Medical Assisting, Certificate of Proficiency

The Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled professional who assists the physician with the administrative and clinical aspects of patient care. The program includes courses in administrative, clinical and communication skills; ethical and legal standards of medical practice; and a "hands on" clinical practicum experience in the health care industry. The Medical Assisting Certificate program is two semesters in length for full time students. Graduates of the one-year program are eligible to take the National Certification Examination given by the American Association of Medical Assistants. The five-year weighted average for Retention/Graduation of the Certificate of Proficiency in the Medical Assisting Program at Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland, OH is 95%, based on the most recent Annual Report Form submitted to the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

Cuyahoga Community College Medical Assisting Certificate of Proficiency is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158
Clearwater, FL 33763
727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

Program contact: Learn more

This certificate will be automatically awarded when the certificate requirements are completed. If you do not want to receive the certificate, please notify the Office of the Registrar at RegistrarOffice@tri-c.edu.

Learn more about how certificate credits apply to the related degree.

Program Admission Requirements

Application may be submitted to the Health Careers Enrollment Center while meeting the following requirements:

• High School Diploma/GED
• Completion of ENG-1010 College Composition I with a “C” grade or higher.
• Completion of MATH-0955 Beginning Algebra or higher with a “C” grade or higher or qualified Math Placement.
• Completion of MA-1010 Introduction to Medical Terminology or MA-1020 Medical Terminology I with a "C" grade or higher.
• GPA required: 2.00 overall
• Non-native English speaking applicants:  Admission into Cuyahoga Community College is premised on a complete and accurate initial application to the College, including, if applicable, proof of English Language Proficiency Requirements for admission as indicated on the English Language Proficiency Requirements for Admissions to the College, and available on the web at: http://www.tri-c.edu/get-started/international-students/english-language-proficiency-requirements-for-admission.html
  To be accepted into any selective admission programs, students must successfully complete English as a Second Language (ESL) course/s, as referenced above,  if deemed necessary by the College at the time of enrollment.  Admission is conditioned upon achieving the necessary grade point average (GPA), English language proficiency requirements and any specific pre-requisite courses, and by meeting program accreditation or licensing requirements as evidenced in the Program Handbook for the specific program.

Other Information

• 15 students admitted per campus per semester.
• All students enrolled in Health Career and Nursing programs requiring off campus clinical experiences are required to complete a criminal background check that includes fingerprinting and a court search.  Reports from the background checks will be sent to the Associate Deans of Health Careers at the campus of their program or the Assistant Dean of Nursing. Please be assured that this information will be kept confidential. 

Program Learning Outcomes

This program is designed to prepare students to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:

1. Identify, administer and document medications based on usage outcomes, side effects and according to the principles of the six rights.
2. Collect, process and test diagnostic specimens and document follow-up on results.
3. Apply current up-to-date quality control and safety principles in the workplace.
4. Skillfully perform and document routine clinical procedures according to office protocol.
5. Perform and document routine administrative procedures according to office protocol.
6. Effectively apply verbal, nonverbal and written communication principles and skills in the workplace.
7. Maintain ethical standards and confidentiality for patient privacy and practice integrity.
8. Demonstrate professional work ethics with efficient use of multitasking skills, technology, time management, self management and teamwork.

Suggested Semester Sequence

¹

BIO-2331 Anatomy and Physiology I & BIO-2341 Anatomy and Physiology II together will be accepted in place of BIO-1050 Human Biology & BIO-105L Human Biology Laboratory.

MATH-1140, MATH-1141, MATH-1200, MATH-1270, and MATH-1280 can no longer count towards fulfilling the college-level mathematics requirement.  These courses were re-classified as developmental mathematics by the state of Ohio in 2016.  Tri-C established a 5-year transitioning window for students who had completed these courses prior to 2016 to apply them towards meeting graduation requirements, which expired in Summer 2021. It is highly recommended to see a counselor to determine the appropriate math required for your current major.