Medical Assistant

The Medical Assistant program at Cabarrus College prepares students to work in a physician’s office supporting medical providers by performing a wide range of tasks. Medical Assistants have many clinical duties such as assessing patients, taking medical histories, assessing vital signs, administering medications, drawing blood, performing lab testing, and assisting the medical provider with patient care and procedures. Less often, medical assistants are also responsible for a variety of clerical tasks such as insurance verification, prior authorizations, appointment scheduling, and billing.

Medical assistants are in high demand locally and nationally. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistant jobs are expected to have one of the highest rates of growth over the next 10 years.

Diploma graduates are eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants Certification Examination. In the program’s twenty-year history, almost 100% of our graduates have passed the certification exam. Our graduates also have a high rate of employability within six months after graduation. Diploma graduates are also eligible to continue their education in pursuing the associate degree that includes studies in behavioral and biological sciences and an additional medical assistant internship.

Mission

The Mission of the Medical Assistant Program at Cabarrus College is to provide an atmosphere for qualified students to develop, enhance, and demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professionalism required to function as an entrylevel medical assistant in the ambulatory care setting.

Program Student Learning Outcomes - Associate of Science Degree

Students who graduate with the associate's degree in Medical Assistant will be able to:

Analyze the patient experience to provide optimum patient care.
Apply knowledge of MAERB Core Curriculum by completing and passing the core competencies and AAMA certification examination.
Demonstrate cultural sensitivity and advocacy when providing care to individuals of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.
Summarize the advanced practices of medical assistants as related to the scope o practice for the state of residence.
Execute data management within practice management software in the ambulatory setting.
Analyze the interrelationships of body systems in health maintenance and disease prevention.
Apply principles of mathematics and pharmacology with consistency and accuracy.

Program Student Learning Outcomes - Diploma Program

Perform the clinical and clerical skills of an entry-level medical assistant.
Apply knowledge of MAERB Core Curriculum by completing and passing the core competencies and AAMA certification examination.
Demonstrate professional and effective therapeutic communication skills with all patients and teammates.
Define legal and ethical considerations pertaining to the medical assistant’s scope of practice.
Manage medical records in the physician’s office by effectively navigating medical record software.

Medical Assistant Student Organization (MASO)
Getting involved with MASO will support and enhance your academic experience at Cabarrus College. Membership in MASO is open to all medical assisting students. MASO promotes the profession of medical assistant and seeks to continually improve the knowledge and skills of its members.

Club Highlights: MASO holds regularly scheduled monthly meetings during the academic year. The members' biggest focus is fundraising. In the fall semester, fundraising is done to raise money to participate in the College Angel Tree Project and various other benefits to the community. In the spring semester, fundraising is done through multiple efforts such as bake sales, silent auctions, Little Caesar Pizza Kit sales, etc. These fundraising efforts help the MASO members attend the State Medical Assisting Conference held in April each year. At each state conference, the MASO members participate in the College Quiz Bowl. We were champions in 2010. MASO also looks to give back to the community by participating in various volunteer opportunities such as the hospital health fairs, dermatology office skin checks, blood drives, etc.

Certification Eligibility

The Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Medical Assistant Diploma Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assistant Education Review Board (MAERB). CAAHEP accredits educational programs that prepare health professionals in a variety of disciplinary areas. Programs are accredited when it is determined that they meet the educational Standards and Guidelines established by the profession. Cabarrus College of Health Sciences was initially accredited in April 2000, was grated continued accreditation in May 2009, and most recently in September 2017. All graduates are eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants Certification Examination after successful completion of the diploma portion of the program.

Medical Assistant Resources

Outcome Reporting

The Medical Assistant Diploma Program reports a five year weighted average on various outcomes from our accreditation Annual Report Form

Academic Programs