Medical Assisting Technology AAS

This program is designed to teach the skills and knowledge necessary to become a certified medical assistant and obtain employment in a variety of healthcare facilities and clinics. Medical Assisting is an expanding profession currently in high demand. Recent changes in the delivery of health care have placed an emphasis on ambulatory care. This multi-skilled health professional is trained in clerical and medical office procedures, phlebotomy, EKG, basic patient care techniques and laboratory procedures.

Medical assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and optometrists running smoothly. They are involved in direct patient care and assist the physician or other health professionals during patient examination.

Admission Criteria

1. Complete admissions requirements to the College. Must be in good standing with the College including minimum overall cumulative GPA 2.50.
2. Official transcripts from all colleges attended must be in the Office of Student Services by the program application deadline.
3. A complete application for the MAT program should be submitted online at the College’s website.
4. Possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 on a 4.0 scale OR possess a minimum ACT composite score of 17. National or Residual ACT scores from residual testing are only valid from colleges within the Alabama Community College System. An ACT score must be uploaded with the MAT application.
5. If dual enrolled, student must possess a minimum high school GPA of 2.5. Eligibility is required for English Composition 1 (ENG 101) and Mathematical Applications (MTH 116). If dual enrolled, student must be eligible for both courses by their senior year.
6. Complete a physical examination AND meet the Essential Functions and technical standards required for the program. The Health Science Programs Essential Functions form must be signed by a Healthcare Provider prior to being assigned clinical rotations in the MAT program.
7. Upon conditional admission to the MAT program, a clear background screening and drug screening will be required before completion of clinical component of the program.
8. Upon conditional admission, applicant must provide verification of health insurance coverage, as well as maintain health insurance coverage throughout the MAT program.

A current American Heart CPR card at the Healthcare Provider Level is required prior to clinical placement or students can enroll for certification during the first semester of MAT curriculum.
 

Medical Assistant Technology - Program Policies

In order to continue in the MAT program, the student must:

1. Maintain a grade of "C" or better in all required general education and MAT courses and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA at current institution.
2. Complete all required general education courses according to the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) unless completed prior to admission. Any exceptions must be approved by the Associate Dean of Health Sciences or designee.
3. Maintain ability to meet essential functions for medical assisting with or without reasonable accommodations.
4. Maintain current CPR certification; American Heart Association (AHA) at the health care provider level.
5. Complete all MAT courses in the prescribed sequence. Course repetition will be based on instructor and clinical availability and program resources.
6. Adhere to the Bevill State Conduct Code and the Code of Ethics for Professional Nurses. Health Science faculty reserves the right at any time to require the dismissal of any student whose conduct or clinical performance is regarded as unsatisfactory. In such situations, an "F” will be entered on the student’s transcript. Students receiving an "F" for this reason will not be eligible for readmission into any Health Science program at Bevill State.
7. The Health Science faculty reserves the right to withdraw any student from the program if a clinical agency refuses to allow that student clinical experiences.
8. Submit a satisfactory health physical & immunization records upon admission. The TB skin test and flu vaccine annually.
9. Maintain health insurance coverage throughout the program.
10. Adhere to current program attendance policy.
11. Obtain the required Bevill State student uniform.
12. Complete the required program semester hours to qualify for graduation. Some variation is allowed to accommodate transfer credit for colleges on a quarter hour system. An overall 2.0 GPA is required for graduation. Requirements for graduation are outlined in the College Catalog.
13. Function within the scope of practice as defined by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
14. There shall be no auditing allowed for MAT classes.

Clinical Requirements

Prior to beginning clinical experiences all of the following items must be verified by the Associate Dean of Health Science or designee. Clinical documents must be uploaded into Viewpoint Screening portal (fees for clinical compliance documents must be paid by the student) and include:

a. American Heart Association Basic Life Support Provider (CPR) card

b. Physical examination form and Essential Functions form signed by a health care provider (DO/physician assistant/or Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP)

c. A 2-step TB Skin test or QuantiFERON TB Gold blood test OR T-SPOT blood test

d. Documented evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination (series of 3) OR titer indicating evidence of immunity

e. Documented MMR immunization vaccinations (series of 2) OR titer indicating evidence of immunity

f. Documented evidence of 2 Varicella vaccinations OR titer indicating evidence of immunity

g. Verification of Health Insurance coverage and maintain this health insurance coverage throughout the program of study

Clinical Requirements

Students must comply with any additional health requirements of clinical agencies. The College strongly encourages all students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, but it is not mandatory for attendance. However, third-party health sciences affiliates who partner with the College (i.e., hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare providers) may require students presenting inside their facilities to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination in order to participate in the clinical portion of the College’s health science curriculum.

The College has no control over policies mandated by these clinical affiliates. The College is not requiring vaccination or proof of vaccination, but its third-party clinical affiliates might. The College wants to notify you that if you are unable to adhere to policies mandated by clinical partners, you may be unable to successfully complete courses which require clinicals.

Dismissal Policy

A dismissal from any Health Science program for disciplinary or unsafe client care will result in a student being ineligible for readmission to any Health Science program offered at Bevill State.

Health Requirements

1. Health Science faculty reserve the right to require, at any time, proof of a student’s physical, mental, and/or emotional health. The nursing faculty may require students to receive, at the student’s expense, counseling and/or medical treatment in order to continue in the nursing program. If treatment is required, the student must provide documentation from the attending physician/primary healthcare provider of the student’s ability to perform nursing skills effectively.
2. Clinical agencies/facilities require the school to provide evidence that student participants are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Students will be required, at their own expense, to have an initial drug screen at a time and place determined by the faculty prior to entering clinicals. In addition, random drug screens will be conducted throughout the curriculum. If a drug screen is non-negative, the student will be immediately dismissed from the nursing program.
3. A student who is hospitalized/treated for any existing health problem which may physically or emotionally impair their ability to provide safe and competent clinical care, must submit a statement from the physician/primary healthcare provider indicating ability to continue in clinicals and/or the program.
4. A completed health form must be submitted to Associate Dean of Health Sciences or Program Coordinator. In addition, students must comply with any additional health requirements of clinical agencies.
5. All students must present verification of health insurance as part of compliance certification, as well as maintain their health insurance coverage throughout enrollment in the nursing curriculum.

Tardiness

Regular and punctual attendance is required. A student who is not in the class/lab/clinical at its beginning will be counted tardy. Three tardies will count as one absence.

Attendance

It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the exact number of absences in each class. If absences exceed the number of times a class/lab/clinical meets per week, the student will be issued a grade of "F" in the course, subsequently, will prevent the student from progressing in the curriculum.

Grading Scale

Students may earn the following grades in medical assistant courses:

• A: 90 to 100
• B: 80 to 89
• C: 75 to 79
• D: 60 to 74
• F: 59 and below

Test scores are not rounded to the next whole number (i.e. 78.6 is 78.6). Only the final course grade is rounded – 0.5 or higher is raised to the next whole number.

Graduation

To receive a Short-Term Certificate or an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Medical Assisting Technology, a student must meet the following requirements:

1. File an application for graduation with the Office of Student Services.
2. Clear all obligations with the College.
3. Students must successfully complete required medical assistant technology curriculum with a grade of “C” (2.0 GPA) or better.
4. Must complete 25% of program requirements at BSCC.

Upon completion of the short-term certificate or associate in applied science degree program requirements students are eligible to take specific certification exams in phlebotomy and/or medical assistant exam.