Medical Assisting Certificate Information

Medical Assistants are the only allied health professional specifically trained to work in ambulatory settings (such as physician offices, clinics and group practices). Medical Assistants are multi-skilled personnel who are capable of performing administrative and clinical procedures. A medical assistant performs delegated clinical and administrative duties within the supervising physicians’ scope of practice consistent with medical assisting education, training and experience.

Contact Information for Medical Assisting

Accreditation

The Medical Assisting Certificate program on the Toledo campus of Owens Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Program(CAAHEP) upon recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB). 

Professional Organization

Medical Assisting students are members of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

The Chair and full-time faculty of Medical Assisting are also members of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).

American Association of Medical Assistants
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite1575
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: 312-899-1500 or 800-228-2262
FAX: 312-899-1259
Web address: www.aama-ntl.org

Admission Requirements  

Minimum Criteria to be considered for the program:

High school students may apply, but acceptance into the program is contingent upon successful completion of high school and Medical Assisting Program prerequisites.

1. The following criteria must be submitted and on file in the Records Office by review deadline:

   1. Application and admission to Owens Community College. 
   2. High school transcript or GED.
   3. Official college transcripts (if applicable).
   4. American College Test (ACT) scores and/or SAT scores.

Selection Criteria for Applicant

• Students must be at least 18 years old to enter the Medical Assisting Certificate.
• Students must have any developmental courses completed in reading to be accepted in the Medical Assisting Certificate.
• Students much have a 2.0 GPA by the end of the 1st Semester and be college ready in reading.

Progression/Completion Requirements

Prior to beginning the Medical Assisting Certificate, students must have successfully completed all developmental courses into which they have tested.  Developmental courses include:  ENG 096. Courses follow a specific sequence (cohort) and must be taken together as indicated. Courses within the cohort are offered once per academic year. It is extremely important to meet with the Academic Advisor and Program Director to plan your course of study. All Medical Assisting Certificate students must earn a “C” or better in each program course and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or better.  Students who do not earn these grades must participate in a mandatory review of their progress with the Program Chair and meet with their Academic Advisor to assess their potential and aptitude to meet program standards. Courses may be repeated one time to meet the Medical Assisting Certificate standards.

Academic Readmission

A student who receives a “D” or “F” in a Medical Assisting Certificate course may be readmitted only one time on a space available basis.  A student requesting readmission after dismissal for academic reasons (“D” or “F” in a Medical Assisting course) must complete the following before being considered:The student must complete an academic readmission form.  Contact the Academic Advising Office for assistance in the development of a written academic plan to resolve the academic problems.The following requirements must be included in the academic plan for readmission:Written notification to the Department Chair of the student’s intention to return to the program at least four months prior to the start of the semester. A 2.0 overall GPA. May be required to pass a lab proficiency examination to demonstrate previously acquired skills.The plan then is submitted to the Department Chair and Dean for approval. This plan must be completed and approved to continue enrollment in the College.  Students are readmitted on a space available basis.  No second readmission will be considered.

Non-Academic Readmission 

Students who leave the Medical Assisting Certificate for other than academic reasons (“D” or “F” in a Dental Assisting course) may request readmission and be readmitted provided there is course seat availability. The Department Chair must be notified in writing of the student’s intention to return to the certificate at least four months prior to the start of the semester.

Health Requirements 

Students are required to have a physical exam, including an eye exam, before starting third semester.  Lab exams are required and include: CBC, Urinalysis, RPR/VDRL, Mumps Titer, 2-Step PPD, Diphtheria Toxoid & Tetanus Toxoid, MMR vaccination record or Rubella Titer, Hepatitis B (3part series).  Health Requirements must be completed before the start of the Directed Practice in the third semester.

Directed Practice Experience

As part of this degree, students gain supervised hands on experience enabling them to gain real work experience. During the last semester of the program students will participate in a 160 hour non-paid professional practice experience. Transportation costs, lab coat, etc. are the responsibility of the student.

Credentialing Exam

The qualifying examination for certification as a certified medical assistant is offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants to those graduates of an accredited CAAHEP or ABES program. Accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, graduates will be eligible to apply for certification examination.

The medical assisting program at Owens Community College has a five year average of 88.71% of participating graduates passing their Certified Medical Assistant exam offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants on their first attempt.

Employment Opportunities

Medical assistants perform numerous functions that vary from office to office and continually change within the work environment. Interaction with other people, handling several responsibilities at once and dealing with the public are some of the everyday tasks required of a medical assistant. Being well groomed and displaying a courteous pleasant manner will enable you to put patients at ease and explain the physician’s instructions. These individuals perform a variety of technical health care functions including vital signs, injections, venipunctures, filing and appointment scheduling. You will work as a member of the allied health care team under the supervision of a physician’s scope of practice.

The skills acquired through the Medical Assisting Certificate program, as well as successful completion of the national certification exam, qualify graduates for positions in:

• Physician practices

• Ambulatory Care Facilities

• Specialty physician practices

• Nursing Care Facilities

• Medical Insurance offices

• Legal Organizations

• Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories

• Behavioral Health Facilities

• Public and Private Educational Facilities 

The Medical Assisting Certificate program at Owens Community College has a job placement rate average of 76% over the past five years.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Owens Community College maintains an Office of Student Financial Services on each campus. The Office of Student Financial Services is the place for you to ask questions related to scholarships and financial aid. Contact: 1-800-GO OWENS ext. 2387 or (567) 661-2387 Email: studentfinancial@owens.edu