Medical Assistant Technology

The Medical Assistant Program is designed to prepare competent entry-level graduates for employment as skilled professionals. Program instruction includes cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains. Successful competition of the program allows students to sit for the national certification exam. This certification leads students to employment opportunities in physicians’ offices, outpatient clinics, laboratories, ambulatory institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, minute clinics and urgent care facilities.

The Medical Assistant Program’s mission is to empower each student through knowledge and skill mastery in the profession of medical assisting. Medical assistants are the heart, soul and compassion of the community through providing service to patients, physicians and colleagues. Using positive reinforcement within the classroom and laboratories, Gadsden State’s Medical Assistant students will define professionalism through acquaintance.

Curriculum

 

Medical Assistant Technology

A new class will be admitted to the Medical Assisting Program each Fall Semester. Student selection is based on completion of all requirements: ACT scores, GPA and grades received in required general education courses. Admission to the program is competitive, and the number of students accepted is limited by the number of faculty and clinical space available. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

  1. Unconditional admission to the college. Apply for admissions here
  2. Submit online program application by midnight August 19 of the year of admission. 
  3. Submit supporting documents to the Admissions Office by the deadline.
    1. All official high school and college transcripts or official GED scores
    2. Official ACT scores  (with a minimum composite score of 18 on the national or residual on-campus test)
      • The Medical Assistant Program will accept an ACT Superscore if it is sent directly from ACT to Gadsden State Community College as your score recipient. Keep in mind the following: ACT does not include ACT Residual On-Campus testing in determining the Superscore. You must contact ACT and request (there is an associated fee) the Superscore be sent to Gadsden State. We will NOT calculate the Superscore. The Superscore must be the official score calculated and sent by ACT. The Superscore must be received by the application deadline. If you plan to use a Superscore you must send your full name, date of birth, A# and date Superscore was requested from ACT to Diane Ledbetter at dledbetter@gadsdenstate.edu.  We will need this information to verify receipt of the score.
  4. Must be 18 years old
  5. A minimum of 2.5 overall GPA at Gadsden State for all college courses taken. If no courses have been completed at Gadsden State, GPA from high school or from college institution from which student is transferring may be used.
  6. Minimum of 2.5 GPA for required Medical Assistant general education courses
  7. Must be eligible for placement into the following courses:
  • English 101
  • Math 116
  1. Must be in good standing with the College
  2. Must meet the Essential Functions required for Medical Assistant students. 
  3. Pass a criminal background check* and drug test upon admission to the program. Students are also subject to random and “for-cause” drug testing during the length of the program.
  4. Submit a completed health questionnaire and immunization records upon request by the program. 
  5. Demonstrate proof of insurance. Students who do not show proof of insurance will not be allowed to attend clinicals.

Review the Medical Assistant Ranking Sheet

The student entering and participating in the Medical Assistant Program must be able to:

  • stand for prolonged periods
  • work in a limited space 
  • perform under pressure in a stressful or emergency situation 
  • be oriented to reality and not be mentally impaired by mind-altering substances 
  • hear high and low-frequency sounds within normal range with or without corrective devices 
  • possess the visual acuity to read, write, and assess the patient and the environment with or without corrective lens 
  • position and transfer patients with assistance as needed during surgical procedures 
  • read, comprehend and write legibly in the English language 
  • send, receive and respond appropriately to verbal messages 
  • possess manual dexterity and tactile ability 
  • smell body and environmental odors 
  • correctly perform simple mathematical computations 
  • possess organizational skills 
  • lift and transport 25 pounds

Any student who has had a medical event (accident, surgery, bedrest, hospitalization, birth, etc.) that would prevent them from meeting the essential functions required for the program must provide a medical release from the physician stating that the student can meet the essential functions before returning to the clinical area.

The National Board for Medical Assisting of the American Association of Medical Assistants retains the sole authority to establish eligibility requirements and make all final decisions regarding eligibility. AAMA Disciplinary Standards state that if a person is found guilty of a felony or has plead guilty to a felony, the individual will be ineligible to sit for the certification examination. The certifying board may grant a waiver based upon mitigating circumstances. After successful completion of the AAMA exam, the individual will be a Certified Medical Assistant CMA (AAMA).

Before testing, individuals must first establish eligibility by submitting the appropriate examination application form along with the correct fees. AAMA does not refund processing fees for ineligible candidates.

AAMA accepts all properly completed applications from qualified applicants regardless of the applicant’s age, sex, race, religion, marital status, disability or national origin.

