Medical Assistant
Overview
- Delivery: Daytime, Online
- Start:
- Fall Semester for On-Campus Program
- Spring Semester for Online Enhanced Program
- Full- or Part-Time
- Location: Rosemount Campus
Outcomes
- Medical Assistant — A.A.S. Degree 62 credits
- Medical Assistant — Diploma 42 credits
- NOW OFFERING — Online Hybrid Program
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Major Description
Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or CAAHEP, on recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board, this program trains students to be professional medical assistants dedicated to patient care management.
Graduates are equipped to assist doctors with examinations and treatments, take medical histories, perform diagnostic tests, expose X-ray films, sterilize instruments and supplies, assist with minor surgery and administer medications.
Work Environment
Graduates assist primary care physicians and specialists in clinics ranging in size from single-doctor to large, multi-specialty. Opportunities are also present in a variety of other health care areas.
Potential Job Titles
- Certified Medical Assistant
- Medical Assistant
- Clinical Assistant
Salary Data
- Average Wage: $16.37/hour
- Top Earners: $20.46/hour
(Seven-county metro area—iseek.org)
Professional Organizations
The American Association of Medical Assistants has chapters in Minnesota that allow students to enhance their professional development and prepare for national certification as a Certified Medical Assistant title.
Admissions Requirements
- Students admitted to the program must meet the standard of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment of 1988, which states that no one can practice in a laboratory without a high school diploma or GED.
- Students must begin the Hepatitis B vaccination series or sign a declination statement before beginning invasive procedures in the first semester. Proof of immunization is required prior to the externship course.
Course Prerequisites
- Students must score 66 or above on the Reading Comprehension portion of the ACCUPLACER test to register for MDAS courses. Any student scoring below 66 should take a reading intensive course such as ENGL0123 Medical Reading and Study Skills to help raise his or her score.
- Students scoring below 38 on the Arithmetic Skills portion of the ACCUPLACER will be required to take MATS0200 Basic Math or MATS0334 Independent Math prior to enrolling or concurrent with HEAL1150 Health Careers Math.
Web Site
Visit the Medical Assistant Web site to access more information, including testimonials, newsletters, blogs, announcements, student employment and instructor biographies.
Academic Advisor
- Alison Tauer
Academic Advisor
alison.tauer@dctc.edu
651-423-8384
Dean
- Sherralyn Cox
Dean of Design and Health/Human Services
Instructors
| Patrice Nadeau | 651-423-8355 | patrice.nadeau@dctc.edu | BIO | Blog |
| Margaret Noirjean | 651-423-8540 | margaret.noirjean@dctc.edu | BIO | Blog |