MA 221 - MA Seminar

Credit Hours: 1

Students participate in discussions and evaluations of their 160-hour Medical Assisting Practicum rotations. During the semester, students will develop case studies identifying strategies to address difficult encounters with patients in ambulatory care settings. Student participation is paramount to this problem-solving process. Students also prepare for the CMA certification exam offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) by reviewing core program competencies required of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and taking mock certification exams containing general, administrative and clinical questions commonly asked on the CMA (AAMA) Exam. Students will also review the exam application process on the AAMA website (www.aama-ntl.org) and reiterate the importance of professional membership, involvement and continuing education, as well as examine the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook forecast for the Medical Assisting profession. Résumé preparation and interviewing techniques will also be reviewed.

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

Recognize the necessary skill set required of an entry-level medical assistant in an ambulatory care setting
Identify strategies to address difficult patient encounters
Analyze interpersonal relationships among the Medical Assistant and other members of the allied healthcare team
Discuss the importance of certification, professional membership, involvement and continuing education
Identify the career forecast for the Medical Assisting profession.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses containing cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domain competencies as identified in the CAAHEP 2015 Standards and Guidelines for Medical Assisting Educational Programs.
Concurrent Registration: MA 223
F/S (N)