Allied Health
Medical Assistant
Overview
Average length of program:
4-7 quarters
Completion awards:
Certificate (4 quarters) or A.A.S. degree (7 quarters)
The Medical Assistant is an allied health professional who assists physicians and other health care
providers in their offices or other medical settings. In accordance with respective state laws, they
perform a broad range of administrative and clinical duties. In the Medical Assistant program at
Spokane Community College, students learn about the administrative duties of scheduling and receiving
patients, preparing and maintaining medical records, performing basic secretarial skills and medical
transcription, handling telephone calls, writing correspondence, serving as a liaison between the
physician and other individuals, and managing practice finances.
The clinical phase of the program
is taught through intense training and hands-on application. Students learn to perform clinical
duties, including asepsis and infection control, taking patient histories and vital signs, first
aid and CPR, preparing patients for procedures, assisting the physician with examinations and
treatments, collecting and processing specimens, performing selected diagnostic tests, and preparing
and administering medications as directed by the physician.
The Spokane Community College Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Curriculum review Board of
the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE). Commission on Accreditation of
Allied Health Education Programs 1361 Park street Clearwater, Florida 33756, 1(727)210-2350.
The MA program does not allow for advance standing placement or challenging of MA courses.
Employment opportunities include private physicians' offices, large medical clinics,
staff model HMO's, urgent care facilities, and other medical offices. Graduates of the
program have enjoyed a high placement rate in our local area. New opportunities in the
field of medical assisting are being realized as the profession continues to grow.
Persons with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, accommodations for
students with disabilities will be considered at the student's request. The student will be required to register
with the Disability Support Services office and provide documentation of disability. Once the student is qualified
by the DSS Manager as having a disability, requested accommodations will be considered. Accommodations for the
classroom, laboratory, or clinical setting will be considered according to reasonableness. Accommodations that
compromise patient care, or that fundamentally alter the nature of the program or activity, are not considered
to be reasonable. A student denied accommodation may request an individualized determination to assure that the
denial is not a result of disability discrimination by contacting the Manager of Disability Support Services and
Testing at 533-7498. Contact the SCC Disability Support Services office to obtain a copy of the procedures for
appeal of an accommodation denial. Other than accommodation issues, procedures for student grievances including academic
dismissal are outlined in the following SCC website:
www.scc.spokane.edu/?concerns.
For additional information, please contact Disability Support Services.