Overview
Narrative
Health care continues to be a growth area of our economy. Varied and satisfying employment opportunities exist, even for individuals with a minimum of science education.
Northampton developed its Medical Assistant specialized diploma program in response to requests from physicians who were looking for workers educated in administrative and clinical skills.
Students develop their skills in the academic setting prior to experiencing hands-on clinical instruction in ambulatory care.
This program progresses sequentially. In the first semester, students will master the basic theory and skills and then move on to more challenging procedures in the second semester. The program concludes with a capstone clinical externship during the third semester when students will complete volunteer hours in a medical office under the supervision of a clinical preceptor.
The specialized diploma is part of a career ladder that allows successful students to gain employment at the earliest point in the medical assistant career. Students may choose to continue their studies with a full or part-time schedule through direct articulation with other Medical Office Administration programs.
Features
Students will learn clerical skills such as coding and the fundamentals of health care reimbursement. Clinical skills include obtaining patient history, vital sign measurement, medication administration, phlebotomy, lab specimen collection, and ECGs.
Students can elect to attend the program on a part-time or full-time basis however, the Medical Assistant Techniques courses must be taken in sequence and are only offered once each year. This program is offered at the Fowler Southside Center and Pocono Campus.
After completing the program, students are eligible to take the Registered Medical Assistant certification exam through American Medical Technologists to become RMA certified. The program faculty will distribute information about the exam to students at the conclusion of the program.
Career Potential: Medical Assistant in the office of physicians, dentists, podiatrists, urgent care centers, chiropractors, and ambulatory surgical units.
Admission Requirements
After applying to the program, students are required to submit the following:
-
Background Clearances (PA State Police, FBI, Child Abuse)
- Health Insurance
- Physical Examination
- Immunizations
- Titers
- COVID-19 and Flu Vaccinations
- Urine Drug Screen
- BLS for Healthcare Providers (CPR) Certification
Deadline
Medical Assistant is a fall-start program. Students may apply to the clinical program starting October 1.
After August 15th, students who wish to take general education courses toward the Medical Assistant specialized diploma may apply to the Healthcare Office Coordinator AAS Degree program of study.
Contact the Admissions Office at 610-861-5500 for further information.
Academic Dismissal from Health Sciences Selective Admission Programs
Any student who does not successfully complete* one (1) course that carries the prefix of the student's Health Sciences major will be dismissed from the program. This policy applies to courses in these programs: Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMSG), Radiography (RADT), Nursing (NURS) and Funeral Services (FUNS).
Any student who does not successfully complete* two (2) courses (either two different courses or the same course twice), that carry the prefix of the student's Health Sciences major will be dismissed from the program. This policy applies to courses in these programs: Dental Hygiene (DENH), Medical Assistant (MDAS), Veterinary Technician (VETC), and Respiratory Care (RESP).
Students may apply again for possible readmission, which includes testing of previous core course material. Readmission is on a space available basis, and priority is given to students entering the program for the first time and to those students who have successfully completed the core courses and have maintained continuous enrollment.
If the student is readmitted and again does not successfully complete one (1) course that carries the prefix of the student's Health Sciences program, they will be dismissed from the program and will not be eligible to reapply.
*Unsuccessful course completion is defined as a final course grade of F or W.