Medical Assistant Program

This certificate program provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to work as medical assistants in a variety of practice settings, such as in medical offices, acute care settings, and clinical or allied health and ambulatory care facilities.Course content includes medical terminology, office systems and procedures,medical coding, medical insurance and billing, electronic health records,patient advocacy, HIPAA compliance, basic anatomy and physiology, medical back office support, and blood borne and airborne pathogen standards.

The current program is designated as the Medical Office Clinical and Administrative Professional. Three years statistics are as follows. Current enrollment, 2022 is eighteen students enrolled in the medical assistant cohort.

The Medical Assistant Program, also known as a Front and Back Office Medical Assistant, is an integral part of the healthcare/medical team, thus the job demands the same high caliber of ethics, attitude and performance that the public has come to expect of the healthcare/medical profession.  Opportunities are many and varied, depending upon such factors as personality, experience and education.  Medical Assistant’s may become managers of clinics or group practices as well as assist in the physician’s office, clinic or hospital.

Learning Objectives:

1. Accurately and safely perform medical assisting tasks and procedures.
2. Perform receptionist and administrative medical facility duties
3. Interact professionally and ethically with patients and medical facility personnel, working within the medical assistant scope of practice.

Student Selection and Fees: Admission to the Medial Assistant Program requires a separate and additional process to the general college admissions requirements. An $88 security and drug screening fee is required in addition to the standard college fees. The information and application form is available through the Nursing and Allied Health Department Office. 

To comply with state and local regulations for health care providers, students participating in clinical/externships through the MiraCosta Medical Assistant Program are required to meet vaccination,security background check, CPR certification, and drug testing requirements and provide documentation to the Nursing and Allied Health Department prior to being placed at a clinical/externship site.

This program is consistent with the college’s master plan, and is not considered a substantial change by the college’s accrediting agency, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC).          

Health Care Reform has brought about many changes in the delivery of healthcare including the emphasis on ambulatory care, increased technology, increased knowledge of health and illness, health care funding, and the aging population. All of these factors have been influential in the expansion of the medical assistant role in healthcare. The medical assistant is expected to possess greater skills and flexibility of roles.  In some areas there is a specialization of roles, such as the medical billing specialist,medical records technician, and administrative or clinical roles.  In a job analysis using the DACUM process by supported by Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (VTEA), Title 1, Part B funds found that a wide range of skills and abroad understanding of ambulatory medical care are required to function effectively. 

Certificate of Achievement: Medical Assistant