MEDICAL ASSISTANT CERTIFICATE

The Medical Assistant certificate program prepares students with the knowledge, technical skills and work ethic required for an entry-level position in the medical field. The program includes classroom theory and clinical practice to prepare graduates to participate in patient care management, administrative and supervisory functions. Clinical performance includes physical assessment, diagnostic procedures, surgical technique and office assisting, EKG, pharmaceutical principles, and administration of medication. Graduates from this program will demonstrate effective communication skills, adhere to ethical and legal standards of medical practice, recognize and respond to emergencies, and demonstrate professional characteristics. Students must complete Basic Life Support C for Health Care Providers prior to beginning practicum in the Spring semester. A minimum of 35 credit hours are required for the certificate. Students must receive a C or better in all MAS prefix courses for graduation.

Accreditation: The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1575, Chicago, IL 60606-2903 312-899-1500 on recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for Medical Assistant Education.

Additional Admissions Criteria: The Office of Admission will provide additional admissions criteria for this program. All admission criteria are available at the NECC web site, www.necc.mass.edu/programs/health

Students interested in participation in an academic program that involves working with children, the disabled, or the elderly, or a cooperative education experience or a program that includes a clinical affiliation with a private or public health care provider, may be required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check, a Criminal Records Central Repository (CHRI) check and/or a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check. Students will need to provide a government issued photo identification and sign a release form allowing the college to view the student’s CORI, CHRI or SORI reports. Depending on the contents of a student’s CORI, CHRI or SORI reports, participation in an academic program or a cooperative education experience or a clinical or practicum affiliation related thereto, may be denied. CORI checks may be performed pursuant to Mass. General Laws, Chapter 6, Section 172, and consistent with guidelines promulgated by the Executive Office for Health and Human Services, and/or the Commonwealth’s Department of Public Health. SORI checks may be performed pursuant to Mass. General Laws, Chapter 6, Sections 178(J) & 178(K). CHRI checks may be performed pursuant to New Hampshire law. For more information, contact the Registrar at 978-556-3700.