Program Description

The Allied Health Education (AHE) designation is an “umbrella” heading for courses required in the Dialysis Technician certificate, the Medical Assistant ATA and certificates, and the Pharmacy Technician certificate. Students in the Medical Assistant program may attend classes on a full-time or part-time basis. Dialysis and Pharmacy Technician students who plan to graduate in one year must enter Fall quarter and follow the recommended schedule. Students pursuing any of the certificates on a part-time basis may enter any quarter.

The Medical Assistant (MEDA) certificate is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (CRB-AAMAE) of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). The address is CAAHEP, 1391 Park Street, Clearwater, FL 33756; (727) 210-2350. The Pharmacy Technician certificate is approved by the Washington State Board of Pharmacy.

Certificates are offered in Medical Assistant, Medical Front Office Skills, Medical Billing and Coding Specialist, Phlebotomy Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and Dialysis Technician. A two-year Medical Assistant Associate of Technical Arts Degree (ATA) is also available. Students may attend courses on a full-time or part-time basis for any of the MEDA degree/certificates.

Specific duties of the Medical Assistant, Medical Front Office Assistant, Medical Coding and Billing Specialist, Medical Transcriptionist, Phlebotomy Assistant, Pharmacy and Dialysis Technicians may vary between medical settings depending on the facility’s specialty, size and location. A Medical Assistant Certificate or ATA degree trains students to become multi-skilled professionals who perform routine clinical tasks, clerical tasks, and basic lab tests in the offices of healthcare providers.

Graduates who earn the Medical Assistant certificate or the ATA degree are eligible to write the American Association of Medical Assistant (AAMA) National Certification Examination to become nationally certified medical assistants (CMA). Selected certificates meet the specified academic training requirements of the Healthcare Assistant Law (HCL) of the state of Washington. Medical Assistant graduates meet the requirements for categories A, C and E. Recipients of the Dialysis Technician certificate meet the training requirements of category G. Students who complete the Phlebotomy Assistant certificate meet the requirements for category A of the Healthcare Assistant Laws of the state of Washington. Pharmacy Technician graduates are qualified to apply for the Washington State Pharmacy Certification Exam.

Entry Into the Program

Please apply to the Admissions Office. Admission and registration guidelines are listed in the catalog and on the college website. Full-time Pharmacy and Dialysis Technician students must enter Fall quarter and follow the suggested schedule of courses. Students registering for any of the MEDA certificates may enter their program of study at the beginning of any quarter. Some key courses are offered only during specific quarters of the year. Students should see the MEDA Department Chair or counselor to help prepare their course schedule. It is strongly recommended that students entering any program be able to read, write, and compute at the college level and have basic keyboarding skills. Students lacking this preparation should consult an advisor for appropriate coursework to raise their skill level. Science courses that are five or more years old cannot be transferred in for credit. Students are encouraged to review suggested schedules and course descriptions to check for prerequisites when planning their course of study.