The objective of the Medical Assistant Diploma program is to provide students with the

knowledge, technical skills, and work habits to pursue an entry-level position in the medical
assistant field or in a related area. The program concentrates on helping students acquire
knowledge and develop skills in performing routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep
health care delivery settings running efficiently and smoothly. Duties for graduates of this
program may include answering telephones, greeting patients, calling in prescriptions to a
pharmacy, scheduling appointments, taking medical histories, recording vital signs, preparing
patients, assisting the physician during examinations, collecting and preparing laboratory
specimens, performing basic laboratory tests, sterilizing medical instruments, instructing
patients about medications and special diets, preparing and administering medications as
directed by a physician, authorizing drug refills as directed, drawing blood, preparing patients
for x-rays, taking electrocardiograms, removing sutures, and changing dressings. Instruction
occurs in some combination of classroom, laboratory, digital, practicum, or clinical settings.
Out-of-class work is required in this program. During the introductory modules to the program,
students receive training in handling medical emergencies and are certified in CPR through the
American Heart Association's CPR course (www.heart.org). Students must earn CPR certification
to pass the introductory module. Students enroll in this program to seek post-graduation
employment in positions typically including medical assistant, medical front office/back office
administration, and patient care assistant. The Medical Assistant program is 760 contact hours
over a period of 36 weeks. The program will include 550 hours of on- ground instruction and
210 hours of digital instruction. For more information regarding digital instruction, please refer
to the Summary of Delivery System information contained within the Student Information and
Services section of the catalog. All students must complete the program with 51 quarter credit
hours. Prior to graduation, students are required to complete two practica for a total of 200
contact hours. Please refer to the Practicum, Clinical, or Fieldwork requirements contained
within the Academic Information section of the catalog. Upon successful completion of the
program, graduates will be awarded a Medical Assistant Diploma. This program is intended,
among other things, to help eligible students prepare for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
(CCMA) Examination offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) or the Registered
Medical Assistant (RMA) Examination offered by The American Medical Technologists (AMT).
The Institution cannot guarantee a student's ability to pass optional certification exams offered
by external certifying agencies, nor their eligibility either to take a national certification exam or
become certified or registered. A student's eligibility may depend on his or her work
experience, secondary and/or postsecondary education credentials, the results of a criminal
background check, meeting other licensure or certification requirements, or the program or
School itself having appropriate accreditation or licensure. Some employers and/or
externship/practicum sites may themselves require a criminal background check, medical
examination, proof of immunizations, fingerprinting and/or drug screening prior to assignment.
The background check may include, but is not limited to, criminal history records (from state,
federal and other agencies), social security number trace, residency history, and nationwide sex
offender registry. Felony or serious misdemeanor convictions may limit or restrict employment
as well as externship/practicum placement opportunities where background checks are
required. Students are informed of the requirements for employment and certification, state
board, or national board licensing exams. Such requirements may change during the course of
the program. No student is automatically certified in any way upon program completion.
Students with felony convictions may not be eligible for certification. Please refer to the
Certification, 76 State Board, and National Board Exams section of this catalog for further
guidance. This program is intended to prepare graduates to pursue entry-level employment in
the field, or jobs in related fields, the specific job titles of which may not be represented in the
program title or described above. Although the School will assist students with job placement,
finding a job is the individual responsibility of the student. The School does not guarantee that
any student will be placed in any of the jobs described, or placed at all. To gather information
about this career, please click on the following link and go to "Click here for more information
on jobs related to this program" https://consumerinfo.brightwood.edu. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics has an Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-
assistants.htm that has some valuable information on a national level about the Medical
Assistant career. Be sure to pay special attention to the entry-level positions. In addition, each
state has detailed information regarding the occupation and labor markets on the State
Occupational Projections website at http://www.projectionscentral.com.