Medical Assistant

Associate Degree

Program Outline

Your program, which is designed to provide the knowledge and skills you’ll need for your new career, consists of four semesters (semester one is general education requirements, semesters two through four offer courses in your major field of study). You must successfully complete the general education prerequisite courses in order to officially enroll in the Medical Assistant program of studies. You will receive credit for previous college work if they meet Penn Foster College standards. If you wish to receive credit for previous coursework, contact the college you attended and request that your official transcripts be forwarded to Penn Foster College for evaluation. All previous college work must have been completed with a grade of "C" or better, and up to 75% of the required credits may be transferred. We will also credit your tuition for all the courses that are acceptable.

We’ll send your first course materials immediately after your enrollment for the first semester has been accepted. You will also have access to course materials online. You will submit exams and interact with faculty from your personal home page on our website. Courses will follow one at a time as you complete your required assignments, so you’ll always have learning materials to work with. As you successfully complete each semester, an enrollment application for the next semester will be sent to you.

The medical assistant program requires students to participate in weekly interactive discussion board activity related to medical topics pertinent to the course being studied. Students will be required to respond to discussion topics posted by the faculty and other students each week. In addition, the core medical assistant courses will require students to participate in scheduled online classes with an instructor and other students. In order to earn a passing grade in these courses, students will be required to provide substantive comments on discussion topics and to participate in the live online classes. When students reach their externship assignment, members of the faculty will conduct weekly discussions with the student and the externship supervisors to measure progress.

System Requirements
You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer to complete this program.  Penn Foster recommends the following as minimum specifications: Pentium® II or better processor, using Microsoft® Windows® XP or later. You will also need access to the Internet and Microsoft® Office 2007 to complete portions of this program. 

Online Library and Librarian
Students at Penn Foster College have access to an online library during their college studies. Students can use the library to do the required course research or for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and will assist students in research activities.

PRE-REQUISITE SEMESTER
(General Education Requirements)

Basic Skills Assessment
All degree applicants are required to complete two Basic Skills Assessments, one in reading and one in math, to determine the level of readiness for beginning their selected program. Additional studies may be required.

ENG103 — Information Literacy (1 credit)
Teaches students to become effective in finding and utilizing information at libraries and other information centers, and through electronic resources available in libraries and on the World Wide Web.

CSC104 — Computer Applications (3 credits)
Computer and Internet Basics; computer hardware and software; digital electronics and file management; introduction to Windows ® ; PC applications in word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software.

SCI120 — Introduction to Biology (3 credits)
An introductory course that explains the origin of life and the relationship between all living things. It describes how a significant number of organisms are structured and how they work, in order to enable students to discuss intelligently the various forms of life and their processes.

SSC130 — Essentials of Psychology (3 credits)
Biology and behavior; consciousness; memory; thought and language; intelligence; personality and gender; stress; community influences.

Humanities Elective — Choose One (3 credits)

  • HUM102 Art Appreciation
  • HUM104 Music Appreciation
  • ENG115 Introduction to Literature (3 credits)

ENG100 — English Composition (3 credits)
Writing difficulties; grammar review (sentences, parts of speech, punctuation marks, and paragraphs); defining unfamiliar terms; finding ideas through freewriting and brainstorming; organizing ideas; principles of revising and editing; figures of speech; writing for the senses; getting the readers’ attention; descriptive writing; first-person narratives; reflective and persuasive essays; thesis statements.

Proctored Examination*

 

SEMESTER TWO
(Major Field of Study)
All general education requirements must be completed before enrolling in this semester.

HIT100 — Introduction to Allied Health (1 credit)
This course is an introduction to health care, health information management, and the role of health information technicians in the world of allied health. The course provides an overview of the history of medicine and documentation, health-care reimbursement, technology applications in health care, professional skills, and professional organizations.

HIT105 — Law and Ethics in Medicine (3 credits)
Legal and ethical issues in the delivery of health care are presented. A grounding in the parts of tort and contract law that affect health care delivery is set forth along with broad ideas concerning the functioning of the legal system. Special attention is given to confidentiality, privileged communications, informed consent, the elements of and defenses against malpractice, legal and practical issues commonly encountered by medical assistants, end-of-life and beginning-of-life legal and ethical issues, and the effect of managed care on ethical issues faced by health-care practitioners. (Required textbook provided with the course.)

HIT107 — Medical Terminology (3 credits)
The development of a vocabulary used in medicine by acquiring skills to pronounce, define, and spell word terms. Students will analyze and interpret medical reports related to specific body systems.

SCI135 — Anatomy and Physiology 1 (3 credits)
The anatomy and physiology of the human body is presented as an integrated science. Each major body system is described and analyzed to illustrate normal function as well as pathology. Topics include basic biochemical elements, skin, bone, muscles, the nervous system, the senses, and the endocrine system.

