Medical Assistant Diploma

The goal of the Medical Assistant program is to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains. Medical assistants are the only allied health professionals specifically trained to work in ambulatory settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics and group practices. As multiskilled allied health team members, medical assistants perform a variety of administrative and clinical procedures in these settings.

Students gain a basic knowledge of communication skills, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, laboratory procedures, administrative procedures and patient care techniques. These content areas are presented in the classroom, practiced in the laboratory setting and utilized in a 10-week supervised practicum experience in an ambulatory setting. Students do not receive pay or any financial remuneration for the practicum rotation.

The DMACC Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP www.caahep.org), 1361 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756, phone 727-210-2350, upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB), of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60606, www. maerb.org, phone: 1-800-228-2262. DMACC graduates are eligible to take the certification examination [CMA (AAMA)] given by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants. Graduates are also eligible to take the State of Iowa Limited Radiographer examination upon completion of the program.

Criminal background checks will be completed on each student. Criminal convictions or documented history of abuse may prevent students from participating in practicum education experiences. Students unable to participate in practicum education will be unable to complete the Medical Assistant program. A felony conviction may prevent applicants from being eligible for the CMA (AAMA) Medical Assistant certification examination.

For more information about the Medical Assistant program, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/medassist.

Location: Ankeny

Program starts Fall semester.

Program Entry Requirements

1. Complete an application for admission.
2. Submit proof of high school graduation or HiSET completion.
3. Complete required entry assessments. Complete COMPASS Reading, COMPASS Writing and AKEKS Math assessments, obtaining satisfactory scores in reading (81 or above) writing (70 or above) ALEKS math placement(30 or above)or ACT scores in Reading (19 or above) English (19 or above), Math (14 or above).
4. Submit evidence of grade “C” or better in one year of high school biology or equivalent (DMACC Academic Achievement Center Biology I & II or BIO 156 ).
5. Typing test / word processing requirement is 35 WPM with 5 or less errors in a five-minute timed assessment.
6. Attend a required Medical Assistant information session.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a Medical Assistant diploma, a student must complete all coursework as prescribed and maintain a 2.0 grade point average. A grade of 2.0 (C) or better is required in all MAP courses. A student must receive a grade of “C” or better in the first course of a sequential course offering before enrolling in the second-level course of the sequence. Sequential courses include MAP 544  & MAP 554 ; MAP 225  & MAP 228 ; MAP 347  & MAP 348 ; MAP 110  & MAP 118  and MAP 255  & MAP 256  . Several courses have corequisites listed in the catalog. Each MAP course may only be repeated once.