Medical Assisting Diploma

Program:  DMAT

The Medical Assisting Diploma is a diploma program with a career-focused curriculum including didactic and in-field learning experiences.  The goal of this program is to produce graduates who possess the necessary knowledge of contemporary medical office practices.

Courses are designed to provide clinical and administrative experiences which will culminate in an internship during the last semester.  During the internship, students will receive practical clinical and administrative experience observing, performing and/or assisting with medical procedures while interacting with other members of the healthcare team.

The program consists of three semesters and is 44 semester credit hours.  Upon successful program completion, graduates may apply to take the National Healthcare Association (NHA) CCMA certification exam.

Graduates of this degree plan will achieve the following program and institutional outcomes:

• Communicate and collaborate professionally with patients, healthcare team and third-party providers in diverse environments.
• Demonstrate knowledge in medical assisting skills.
• Demonstrate and practice behavior consistent with the legal and ethical standards of the profession.
• Demonstrate standard, quality, safety and risk-reduction precautions in the healthcare setting.
• Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.
• Transfer knowledge, skills and behaviors acquired through formal and informal learning and life experiences to new situations.
• Employ strategies for reflection on learning and practice in order to adjust learning processes for continual improvement.
• Follow established methods of inquiry and mathematical reasoning to form conclusions and make decisions.
• Participate in social, academic and professional communities for individual growth and to function as a citizen of a multicultural world.