Medical Assistant Certification Programs
Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to help you prepare to take the next steps toward a career as a medical assistant online. You’ll cover the essential skills and knowledge that will be relevant to the job.
Program Orientation: Medical Assistant
- Identify the elements, expectations, and requirements of the program.
- Navigate the program using the pages, menus, and buttons provided.
- Use the program tools, including the study planner, gradebook, and completion report. Be able to contact CareerStep by phone, email, forums, chat rooms, and social media.
- Identify and use program-specific resources.
Medical Assistant Career Introduction
- Summarize the medical assisting profession.
- Summarize licensure, accreditation, certification, and registration for medical assistants.
HealthCare Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science
- Summarize the medical assisting profession.
- Translate medical terminology using abbreviations, word building, and important terms.
- Explain how nutrition knowledge relates to health and disease.
- Identify the role psychology plays in dealing with patients and their behavior.
Anatomy and Physiology Essentials
- Be able to name and explain all of the systems of the body.
- Describe the structure of the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.
- Describe the process of osteogenesis.
- Identify the bones in cell formation. Describe the overall structure of the muscular system.
- Describe the general functions of the nervous system.
- Describe the major sources of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids.
- List the general functions of the kidney.
- Identify the mechanisms of regulating water input and output.
- Describe the fetal stages and prenatal period.
General Patient Care
- Summarize the pharmacology basics needed by a medical assistant
- Outline the tasks required to prepare the examination room and the patient for examination.
Pharmacology Basics for Medical Assisting
- Identify the classifications of drugs.
- Review indications, side effects, and adverse reactions of various classifications of drugs.
- Interpret accepted abbreviations used in reference to medications.
Infection Control
- Review the causes and diagnostic methods of various infectious and communicable diseases.
- Explore the protective measures required to prevent infection.
Testing and Laboratory Procedures
- Identify how specimens are collected and handled.
- Explore procedures and processes used in obtaining blood and urine samples.
- Outline the standard components of vision and hearing screening tests.
- Review common techniques and processes frequently used in medical laboratories.
Externship Readiness Skills
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources.
- Develop effective time management skills.
- Enhance your creative and critical thinking.
- Integrate critical and creative thinking skills into your life.
- Learn physical and emotional coping techniques to deal with stress.
- Explore essential ingredients of the communication process.
- Acquire methods to maximize verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
- Relate the importance of professional image to career success.
- Learn strategies to write a powerful resume.
- Identify key elements of successful interviews.
- Relate the importance of good study habits to your personal success.
- Identify traits related to self-motivation and self-esteem.
- Incorporate a positive and professional attitude in dealing with others.
- Understand that failures are important learning tools.
Patient Care Coordination and Education
- Review how to administer and coordinate general patient care according to professional best practices.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in administering patient care.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in facilitating patient education.
Medical Administrative Assistant
- Describe the differences between common healthcare delivery models.
- Describe the types of services typically offered in medical offices, including general and specialty services.
- Define ancillary services and alternative therapies.
Communication and Customer Service in the Healthcare Office
- Identify the various types and styles of communication used in a healthcare office.
- Review how verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills contribute to patient experience and outcome in a health care office.
Comprehensive Electronic Health Records
- Demonstrate how patient records are used and regulated.
- Complete tasks required for scheduling a patient.
- Review clinical information reporting.
- Explore revenue cycle and financial reporting.
Medical Laws and Ethics
- Describe common legal issues related to prescriptions and medication administration.
- Identify key legal and regulatory aspects of the healthcare environment.
- Analyze key ethical and legal aspects of the medical profession.
- Summarize common legal issues related to medical documentation.
Phlebotomy
- Identify equipment and supplies used to collect, store, and process blood samples.
- Describe common phlebotomy techniques.
- List correct steps in the process of taking blood.
- Explain patient care before, during, and after blood collection.
- Describe how to prepare and handle a blood sample.
Venipuncture Labs
- Describe the importance of taking a medical history before performing any invasive procedures
- Describe the importance of adhering to basic principles of sterility and asepsis
- Describe the basics principles of venipuncture
- Discuss various techniques of drawing venous, arterial, and capillary blood
- Discuss various types of injections (e.g. local and regional anesthetic injections)
EKG and Cardiovascular
- Identify the basic anatomy of the heart.
- List the steps needed to ensure proper functioning of ECG/EKG equipment (calibration, standardization).
- List the equipment and supplies needed to perform an ECG/EKG procedure.
Career Success in Healthcare
- Define “professionalism” and “success” in your own terms
- Differentiate between long-, medium-,and short-range goals
- Assess and develop your time management skills
Medical Assistant Final Exam
- Identify the steps needed to be eligible for and effectively prepare for and access the final exam.
- Identify the format, restrictions, and policies of final exams, including scoring, retakes, allowed resources, and time limits.
Fundamentals of HIPAA
- Describe HIPAA basics.
- Understand the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rules.
- Describe the HITECH Act.
- Explain regulations for business associates.
- Summarize HIPAA documentation and training.
Applying For Your Required Externship*
- Create your profile in the Learner Placement Portal.
- Review the externship preparation resources.
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources to help in your search for an externship.
- Understand the benefits of an externship.
- Access externship participation eligibility requirements.
- Understand the externship application process.
Clinical Externship Experience*
- Earn hours of experience for your certification.
Program Completion: Medical Assistant
- Prepare to take the next steps after program completion.
* CareerStep does not guarantee externships. A learner’s placement in and completion of an externship is solely the learner’s responsibility and may be subject to additional requirements, such as a background check and successful completion of a CareerStep course.
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