Randolph Community College is currently taking applications for a new associate degree program in Medical Assisting at the Archdale Center beginning fall 2011.
Medical assisting is among the fastest growing job occupations over the 2008-2018 decade, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with employment expected to grow 34% nationwide during that period. In North Carolina, according to the Employment Security Commission, the employment of medical assistants was projected to rise 49% from 2006-2016.
Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. These health care professionals may perform patient intake like taking medical histories and recording vital signs. They might manage front office operations, perform patient clinical procedures, and administer medications.
"For anyone interested in patient care who doesn't want to commit to the intensity of nursing school, this is an ideal occupation," said Cieanna Hairston, division chair for the Health Sciences and Public Service Division at RCC. Course work in the two-year program includes instruction in scheduling appointments, coding and processing insurance accounts, billing, collections, medical transcription, computer operations; assisting with examinations/treatments, performing routine laboratory procedures, electrocardiography, supervised medication administration; and ethical legal issues associated with patient care.
The earnings of medical assistants vary, depending on their experience, skill level, and location. Salaries for medical assistants in North Carolina range from $21,400 to $36,700 a year. In Randolph County, the entry-level salary is projected to be $11.60/hour.
Due to the limitation of resources such as clinical sites, said Hairston, Medical Assisting will be a limited-enrollment program with only 24 students admitted each fall, so students are encouraged to apply early.
Applicants for the new Medical Assisting program must complete the RCC admissions process, which includes completing an RCC application online, taking placement testing, and having official transcripts from all colleges or schools attended sent to the RCC Admissions Office. Students requiring financial aid should fill out the FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov.
To be eligible for admission into the Medical Assisting program, applicants must have acceptable placement test scores or successfully complete any remedial classes required; must demonstrate keyboarding proficiency; and must have completed a high school or college-level biology course with a grade of "C" or higher.
Starting this week, RCC will be offering keyboard proficiency testing every Monday at 3 p.m. and every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the M.H. Branson Business Education Center, Room 113, on the Asheboro Campus.
Fall classes begin Aug. 15. For more information on the Medical Assisting program and the admissions process, visit www.randolph.edu or call RCC at 336-633-0200 or 336-862-7980.
