| Program
Description
 The
Medical Assisting Program is a three-semester diploma program
that prepares graduates for work in the physician's office,
outpatient clinics and other ambulatory health care facilities.
The Medical Assistant is an integral member of the health
care delivery team, a vital liaison between the doctor and
the patient, and plays an important role in diagnosis and
treatment. Medical Assistants schedule and monitor appointments,
arrange hospital and outpatient admissions, manage medical
records, process insurance claims, and manage office financial
records.
In the clinical area, Medical Assistants prepare
patients for examinations, procedures and treatments, assist
with physical examinations, record medical histories, take
vital signs, chart patient information, administer medications
and injections, perform electrocardiograms, assist with
minor office surgeries, perform venipuncture, collect and
prepare specimens, and perform basic laboratory tests.
 The Medical Assisting Program includes courses in anatomy
and physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics,
pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical procedures, laboratory
procedures and administrative procedures. Externship assignments
are structured so that the student can apply knowledge gained
in the classroom by performing administrative and clinical
procedures in health care facilities.
Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much
faster than the average for all occupations as the health
services industry expands.
Upon completion of the Medical Assisting Program, graduates
are qualified to take the Certification
Examination for Medical Assistants conducted
by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical
Assistants. The West Kentucky Community and Technical College
Medical Assisting Program is accredited by the Commission
on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP),
on recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the
American Association of Medical Assistants' Endowment (AAMAE).
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