The Career Pathway Certificate of Completion: Medical Aide prepares students to work in a medical office or as an aide in a health care setting. Medical clerical workers or aides will process and transmit information to physicians, patients, and office personnel and outside organizations. These activities require a good command of the English language, medical terminology, and a basic understanding of the structure and functions of the human body. Medical clerical workers or aides must be tactful in their dealings with many different people, and therefore should possess excellent interpersonal skills. Discretion, judgment, organizational ability, and initiative are important, as well as versatility and adaptability. Conscientiousness, a sense of responsibility, and respect for the confidential nature of medical information are also required. Sample jobs/titles include: Home health aide, residence assistant, office clerk/receptionist. For information on other medically-related careers check out the Allied Health website.
This Career Pathway Certificate leads to an Associate of Applied Science Medical Assistant. To see how this program links to others at Southwestern click here.
Graduation Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 31 credit hours with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. All courses in this program must be completed with a ‘C’ or better. One course must be completed at Southwestern before the Career Pathway Certificate of Completion: Medical Aide is awarded.
Complete the graduation application process one term prior to the term of completion (e.g., spring term graduates must apply during winter term).
Pre-Program Courses
Students are required to take the following courses prior to the program courses, depending on students' college placement information. See advisor for details:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CIS90 | Computer Basics (or demonstrate proficiency) | 2 |
| OA121 | Beginning Keyboarding | 3 |
Program Guide
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| AH100 | Introduction to Health Care Careers | 2 |
| AH111 | Medical Terminology I | 3 |
| AH121 | Body Structures and Functions I 1 | 3 |
| CIS120 | Concepts of Computing | 4 |
| OA124 | Keyboard Skill Building | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| AH112 | Medical Terminology II | 3 |
| AH122 | Body Structures and Functions II 1 | 3 |
| AH152 | Medical Law and Ethics | 2 |
| BA285 | Human Relations in Organizations 2 | 3 |
| HIM110 | Health Information Technology | 5 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 31 | |
| 1 | BI231 Human Anatomy and Physiology I, BI232 Human Anatomy and Physiology II, and BI233 Human Anatomy and Physiology III sequence may be substituted for AH121 Body Structures and Functions I & AH122 Body Structures and Functions II. |
| 2 | PSY203 General Psychology or PSY203H General Psychology w/Honors may be substituted for BA285 Human Relations in Organizations. |
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program the student will be able to:
- Apply prefix, suffix, and root word meanings related to human body systems, to the pathology, diagnostic procedures and treatments associated with these systems.
- Describe normal structure and function of all human body systems.
- Demonstrate effective communication skills (listening and speaking) that can be applied in future employment settings.