Medical Assistant

The Medical Assistant is a multi-skilled allied health professional trained to function in ambulatory care, outpatient clinics, and physicians’ offices. The training and education involves administrative front office skills (the business end of the medical practice) and clinical patient care skills. A high degree of flexibility, adaptability, critical thinking is necessary to perform as a medical assistant. People skills are as important as technical skills. Medical Assistants in the front office and back office areas represent the quality care provided by the medical practice. A Medical Assistant works under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner. The duties of Medical Assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty.

Medical Assisting is one of the nation’s fastest growing health careers through 2022 according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job market is excellent for a committed, competent, caring Medical Assistant.
Why should you consider a career as a Medical Assistant?

Medical Assisting is one of the fastest growing health careers according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Demand for medical assistants continues to increase as the health care industry grows.

Medical Assistants are at the frontline of every successful medical practice. Health care providers rely on the medical assistant who is cross-trained to perform administrative and clinical procedures in ambulatory health care delivery systems. Administrative duties include utilizing electronic medical records, coding insurance claims, billing, bookkeeping and scheduling appointments for diagnostic studies. Clinical duties include taking patient medical histories, assisting the physician during exams, collecting specimens, performing CLIA-waived laboratory tests, administering medications as directed by the physician, performing EKG’s, drawing blood, assisting with minor surgery and patient education. Responsibilities will depend on the size of the practice.

The HCC Coleman College program trains medical assistants to be multi-skilled and prepared for a fast-paced environment and an in-demand- career.

The Medical Assistant Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org;) CAAHEP 9355 – 113th St. N. #7709 Seminole, FL 33775, (727) 210-2350 upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).

Students are expected to sit for and successfully pass one of the credentialing exams: the national Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam to receive the credential CMA (AAMA). The CMA examination is administered throughout the year. Contact the AAMA for testing dates and fees at 1-800-ACT-AAMA or the American Association of Medical Assistants at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL, 60606-2903, 1-800-228-2262, www.aama-ntl.org or the national Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam to receive the credential, RMA. The RMA examination is administered throughout the year. Contact the AMT for testing dates and fees at 1-847-823-5169 or the American Medical Technologists at 10700 West Higgins Rd. Suite 150, Rosemont, IL 60018, www.americanmed.org

Felons are not eligible to sit for the credentialing exams unless they contact the credential agency for a waiver. See the information above.

MAERB ARF Program outcomes

The mission of the Houston Community College Medical Assistant Program is to provide quality training and education in medical assisting skills so that our graduates will be employable as entry level Certified Medical Assistants. The program purpose encompasses the belief that our students are adult learners who want to be successful and provide competent, caring, and compassionate health care services to our communities of interest.

Applicants are accepted for enrollment fall and spring semesters. All interested applicants must complete an online info session OR attend a program session held in-person on the first Thursday of the month (unless a holiday) at 5:30 p.m. Registration required through www.colemanconnection.org . The TSI (Texas Success Initiative) test (unless earned an Associate Degree or higher) is required. If TSI is not met, the applicant must complete these courses- INRW 0420 and/or MATH 0409 with completion with a grade of “C” or better. Prerequisites required for the program are HPRS 1201 and ENGL 1301 with completion of “C” or better. An Official High School and/or College Transcripts or GED is to be submitted with the application. Applications for spring semester accepted September 1- until seats are filled.  Applications review and interviews conducted November-December.  Student notified of acceptance in December. Applications for fall accepted January 2 until seats are filled.  Applications review and interviews conducted June-July. Students notified of acceptance July. Applications are to be submitted to Student Services in person at the HCC Center of Excellence for Health Sciences, Coleman College, 1900 Pressler Street, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77030.. Program director approval is required for enrollment. All applicants who qualify for admission to MDCA classes are scheduled for personal interview with the program faculty member. Financial Aid is available for all qualified applicants.

Interviews and Evaluation for Admission

Applicants who qualify for admission to MDCA classes are scheduled for a personal interview with a program faculty member. Applicants are selected based on a point system, which includes test scores and interview. Applicants are notified of their enrollment status at closure of the interview. Students matriculating with MDCA program receive a letter of acceptance.

All applicants who are accepted for the MDCA Program must complete a criminal background check by Certified Background Check. Negative results could prevent matriculation with HCCS Medical Assistant Program. All applicants who are accepted into the MDCA Program must complete a Urine Substance Abuse Panel 10 (SAP10) with integrity checks for creatinine and pH levels. Negative results could prevent matriculation with HCCS Medical Assistant Program. A physical exam with current immunizations is required. The cost for drug screen, background check and physical exam with immunizations is the responsibility of the accepted applicant. The matriculation process includes completion of the background check, physical exam, immunizations and SAP10 testing.

Persons interested in applying should contact an advisor at the Coleman College for Health Sciences (713-718-7508).

