Start Date & Program Length:
The Medical Assisting Program begins in late August each year. It concludes in late June of the following year of study. The program is therefore, 10 months in length, exclusive of prerequisite courses. The program consists of a total of 9 credits and 1156 clock hours
Number of Seats:
Approximately 12-15 students are accepted into the program each year.
Time Commitment & Hours:
The Medical Assisting Program is a full-time commitment. It cannot be taken part-time. It is primarily a daytime program with hours varying between 8am – 3pm, Monday through Friday. A typical semester involves 2 or 3 days of laboratory attendance & 2 or 3 days of classes. Clinical rotations also require beginning in the 3rd term of the program from 8am - 5pm. There are no scheduled weekend courses or clinical rotations.
Methods of Instruction & Locations:
The Medical Assisting Program consists of on-campus courses, online instruction, & clinical education in area health care facilities. All didactic (i.e., lecture) & laboratory courses are taught in Building 8 on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus in Davie, Florida, with several courses delivered online. Clinical rotations are located in health care facilities and physician’s offices throughout Broward County. Students may have to drive up to one hour from their home to attend clinical rotations. Prerequisite courses (i.e., courses that do not begin with an "MEA" prefix) may be taken at any Broward College campus or online if available.
Degree & Certification/Licensure:
Graduates who successfully complete the program are awarded a Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting. Graduates are eligible to take the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) certification examination. Individuals who successfully pass their examination receive a certificate that confers upon its holder the right to use the title Certified Medical Assistant and its abbreviation CMA as their credentials. Program graduates are also eligible to obtain a limited x-ray license in Florida through the Department of Health, Bureau of Radiation Control.
Accreditation:
The Medical Assisting Program maintains national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), on recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMAE).
Curriculum:
As a blueprint, the program follows the Role Delineation and Essentials of the American Association of Medical Assistants Curriculum Review Board. The CRB is the organization that establishes standards of practice for the profession and writes curricula used by educational programs in the United States.
Courses:
Each semester students will follow a pre-determined number of lectures and laboratory courses. Didactic (i.e., lecture) courses given on campus meet once per week for 1-3 hours, depending on the number of credits or clock hours. Web-based didactic courses may be fully online, or blended where students do part of their coursework online & part on campus. Laboratory courses meet on campus once per week for 4 hours. In Summer, clinical rotation requires students to adhere to a 35-40 hours schedule 5 days per week.
A full listing of all the courses required for the Medical Assisting Program can be found in the Programs of Study section of the Online College Catalog. Detailed course descriptions can be found in the Course Information section of the Catalog
