MA 229 - Professionalism in the Medical Office

Credit Hours: 3

This is a final semester class taken concurrently with the practicum and seminar courses. Students will develop professional soft skills to be applied while interacting with patients, office personnel and supervisors within a medical setting. Principles of professionalism and interpersonal communication theory are presented from various viewpoints. Students will practice using therapeutic communication strategies with diverse patient populations. Medical office soft skills will be refined using simulation software. A career portfolio will be created and students will learn how to use a portfolio during an interview and as a professional development/advancement tool. Certified Medical Assisting (CMA) exam review focusing on administrative knowledge will be practiced.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

demonstrate knowledge of CMA exam question format and content (administrative component);
refine soft skills applied in a medical office setting;
develop therapeutic communication skills when interacting with patients;
understand the significance of professionalism in the medical office;
create updated employment documents such as resumes, professional references and cover letters;
develop a professional portfolio to be used for job searching and career advancement; and
develop constructive criticism skills through roleplay activities.

Prerequisites: All courses listed for the first three semesters, or equivalent with permission of instructor or permission of MA program director.
Corequisites: MA 220, EG 009 and PS 100.
Concurrent Registration: MA 221 and MA 223.
F/S (N)