Introduction to Medical Assisting Class

This introductory course gives Medical Assistant students an overview of the medical assisting profession, medical terminology, interpersonal skills, study techniques and basic clinical skills.

In this course, Medical Assistant students study:

• The rules needed to build, spell and pronounce health care terms, including basic prefixes, suffixes, word roots and combining forms
• Terms associated with body structure and directional terminology
• The professional qualities and personal appearance of medical assistants
• Administrative and clinical duties performed by medical assistants
• Medical assistant accreditation and credentials
• The importance of interpersonal skills and the application of these skills with patients and fellow employees
• Basic medical insurance billing, coding concepts and the use of coding reference books

Students also learn and practice basic clinical skills such as obtaining vital signs, drawing and processing blood samples, and preparing and administering injections — procedures that they will continue to practice throughout their remaining courses.

They are also taught test-taking strategies, including methods that can be used for reducing test anxiety.

Students in this Medical Assistant course spend approximately half their time in a traditional lecture hall and half in a modern medical laboratory setting.

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