WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: MEDICAL ASSISTING

IS MEDICAL ASSISTING FOR YOU? BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR THE MEDICAL ASSISTING PROGRAM, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE TRULY INTERESTED IN AND WANT TO MAKE IT YOUR NEW CAREER.

MEDICAL ASSISTING A MEDICAL ASSISTANT’S WORK REQUIRES EXCELLENCE IN VARIETY OF SKILLS. HE OR SHE MUST HAVE A THOROUGH COMMAND OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND TERMINOLOGY, SUPERB CLERICAL AND COMPUTER SKILLS AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND SENSITIVELY WITH CLIENTS AND COLLEAGUES. A MEDICAL ASSISTANT’S WORK REQUIRES EXCELLENCE IN VARIETY OF SKILLS. HE OR SHE MUST HAVE A THOROUGH COMMAND OF MEDICAL PROCEDURES AND TERMINOLOGY, SUPERB CLERICAL AND COMPUTER SKILLS AND BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY AND SENSITIVELY WITH CLIENTS AND COLLEAGUES. THE MEDICAL ASSISTANT IS AN INVALUABLE TEAM PLAYER. HE OR SHE MEETS THE DEMANDS OF MEDICINE, CLIENT RELATIONS AND OFFICE WORK. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN MEDICAL ASSISTING, THE INSTRUCTORS AT SOUTH PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE DETERMINED TO GIVE YOU THE BEST TRAINING AVAILABLE. THE MEDICAL ASSISTANT IS AN INVALUABLE TEAM PLAYER. HE OR SHE MEETS THE DEMANDS OF MEDICINE, CLIENT RELATIONS AND OFFICE WORK. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN MEDICAL ASSISTING, THE INSTRUCTORS AT SOUTH PUGET SOUND COMMUNITY COLLEGE ARE DETERMINED TO GIVE YOU THE BEST TRAINING AVAILABLE.

o MAKE SURE YOU GET ALL OF YOUR GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSES DONE BEFORE YOU GET INTO YOUR CORE MEDICAL ASSISTING CLASSES. o KEEP TRACK OF WHERE YOU ARE AT IN YOUR ACADEMICS. o IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MAKE SURE YOU ASK! o RUN A DEGREE AUDIT, THIS IS A VALUABLE TOOL. o IT IS RECOMMENDED TO GO FOR THE AA IN MEDICAL ASSISTING VS. JUST THE CERTIFICATE. IT TAKES A BIT LONGER, BUT WILL BE WORTH IT!

BE PREPARED! o MED 151: o THIS IS A BIG CLASS! THE NUMBER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE IS TO BE PREPARED. o YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A BUNDLE BOOK, IF YOU BUY IT ELSEWHERE, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAS ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WITH IT. o IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU BUY THE BUNDLE THROUGH THE STUDENT BOOKSTORE. IT WILL SAVE YOU A LOT OF HASSLE. YOU WILL BE USING THIS TEXTBOOK THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MEDICAL ASSISTING PROGRAM, SO THAT IS A BONUS! o MED 150: o THIS IS YOUR FIRST TRUE LAB CLASS! o YOU WILL NEED A UNIFORM FOR THIS CLASS.

o MAKE SURE YOU STAY ON TOP OF YOUR WORK. IT IS EASY TO FALL BEHIND. o TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE ONLINE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE WITH ANY OF YOUR TEXTBOOKS. o PACE YOURSELF WITH YOUR SCHOOL WORK AND/OR LAB WORK. o IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, ASK! o EXCHANGE PHONE NUMBERS/ S WITH CLASSMATES. o FIND A STUDY PARTNER THAT YOU CAN RELY ON!

UNIFORM o NAVY BLUE OR FOREST GREEN SCRUB SET. *YOU CAN PURCHASE SCRUBS AT WALMART, UNIFORMS PLUS ON PACIFIC BEHIND RENT-A-CENTER, WHICH INCLUDES A 15% DISCOUNT WITH SCHOOL ID. o WHITE SNEAKERS OR DANSKO o STETHOSCOPE o A WATCH WITH A SECONDHAND o NAMETAG (WILL BE ORDERED IN CLASS)

EXTERNSHIP o ONCE YOU MAKE IT THROUGH ALL OF YOUR CORE MEDICAL CLASSES, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO DO YOUR EXTERNSHIP AT A MEDICAL FACILITY. o MOST IMPORTANTLY: THE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM NEEDS TO BE TAKEN WITHIN 30 DAYS OF EXTERNSHIP COMPLETION, FOLLOWED BY SUBMITTING YOUR MA CERTIFICATION APPLICATION TO THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. o YOU CANNOT BE HIRED FROM YOUR EXTERNSHIP IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE THIS.