Medical Assisting Curriculum: What to Expect in Your Training Schools and Training

Medical assisting is a rewarding healthcare career where you'll work alongside physicians, providing both administrative and clinical support. Because of the diverse skill set needed, medical assisting programs are designed to equip students with the knowledge and practical abilities to succeed. This article offers a guide to what you can expect from a medical assisting curriculum.

This exploration of the medical assisting curriculum offers insight into the areas of study, skills you'll develop, and the overall structure of these programs. Understanding the curriculum will allow you to make informed choices when selecting a training program and prepare for a successful career in healthcare.

Foundational Medical Knowledge

The medical assisting curriculum heavily emphasizes foundational medical knowledge. You'll learn essential concepts that serve as the building blocks for more advanced topics.

  • Anatomy and Physiology: You’ll study the structure of the human body (anatomy) and how it functions (physiology). This includes learning about cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.
  • Medical Terminology: This part of the Medical Assisting Curriculum: What to Expect in Your Training Schools covers a specialized language used in healthcare. You will learn prefixes, suffixes, and root words to understand and communicate medical information accurately.
  • Pharmacology: An introduction to drugs, including their classifications, administration routes, dosages, and potential side effects. Emphasis is placed on understanding how medications impact the body and recognizing adverse reactions.

Clinical Skills Training

A significant portion of your education will be dedicated to developing hands-on clinical skills. These skills are crucial for assisting physicians and providing direct patient care.

  • Vital Signs: You'll master taking and documenting vital signs, including temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure.
  • Patient Assessment: Learning to gather patient histories, document symptoms, and assist with physical examinations.
  • Phlebotomy: A fundamental skill, phlebotomy training teaches you how to draw blood samples safely and effectively for laboratory testing.
  • Injections: You'll learn the proper techniques for administering different types of injections, such as intramuscular, subcutaneous, and intradermal.
  • Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG): Learning how to perform and interpret electrocardiograms, which measure the electrical activity of the heart.
  • Wound Care: Basic wound care techniques, including cleaning, dressing changes, and infection control.
  • Asepsis and Infection Control: Implementing procedures to prevent the spread of infections in a healthcare setting. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides guidelines and information on this topic.

Administrative and Office Management

Medical assistants also play a crucial role in the administrative functions of a medical office. You'll receive training in these areas as part of the Medical Assisting Curriculum: What to Expect in Your Training Schools.

  • Medical Billing and Coding: Understanding the basics of medical billing and coding systems, such as ICD-10 and CPT codes, to ensure accurate claims processing.
  • Electronic Health Records (EHR): Learning how to use and manage electronic health records systems for patient documentation and data management.
  • Scheduling and Appointment Management: Efficiently scheduling patient appointments, managing calendars, and handling patient inquiries.
  • Insurance Procedures: Understanding insurance policies, verifying patient coverage, and processing insurance claims.
  • Office Communication: Developing effective communication skills for interacting with patients, physicians, and other healthcare professionals, both verbally and in writing.

The medical assisting curriculum emphasizes the importance of legal and ethical behavior in healthcare.

  • HIPAA Compliance: Understanding and adhering to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations to protect patient privacy and confidentiality. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) offers information about HIPAA.
  • Patient Rights: Understanding and respecting patient rights, including informed consent and the right to refuse treatment.
  • Medical Law and Ethics: Learning about legal and ethical principles that govern healthcare practice, such as malpractice, negligence, and scope of practice.

Laboratory Procedures

Basic laboratory procedures are often included in the medical assisting curriculum.

  • Specimen Collection and Processing: Proper techniques for collecting and processing various types of laboratory specimens, such as urine, blood, and throat swabs.
  • Microscopy: Learning how to use a microscope to examine specimens and identify microorganisms.
  • Basic Laboratory Tests: Performing simple laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and strep tests.

Professional Development

These elements of the Medical Assisting Curriculum: What to Expect in Your Training Schools contribute to your overall career readiness.

  • Resume Writing and Interview Skills: Guidance on creating a professional resume and developing effective interview skills to secure employment after graduation.
  • Professionalism and Communication: Developing professional behavior, communication skills, and teamwork abilities.
  • Externship/Clinical Practicum: A supervised clinical experience in a real-world healthcare setting, providing the opportunity to apply learned skills and gain practical experience. This allows students to put into practice what they learn in Medical Assisting Curriculum: What to Expect in Your Training Schools.

Certification

While not always mandatory, many employers prefer to hire certified medical assistants. Common certifications include:

  • Certified Medical Assistant (CMA): Offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).
  • Registered Medical Assistant (RMA): Offered by American Medical Technologists (AMT).

Your training program will likely prepare you to take one or both of these certification exams upon graduation. Achieving certification demonstrates your competence and commitment to the profession.