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Medical Assisting

S Sitka
O Online

Medical Assistants perform both administrative and clinical tasks and are specifically trained to work in ambulatory settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics and outpatient care centers. Our flexible instructional format allows a wide range of students to meet their academic or career goals while balancing lifestyle needs.

Next Steps

Certificate Requirements

Apply

Program Contacts

In Sitka or Online:

Amy K. Samuel, AHI (AMT), CMA (AAMA), M.P.A., M.Ed.

Associate Professor and Program Director

View profile and contact info

Overview

Working alongside healthcare practitioners, medical assistants function as a member of healthcare delivery teams, primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics, under the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner.

Medical Assistants perform both administrative and clinical procedures. Coursework in the UAS Sitka Medical Assisting Certificate program covers general medical knowledge, including terminology, anatomy, physiology, behavioral science, medical law, and ethics. Administrative skills include medical records management, answering telephones, scheduling and greeting patients, bookkeeping, collections, insurance processing, and familiarity with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Clinical skills include obtaining vital signs, medication preparation and administration, assisting with examinations and minor procedures, phlebotomy (drawing blood), performing basic laboratory tests, pharmacology, and specimen collection.

Completion of this certificate program prepares you for the opportunity to become a vital part of a medical team working together toward patient health and wellness.

Occupational risks and additional safety & health information for healthcare workers.

UAS Medical Assisting

Delivery

The UAS Medical Assisting program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis depending on the student's goals and needs. As much of the course delivery is done via online courses, access to a computer and reliable, high speed internet is required.

Prerequisite and Administrative Procedures Courses

Prerequisite and administrative procedures courses are offered entirely online.

Clinical Procedures

Each clinical procedures class involves six weeks of online work including assignments, homework, videos, and simulations. In addition, each class requires two four-day in-person practice and competency assessment. Clinical lab intensives are scheduled in various communities throughout the state.

Practicum

In the last semester, students take part in a practicum course involving clinical hours in addition to course work. While not guaranteed, students can request placement in their home community.

Program Goals

The major goal of the Medical Assisting program is:

To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.

Additional goals for our graduates are to:

Safely and effectively perform a variety of clinical and administrative skills as an entry level medical assistant.
Display professional behaviors in the workplace and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing within a work environment.
Follow standards, policies and procedures of the physician’s office within the medical assistant scope of practice displaying knowledge of and demonstrating ethical and legal behaviors.

Outcomes

The five-year average for the exam passage rate for the years 2018-2022 is 100%.

2022 Credentialing Exam Passage Rate: 100%
2021 Credentialing Exam Passage Rate: 100%
2020 Credentialing Exam Passage Rate: 100%
2019 Credentialing Exam Passage Rate: 100%
2018 Credentialing Exam Passage Rate: 100%

Funding Options

Advisors are on hand to help you find and apply for available scholarships and grants. Please refer to our Financial Aid department for an overview of your options.

Accreditation

CAAHEP Logo The University of Alaska Southeast's Certificate in Medical Assisting is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
9355 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775-7709
727-210-2350

Technical Standards/Functional Abilities
This document is intended to serve as a guide regarding the physical, emotional, intellectual and psychosocial expectations placed on a student. This document cannot include every conceivable action, task, ability or behavior that may be expected of a student. Meeting the program's technical standards does not guarantee a student’s eligibility for any certification exam, successful completion of the degree program, or employment in this field upon graduation.