PROGRAM GOALS

Frederick Community College will provide students with gratifying learning experiences and career opportunities in a learning environment that will enable them with/to:

• the ability to competently perform Externship responsibilities regarding to patient care 
• critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential to Externship practice  
• effective communication techniques required to professionally interact with patients, interprofessional health care teams  
• values for a commitment to lifelong learning with a high level of ethical and professional standards 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• To produce graduates eligible to take and pass nationally recognized certification examination.
• To facilitate and foster the values necessary to practice medical assisting skills within the ethical and legal framework of the profession and the community.
• To produce students who exhibit professional behavior consistent with current academic and professional standards.
• To help students acquire and strengthen problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• To assist students in performing all necessary duties in a safe environment utilizing all the latest techniques in physician offices, including hazardous materials.
• To develop positive student attitudes for the pursuit of lifelong professional growth and development.
• To develop and maintain educational partnerships with business, labor, and public sector agencies.
• To promote a student-centered learning environment where students know faculty and staff are accessible and supportive of their individual needs.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice. Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. An increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities will also need support workers, particularly medical assistants, to complete both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work mostly in primary care, a steadily growing sector of the healthcare industry. The median annual wage for medical assistants was $32,480 in May 2017.