The Medical Assisting curriculum prepares multi-skilled healthcare professionals qualified to perform administrative, clinical, and laboratory procedures.

Coursework 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.

Graduates of CAAHEP-accredited medical assisting programs may be eligible to sit for the American Association of Medical Assistants’ Certification Examination to become Certified Medical Assistants. Employment opportunities include physicians’ offices, health maintenance organizations, health departments, and hospitals.

The Edgecombe Community College Medical Assisting program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756 727-210-2350
www.caahep.org

In all health sciences programs, students are assigned clinical rotations with area healthcare agencies. The student must meet employee health standards and the criminal background and/or drug screening requirements of the agency at the student’s expense prior to or after beginning the program.

Admission Policies for the Medical Assisting Program

Each step must be completed before proceeding to the next step. Admission into health sciences programs is competitive and is based on a points-based ranking system. The number of students accepted into health science programs is determined by clinical space available and may, therefore, vary each term.

Step I Application Process

1. Submit an Edgecombe Community College Admission Application.
2. Submit an official transcript of high school graduation or GED. Currently enrolled high school students should submit a partial transcript at time of application. A final transcript must be submitted at the time of graduation.
3. Submit official transcripts from all colleges attended.
4. Attend a medical assisting information session before March 1st.
5. Complete the medical assisting program application by March 1st. Subsequent dates for acceptance of applications will be established if space becomes available prior to fall semester.
6. Complete BIO 163 or MED 121 with a C or better. Equivalent courses may be substituted as determined by the program chair.

Step II Ranking and Conditional Acceptance

1. Eligible applicants who complete Step I will be ranked according to the GPA on all ECC Medical Assisting curriculum courses that have been completed from all colleges, including courses with less than a C. The ranking GPA also includes all courses that have been completed more than once.
2. A letter of conditional acceptance will be mailed to the highest ranking applicants depending on clinical space available.
3. A waiting list letter will be mailed to any remaining eligible students.
4. The student must accept or reject the seat in writing to the Medical Assisting Admissions Counselor.
5. Applicants will continue to be selected from the waiting list until the program is filled.

Step III Full Acceptance

After accepting a seat, the student must meet the following requirements in order to be fully accepted:

1. If developmental courses were required upon admission to the college, the developmental prerequisites for ECC Medical Assisting curriculum general education courses must be completed prior to enrollment in the program.
2. Demonstrate a 2.0 GPA on all ECC Medical Assisting curriculum courses that have been completed up to the point of enrollment in the program. The highest grade on all completed courses from all colleges will be used in this calculation, including courses with less than a C.
3. Submit criminal background check and by the required deadline.
4. Failure to meet deadlines will result in withdrawal of acceptance status.
5. Demonstrate an overall 2.0 GPA on courses completed at ECC up to the point of enrollment.
6. A completed medical form provided by the college, including required immunizations, performed within a 12-month time frame will be due by December 1st of the first semester of enrollment.
7. A drug screen may be required after enrollment in the program depending on assigned clinical site requirements.