Medical Assistant
Medical Assistants are multi-skilled practitioners who perform in a wide range of skills in medical offices, hospitals, and other health care settings.
If you’ve been to a doctor recently, the medical assistant is the person who takes you into the exam room, collects your weight, blood pressure, and medical history, and prepares you for your exam. Medical assistants may also help with the physical exams, collect samples for the lab, and help patients understand information from the doctor or other provider.
“Students love the hands-on work, and giving back to the community and connections they can make with patients,” said Tara Boerner, healthcare programs instructor. “They look forward to being a part of the larger picture of the medical community.”
Medical Assistants provide a wide range of services to healthcare practitioners and patients. For example, they assist with patient care management, administrative, and clinical procedures, such as physical examinations, phlebotomy, injections, electrocardiograms, and instrument sterilization.
Positions are most often available in hospitals and clinics, physician offices, and outpatient care facilities.
Medical Assistant Education Plan
Emphasis: Medical Assistant
Degree: Associate in Applied Science
Total Credits: 91-99
Notes for Students
- PSYC& 200 is a recommended elective.
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Students interested in entering the Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management program will also need to take a Quantitative Skills Distribution course, ENGL& 101, Natural Science, Social Science, and five additional credits of English, Math, Natural Science or Social Science.
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*BIOL$ 170/BIOL& 172 or BIOL& 242/242, MA 130, MA 139, and MA 140 or HLSV 131 are prerequisites to apply for the second year. Students must receive a grade of 2.5 or higher in these courses.
** BIOL& 170/BIOL 172 may be substituted for BIOL& 241/BIOL& 242.
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The Centralia College Medical Assistant program is accredited at the institutional level by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
The MA program is affiliated with the American Medical Technologists (AMT), one of four national credentialing organizations that provide written examinations for graduates to become nationally certified. This national certification is now required to work in the state of Washington.
Upon successful completion of the national exam, the MA will be awarded the national credential Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) through AMT. The national RMA credential is equivalent to the national CMA credential, and should be recognized as such by all potential employers. Once nationally certified, graduates will be required to complete continuing education units to renew the national credential per the AMT renewal schedule.
It is the responsibility of the MA graduate to apply to the AMT to take the national boards and to pay all incurred costs with this national written examination.
Centralia College's MA program meets all criteria for graduates to be eligible to work in the state of Washington as a Medical Assistant-Certified (MA-C), once the graduate has passed their national boards. This certification requires renewal every two years.
Once hired, the graduate's employer will obtain from the state an interim MA-C certificate that is good for exactly one calendar year from the date it is issued. The one-year interim period is to allow the new graduate to start work even if they have not passed their national boards yet. However, they must pass their national boards within that one-year interim period; otherwise, the MA-C will be revoked and they will only be allowed to work from that point forward in Washington as a Medical Assistant-Registered (MA-R), which is a lesser credential.
ContactCareer & Technical EducationTech (TEC) Building, Room 114 360-623-8963 cte@centralia.edu |
Tara Boerner Faculty Office: SWFT Center 360-623-8179 Email Tara Boerner |