The essential functions outline reasonable expectations of a student to participate and be potentially successful in the Medical Assistant Program and in the profession. The Medical Assistant student must be able to function in a variety of classroom, lab and/or clinical situations while maintaining the essential competencies of Medical Assistant in the field. These requirements apply for the purpose of admission and continuation in the program.

Click here to download and review the Essential Functions for the Medical Assistant Program.

*All costs are approximate and subject to change at any time 

To calculate that approximate cost of tuition and fees for the Medical Assistant Program, go to www.hccs.edu  and search for “tuition calculator.”

There are 15,622 Medical Assistants employed in the Greater Houston Area. The expected growth is 11.0% in the next five years.

• The average annual job openings: 1,958
• Median hourly wages: $16.38
• Median annual earnings: $ 34,018.61
• There are 825 Medical Transcriptionists employed in the Greater Houston Area. The expected growth is 1.0% in the next five years.
• The average annual job openings: 103
• Median hourly wages: $17.75
• Median annual earnings: $36,923.18

Source: Emsi occupation employment data compiled March 10, 2021.

Students are eligible to sit for and encouraged to successfully pass the national Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) exam to receive the credential CMA (AAMA)or the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) to receive the credential RMA.

The CMA examination is administered throughout the year. Contact the AAMA for testing dates and fees at 1-800-ACT-AAMA or the American Association of Medical Assistants at 20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL, 60606-2903, 1-800-228-2262, www.aama-ntl.org

The RMA examination is administered throughout the year. Contact the AMT for testing dates and fees at 1-847-823-5169 or the American Medical Technologists at 10700 W. Higgins Rd., Suite 150, Rosemont, IL 60018, www.americanmedtech.org

Felons are not eligible to sit for either credentialing examinations. Please contact the AAMA for the information concerning grounds for denials or eligibility for the Certified Medical Assistant CMA (AAMA) credential or contact the AMT for additional information concerning eligibility of the Registered Medical Assistant credential

The Medical/Clinical Assistant program graduates licensures/certifications are issued by the nationally recognized American Medical Technologists.

2020 Third-Party Licensure/Certification Exam Results

Occupational licensure and/or certification pass rates reported by calendar year (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31). Results for the 2018 and 2019 calendar years are provided for comparison.

* Licensure/Certification is not required for employment.

The Medical Scribe is a six-month program. This course is designed to train the individual in the field of medical scribe. Students will learn the fundamentals of the scribe field, including medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, electronic health records, medico-legal rules and regulations for health professions, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the essentials of medical coding and reimbursement, and hands-on education using practical scribe scenarios to fulfill the diversity of the scribe training program. The students are trained in both the classroom and in the clinical area to document the history, chief complaint, physical exam, assessments and procedures dictated by the provider and patient during actual charting. The skills and knowledge of a medical scribe may be applied in an ambulatory care clinic, surgical center, hospital setting, emergency department and other health care environments within the US healthcare system.

Medical Scribes are medical information managers who specialize in charting physician-patient encounters in real-time. Medical Scribes interact and collaborate with other members of the health care team, but serve as the right-hand to the physician/provider. Under the direct supervision of the provider, the scribe follows the patient workflow. Similar to the medical transcriptionist, the medical scribe provides another career pathway or stepping stone to the health care system.

• Differentiate workflow in Healthcare Settings
• Perform application of documentation in the electronic health record
• Demonstrate knowledge of HIPAA compliance

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Health Information Technician field is growing faster than average at a rate of 21 percent through 2020.

Medical scribes are well-compensated, earning a national average annual salary of $33,530. The primarily work in medical centers, emergency rooms and hospitals, as well as physician practices and private doctors’ offices.

The Medical Scribe Program at HCC Coleman College is approved by the American Healthcare Documentation Professional Group (AHDPG). The program prepares the individual for the field of medical scribe. The American Healthcare Documentation Professional Group certifies qualifying medical scribe specialists who specialize in real-time medical record documentation. AMSP/CMSP certification is sought and earned by medical scribe specialists on a voluntary basis. AHDPG certifies only those medical scribe specialists who meet high educational, professional standing, and examination standards.

The AHDPG administers the MSCE Credentialing Exam for those who wish to become the Certified Medical Specialist Professionals (CMSP). The two different exams are based on medical scribing hours of the candidate. The MSCE credentialing exam is designed to assess competency in medical scribing by verifying a medical scribe’s breadth of knowledge with respect to medical terminology, technical spelling, the Patient Privacy Rule and HIPAA, the scribe’s role in medico-legal risk mitigation, understanding the essential elements of documenting a physician-patient encounter, evaluation and management level, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), the Joint Commission’s Accountability Measures, and general knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of general medical personnel.

Graduates from the Houston Community College Medical Scribe Program are eligible and encouraged to sit for the MSCE to receive the AMSP upon graduation.

See more information about the American Healthcare Documentation Professionals Group (AHDPG) and the MSCE Credentialing Exam for Certified Medical Scribe Professionals (CMSP by visiting the website www.ahdpg.or