY 150 or SOC 210 |
|
|
Applicants participating in the Rise to Success, Health Science Academy, or Health Science Apprenticeship programs must have their liaison submit an official email to hsadvising@clevelandcc.edu confirming their program enrollment. Students will be awarded an additional 2 points maximum.
Students attending the CCC Health Science Symposium, during the application period, will be awarded an additional 1 point.
Reentry Process
For students seeking reentry to the program:
- All requests for reentry must be approved by the Admissions Office and the program director prior to implementation.
- Only one reentry will be considered.
Applied and Not Accepted to Program
Students not selected to the program may reapply for the next year by completing a new health sciences application. All applications for admission must be updated annually.
Medical Assisting Program Advanced Placement Policy
The Medical Assisting Program follows the college’s policies on advanced placement, and transfer of credit. The program does not award credit for experiential learning.
Grading Policy
All courses must receive a grade of C or higher to complete the program.
