Curriculum
Our comprehensive curriculum is divided into 22 bite-size courses. So before you know it, you’ll know it all.
Program Orientation: Medical Assistant
- Identify the elements, expectations, and requirements of the program.
- Navigate the program using the pages, menus, and buttons provided.
- Use the program tools, including the study planner, gradebook, and completion report. Be able to contact CareerStep by phone, email, forums, chat rooms, and social media.
- Identify and use program-specific resources.
Medical Assistant Career Introduction
- Summarize the medical assisting profession.
- Summarize licensure, accreditation, certification, and registration for medical assistants.
HealthCare Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science
- Summarize the medical assisting profession.
- Translate medical terminology using abbreviations, word building, and important terms.
- Explain how nutrition knowledge relates to health and disease.
- Identify the role psychology plays in dealing with patients and their behavior.
Anatomy and Physiology
- Identify the structures, locations, and functions of major body systems and the organs that comprise them.
- Explain how the organs of the major body systems interact and maintain homeostasis.
General Patient Care
- Summarize the pharmacology basics needed by a medical assistant
- Outline the tasks required to prepare the examination room and the patient for examination.
Pharmacology Basics
- Identify the classifications of drugs.
- Review indications, side effects, and adverse reactions of various classifications of drugs.
- Interpret accepted abbreviations used in reference to medications.
Infection Control
- Review the causes and diagnostic methods of various infectious and communicable diseases.
- Explore the protective measures required to prevent infection.
Testing and Laboratory Procedures
- Identify how specimens are collected and handled.
- Explore procedures and processes used in obtaining blood and urine samples.
- Outline the standard components of vision and hearing screening tests.
- Review common techniques and processes frequently used in medical laboratories.
Externship Readiness Skills
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources.
- Develop effective time management skills.
- Enhance your creative and critical thinking.
- Integrate critical and creative thinking skills into your life.
- Learn physical and emotional coping techniques to deal with stress.
- Explore essential ingredients of the communication process.
- Acquire methods to maximize verbal, nonverbal, and written communication.
- Relate the importance of professional image to career success.
- Learn strategies to write a powerful resume.
- Identify key elements of successful interviews.
- Relate the importance of good study habits to your personal success.
- Identify traits related to self-motivation and self-esteem.
- Incorporate a positive and professional attitude in dealing with others.
- Understand that failures are important learning tools.
Patient Care Coordination and Education
- Review how to administer and coordinate general patient care according to professional best practices.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in administering patient care.
- Explore the role and responsibilities in facilitating patient education.
Medical Administrative Assistant
- Describe the differences between common healthcare delivery models.
- Describe the types of services typically offered in medical offices,
- including general and specialty services.
- Define ancillary services and alternative therapies.
Communication and Customer Service in the Healthcare Office
- Identify the various types and styles of communication used in a healthcare office.
- Review how verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills contribute to patient experience and outcome in a health care office.
Electronic Medical Records
- Demonstrate how patient records are used and regulated
- Complete tasks required for scheduling a patient
Clinical information reporting
- Revenue cycle and financial reporting
Medical Laws and Ethics
- Describe common legal issues related to prescriptions and medication administration.
- Identify key legal and regulatory aspects of the healthcare environment.
- Analyze key ethical and legal aspects of the medical profession.
- Summarize common legal issues related to medical documentation.
Phlebotomy
- Identify equipment and supplies used to collect, store, and process blood samples.
- Describe common phlebotomy techniques.
- List correct steps in the process of taking blood.
- Explain patient care before, during, and after blood collection.
- Describe how to prepare and handle a blood sample.
EKG and Cardiovascular
- Identify the basic anatomy of the heart.
- List the steps needed to ensure proper functioning of ECG/EKG equipment (calibration, standardization).
- List the equipment and supplies needed to perform an ECG/EKG procedure.
Career Success in Healthcare
- Define “professionalism” and “success” in your own terms
- Differentiate between long-, medium-, and short-range goals
- Assess and develop your time management skills
Medical Assistant Final Exam
- Identify the steps needed to be eligible for and effectively prepare for and access the final exam.
- Identify the format, restrictions, and policies of final exams, including scoring, retakes, allowed resources, and time limits.
Fundamentals of HIPAA
- Describe HIPAA basics.
- Understand the HIPAA Privacy Rule and Security Rules.
- Describe the HITECH Act.
- Explain regulations for business associates.
- Summarize HIPAA documentation and training.
Clinical Externship Experience
- Earn hours and experience that lead directly to certification.
- Initiating Your Externship
- Create your profile in the Learner Placement Portal.
- Review the externship preparation resources.
- Explore CareerStep Community career resources.
- Understand the benefits of an externship.
- Access externship participation eligibility requirements.
- Recognize the externship site placement process and considerations.
- Program Completion: Medical Assistant
- Prepare to take the next steps after program completion.