Upon acceptance into the Medical Assistant Program, students must have a background check and undergo a drug screen at the student’s expense. Students must also have a physical (form provided), submit an immunization record and maintain health insurance while enrolled in the program. At the New Student Orientation, the program will provide information concerning how and when these will be performed.

A variety of clinical affiliates are used within the surrounding six counties. The program makes every effort to avoid excessive driving distances but cannot guarantee a specific clinical assignment. Students should expect to travel and must have reliable transportation during the last three semesters of the program.

Clinical assignments will occur between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students will not be assigned to a clinical site during holidays observed by Gadsden State or during semester breaks of Gadsden State in which the College is formally closed. Students will not be assigned to clinical assignments in which immediate relatives (spouses, siblings, parents and children) are employed. If a student has relatives employed in other departments of the clinical affiliate, the assignment will be at the discretion of the program faculty.

The college-wide grading policy which is in place for all general education courses is located in the College Catalog.

The Medical Assistant Program uses the following grading scale for all programmatic courses:

Percentage Grade

Letter Grade

90-100

A

80-89

B

75-79

C

70-74

D

Below 70

F

These expenses are in addition to tuition and fees.

Items

Cost

Compliance Tracking

$98 (background check, initial drug screen and health information tracking); $68 for secondary background check and drug screen

Drug Screen 

$37 (2nd fall semester, random, "for cause")

Physical and Lab Testing

$200

Textbooks

$800 (entire program)

Lab fee $25

Medical Liability Insurance

$32

Uniforms 

$200

Application fee for Degree

$10

Application fee to apply for Medical Assistant examination

$225

Total

$1,668

 

All fees are approximations and subject to change.

Mission

The Medical Assistant Program will empower each student through knowledge and skill mastery in the profession of medical assisting. Medical assistants are the heart, soul and compassion of the community through providing service to patients, physicians and colleagues. Using positive reinforcement within the classroom and laboratories, Gadsden State students will define professionalism through acquaintance.

Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will competently perform medical assistant procedures.
  2. Students will communicate effectively.
  3. Students will use critical thinking skills.
  4. Students will demonstrate professionalism.

 

Start Here:

Step 1 – Review the Application Information below before continuing with the application process. You must have a Gadsden State student A-number and access to your student portal to fill out the application. If you have issues, please contact the Help Desk.

Step 2 Apply to the Medical Assistant Program at the Wallace Drive location. After logging into your student account, you will be directed to the program application.

Step 3 – Read Page 1 of the application thoroughly. Complete Pages 2 and 3 and upload any required documentation. Sign the application on Page 4 and submit. No changes or additions can be made to your application after you submit. No paper applications will be accepted.

Step 4 – Verify that you received a submission confirmation email to your GSCC student email account. Save the email in the event it should be needed.

IMPORTANT: If you need to save your application and complete it at a later date, click “Save Progress” at the bottom of the application screen. When you are ready to complete the application, log in to your myGadsdenState account and click the NextGen link in your Launch Pad. View your Pending/Draft forms to resume the saved application.

Medical Assisting programs vary considerably from institution to institution. Students seeking to transfer into the Gadsden State Medical Assistant Program from another program must meet the following requirements:

  1. Unconditional admission to the College with clear academic status.
  2. Ability to meet and comply with standards and policies in the current College Catalog and Student Handbook.
  3. Completion of requirements of initial admission (application, background check, drug screen, health records, etc.).
  4. Minimum grade point average of 2.5 for the required general education courses.
  5. No longer than 33 months elapsed from the initial admission term at the institution from which transferring to date of graduation. 
  6. Official transcripts verifying a minimum grade of “C” earned in courses which represent collegiate coursework relevant to the degree with course content and level of instruction resulting in student competencies at least equivalent for those matriculating students. Alabama Community College System Standardized Medical Assistant Curriculum courses will be transferred without review of the course syllabus. Verification of knowledge and/or skills may be required.
  7. Eligibility to return to previous Medical Assistant Program in good standing.
  8. No more than one semester in which a grade of “D” or “F” has been earned in the medical assistant course.
  9. Clinical space availability. 
  10. Completion of 25% of total required hours for the A.A.S. Degree in Medical Assistant at institution conferring degree.

Dr. Susan Thrasher, Medical Assisting Program Director

Dr. Susan Thrasher, Program Director

256-549-8689

sthrasher@gadsdenstate.edu