Gainesville's City College is a private college based in Fort Lauderdale. They have satellite campuses in Gainesville, Orlando, and Miami. Their Gainesville campus offers 3 healthcare programs: a medical assisting program, an Emergency Medical Technician program, and a Veternarian Technology program.
The medical assisting program at City College takes 3 quarters to complete, and includes a 160 hour internship module. The internship module will prepare students for the realities of working as a certified medical assistant. Once the program is completed, students are able to take the American Medical Technologist(AMT) test. In addition, medical assistant students will have the ability to earn certification as a phlebotomist.
The core classes students will take in City College's medical assisting program mainly focus on the operations of physician offices and urgent care centers.
A medical terminology course teaches students all about the symbols, abbreviations, and vocabulary that is used in a healthcare facility. Students will learn to identify many medical conditions that are associated with common specialties(pediatrics, oncology, podiatry, internal medicine, etc). ALL medical assistant programs in Florida will contain a medical terminology course. Medical assisting students will also be able to couple different parts of the body with the proper names.
The scope of practice for medical assistants varies depending on which state you'll be working in. In ALL states, medical assistants are able to take and record vital signs. Vital signs include taking a patient's blood pressure, body tempurature, pulse, respiration, and body oxygen level.
Medical assistants may also help the physician with physical exams. Some of the procedures you may be assisting with iclude Pediatric exams, irrigation of the eyes & ears, gynecologic exams, and screening tests for newborns.
Medical assistants are allowed to assist with some invasive procedures. Some of these invasive procedures include: blood withdrawals, colonoscopies, biopsies, incisions, and draining boils & cysts.
In most states, medical assistants are authorized to administer several types of medications. Some delivery methods physicians' offices use include orally, rectally, intramuscular, intradermal, and sublingually. Regardless of the type of medicine and route of administration, the doctor must first verify the proper dosage. The doctor must also be present in the healthcare facility before a medical assistant administers the medication.
The cost of the entire medical assistant program is $4,850 for the 2022/2023 academic year. This total doesn't include any financial aid. City College students are able to participate in financial aid, which includes grants and student loans.