Northwest State Community College

Associate of Applied Science in MEDICAL ASSISTING

Northwest State’s medical assisting program is a 2-year, associate degree program that includes classroom, lab, and practicum experiences. Medical assistants are trained in both clinical and administrative duties for a variety of healthcare settings. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assisting is one of the nation’s fastest-growing careers. Advances in technology, a growing population of elderly Americans, and an increasing number of outpatient facilities mean trained medical assistants are in demand.

The Medical Assisting program at Northwest State Community College meets the state education requirements in Ohio. Northwest State Community College has not determined if the Medical Assisting program at Northwest State Community College meets the state education requirements in any other state, any U.S. Territory, or the District of Columbia.

Medical assistants are multi-skilled allied health professionals specifically trained to work in ambulatory settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics, and group practices, performing administrative and clinical procedures. This program will prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behaviour) learning domains. The following performance standards are necessary to safely and accurately carry out medical assisting duties: Critical thinking ability sufficient for clinical judgment; Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room and manoeuvre in small spaces; Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment; Ability to prepare and administer medications; Ability to transfer patients; Ability to read medication labels and patient records; Ability to take blood pressure and hear breath sounds through a stethoscope; Communicate English clearly enough for most patients to understand and understand the verbal communication of English-speaking patients; Clear written communication, and manual dexterity.