SCI136 — Anatomy and Physiology 2 (3 credits)
A continuation of Anatomy and Physiology 1. Topics include the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system, immunity and infection control, respiration, digestion, nutrition, the urinary system, reproduction, and genetics.

MAT106 — Math for Business and Finance (3 credits)
Percentages; discounts; interest; present worth; sinking funds; installment buying; pricing; depreciation; investments; insurance; use of symbols and their applications; equations and formulas; importance of statistics. (Required textbook provided with the course.)

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER THREE
(Major Field of Study)

HIT115 — Reimbursement Methodologies (1 credit)
This course is designed to introduce the health information technology student to major reimbursement systems in the United States. Focus is on prospective payment system, third party payers, and billing and insurance procedures. The course also covers additional information including prepaid health plans, fee-for-service methodologies, chargemasters, fee schedules, and managed care.

ALH201 — Pharmacology (3 credits)
Introduces the students to the essentials of drugs and pharmaceuticals. The course covers drug classifications, dosage calculations, mechanisms of action, therapeutic effects, and adverse reactions of drugs commonly used in medical offices.

ENG121 — Business and Technical Writing (3 credits)
Writing styles; ABC method of organizing material; grammar (parts of speech, active and passive voice, complete sentences vs. sentence fragments; parallel construction); using action verbs; constructing paragraphs; writing memos, business letters, and emails; organizing material; conducting research; documenting sources; outlining; providing illustrations; writing reports, proposals, descriptions, instructions, articles, and manuals.

HIT203 — Medical Coding 1 (3 credits)
The basics of coding, exploration of the ICD-9-CM and CPT manuals, examination of specialty areas such as cardiology and obstetrics/gynecology, radiology, pathology, and laboratory work.

HIT207 — Medical Transcription 1 (3 credits)
An introduction to the technical and legal aspects of medical transcription, as well as career opportunities available in the field. The student will begin to transcribe and format various types of medical records.

Core Elective — Choose one (3 credits)

  • HIT109 Confidentiality of Health Information
  • HIT204 Medical Coding 2
  • ALH215 HIPAA Compliance
  • HIT208 Medical Transcription 2
  • NTR203 Sports Nutrition

Proctored Examination*

SEMESTER FOUR
(Major Field of Study)

Students must show proof of active health-care provider CPR prior to beginning the fourth semester.

SCI140 — Nutrition (3 credits)
Personal decision making about nutrition; nutrition science; water; exercise; human growth and aging; safety of the food supply; the global view.

HUM106 — Interpersonal Communication (1 credit)
Developing more effective personal communication skills to increase chances for professional success; increasing skills levels involving the use and selection of words, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions, listening skills, as well as overall physical appearance.

HIT113 — Medical Information Management and Office Practice (3 credits)
This course introduces students to the management of information within a health-care setting. The course focuses on preparing, correcting, and filing medical records, as well as communicating with others inside and outside of a medical facility. It also covers health-care delivery systems; information and communication technologies; and data storage, retrieval, and security.

ALH210 — Clinical Procedures (3 credits)
The role of pathogenic organisms in disease; how to control and prevent infection; assessing patients; the three components of patient examination; assessing vital signs; diagnostic tests; treatment procedures, major drug and medication categories.

MAS205 — Clinical Procedures Lab (1 credit)
Students will be initiated into the clinical aspects of medical assisting, medical asepsis, sterilization and disinfections, vital signs, basic screening examinations, and correct medical record documentation; complete medical history; OSHA, CLIA, and universal precautions. Included in the tuition, students will receive a clinical skills kit that will allow them to receive hands on training of required clinical skill sets. Students will demonstrate competencies in each clinical skill by videotaping their performance of the skill. Each skill must be successfully demonstrated and approved by Penn Foster Faculty in order to earn credit for the course and advance to the externship. If a student chooses to attend another college to perform the clinical skills demonstration, all costs associated with this will be the responsibility of the student.

MAS220 — Externship (4 credits)
When students complete all the academic courses and the clinical procedures lab, they’ll complete an externship in a health-care setting, either a family practice or in a clinic. The externship requirement is 200 hours. Students will be responsible for locating a site to be approved by the college. Students will be required to obtain professional liability insurance and complete a health-verification form prior to the start of their externship.

Proctored Examination*

This program requires the student to enroll in a practicum in Semester Four.

* As a degree candidate, you will take a proctored examination at the end of each semester on selected courses within that semester. We make it easy because you pick the location and the person you want to supervise the exam, as long as Penn Foster College's established policy and qualifications are met. Complete information packets with procedures will be provided well in advance, before completion of final semester coursework.

Note: Advanced standing student shipments may vary from the above schedule.

A High School Diploma or GED is required to enroll in this degree program. Although this outline covers all four semesters of the Medical Assistant Degree Program, you receive lesson materials for each semester as you enroll.

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