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The fast-paced world of medicine requires the best training available, and you can get that with Iowa Western’s Medical Assistant program. You’ll leave Iowa Western prepared to become an administrative and clinical assistant in physicians’ offices. Graduates of this program are awarded a diploma and become eligible to take the American Association of Medical Assistants examination to become a Certified Medical Assistant.
Iowa Western Community College's Medical Assistant Program's goal to prepare competent entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains. In this program, you will participate in service-learning projects including administering flu shots, providing health screenings, and organizing fundraising efforts for a non-profit organization of their choice. Our students also complete externships and job shadowing. Alegent Health, Methodist Health System, and many local physicians’ offices are among those who have hired Iowa Western graduates.
The Medical Assistant Program at Iowa Western Community College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assistant Education Review Board (MAERB). The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs can be contacted at CAAHEP,9355- 113th St. N. #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, mail@caahep.org.
Iowa Western Community College continues to surpass the required national thresholds for student job placement, based on the most recent Annual report form submitted to the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Medical Assistant Program at Iowa Western Community College has a retention rate of 100% for the 2022 admission cohort. The 5-year average for Retention for years 2018-2022 is 92.54%.
Job Outlook
1,724 Jobs (2020)
+14.2% Change from 2020-2025
Data is from the Omaha Metropolitans Area, and the seven counties in Southwest Iowa that Iowa Western serves
What will you do
The Medical Assistant program is designed to place students into the workforce upon completion of the ten-month diploma. Medical Assistants perform administrative and clinical procedures that vary from office to office, depending on office location, size, and specialty. Administrative duties may include answering phones, greeting patients, updating and filing medical records, and completing insurance forms. Clinical duties may include taking medical histories, recording vital signs, preparing patients for procedures, and collecting patient specimens. Upon graduation of the program students are eligible to take the nationally recognized certification examination to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). The employment opportunities for medical assistants are expected to increase by 35.4% through the year 2016.
Wages
- Entry: $17.05
- Average: $20.67
- Experienced: $24.20
Wage data was obtained from OEWS (occupational employment and wage statistics) through Iowa Workforce Development.
Program PrerequisitesGeneral Education Courses that must be completed prior to first semester of Medical Assistant Diploma: | ||||
| ENG 105 - Composition I OR | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
| ENG 110 - Writing For The Workplace | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
| HSC 113 - Medical Terminology | 2.0 Credit(s) | |||
| HSC 128 - Anatomy and Physiology for Allied Health Programs | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
Semester Total: 8.0 Credits | ||||
First Semester | ||||
| MAP 123 - Administrative Medical Office Procedures | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 353 - Clinical Procedures I | 4.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 533 - Diseases and Disorders | 2.0 Credit(s) | |||
| SPC 122 - Interpersonal Communication | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
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Semester Total: 15.0 Credits | ||||
Second Semester | ||||
| MAP 215 - Medical Laboratory Techniques | 4.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 363 - Clinical Procedures II | 5.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 514 - Basics of Pharmacology | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 131 - Advanced Medical Office Procedures | 4.0 Credit(s) | |||
Semester Total: 16.0 Credits | ||||
Summer | ||||
| MAP 612 - Medical Assistant Externship | 3.0 Credit(s) | |||
| MAP 601 - Medical Assistant Seminar | 1.0 Credit(s) | |||
Semester Total: 4.0 Credits | ||||
Total Semester Hours Required 43.0 | ||||
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Program Outcomes
Upon the successful completion of the program students will:
- Demonstrate knowledge appropriate to CLIA waived tests/procedures.
- Abstract pertinent data from medical records and maintain an accurate medical record in hard and electronic format.
- Conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner meeting HIPAA standards.
- Accurately perform appropriate diagnostic and medical procedures.
- Correctly compare and contrast organ/body functions, medical terminology, and identify medications to the disease process of the patient.
Program Disclaimers
- Salary information from EMSI Analyst Database