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Medical Administrative Professional

Medical Administrative Professional

Associate Degree

Associate in Arts Degree

Medical Office Professional

Students may earn the above-named associate degree by completing a certificate of achievement and the general education courses required for MiraCosta College's Associate in Arts degree (see Associate Degrees). Students should meet with a MiraCosta counselor to identify required courses and to develop a written educational plan for the specific degree or certificate they wish to earn.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to complete all the steps in the Documentation Cycle and the Patient Billing Cycle by creating a patient medical record with all documents labeled and identified by step number.

Certificates

Certificate of Achievement

Medical Assistant

This certificate program provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to work as medical assistants in a variety of practice settings, such as in medical offices, acute care settings, and clinical or allied health and ambulatory care facilities. Course content includes medical terminology, office systems and procedures, medical coding, medical insurance and billing, electronic health records, patient advocacy, HIPAA compliance, basic anatomy and physiology, medical back office support, and bloodborne and airborne pathogen standards.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing when communicating with patients and healthcare team; logically problem-solve in the healthcare setting; and become employable in an entry-level healthcare career upon completion of their certificate of achievement.
Prerequisite courses: Students must have completed the following courses before applying to the Medical Assistant Program:
Body Systems Survey for Health Professions
Basic Medical Terminology
Required courses:
MAP 50Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers3
MAP 56Introduction to Patient Advocacy3
MAP 60Introduction to the Electronic Health Record3
MAP 62Medical Coding3
MAP 64Medical Insurance and Billing3
MAP 70Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogen Standards1
MAP 80Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office I3
MAP 82Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office II3
MAP 90Medical Assistant Clinical Preceptorship4
NURS 153Pathophysiology for Health Professions3
Total Units29

Certificate of Achievement

Medical Office Professional

This certificate prepares students to work in medical office settings. Students receive training in HIPAA compliance procedures, basic computer competencies, medical office procedures, medical terminology, basic anatomy, electronic health record input and maintenance, and billing and coding practices used in hospitals, medical offices, and clinics.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to complete all the steps in the Documentation Cycle and the Patient Billing Cycle by creating a patient medical record with all documents labeled and identified by step number.
Required courses: 
MAP 50Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers3
MAP 60Introduction to the Electronic Health Record3
MAP 62Medical Coding3
MAP 64Medical Insurance and Billing3
Select at least 9 elective units from the following:9
Medical Keyboarding and Document Production
Introduction to Patient Advocacy
Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogen Standards
Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office I
Internship Studies
Occupational Cooperative Work Experience
Body Systems Survey for Health Professions
Basic Medical Terminology
Total Units21

Certificate of Achievement

Patient Care Coordinator

A Patient Care Coordinator is employed in outpatient facilities such as a doctor’s office or specialty clinic. Serving as a patient advocate, they perform a wide variety of functions, including monitoring and coordinating patient treatment plans, ensuring complete and accurate documentation and registration, coordinating continuity of care between services and insurance companies, discussing, consulting, and coordinating the needs of patients and family members, and facilitating the education of patients and family members about health conditions, medications, and instructions. This certificate is designed to offer students the skills and knowledge necessary for entry-level employment in outpatient healthcare settings.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of this program, students will have developed skills necessary to obtain entry-level employment in a variety of outpatient medical office settings.
Required courses: 
HEAL 180Introduction to Public Health3
MAP 50Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers3
MAP 52Medical Keyboarding and Document Production3
MAP 56Introduction to Patient Advocacy3
MAP 60Introduction to the Electronic Health Record3
MAP 62Medical Coding3
MAP 64Medical Insurance and Billing3
MAP 70Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogen Standards1
NURS 153Pathophysiology for Health Professions3
NURS 155Basic Medical Terminology3
Complete 3 units from the following:3
Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office I
Internship Studies
Occupational Cooperative Work Experience
Body Systems Survey for Health Professions
Total Units31

Certificate of Proficiency

Medical Insurance and Coding Specialist

This certificate prepares students to perform specialized work related to insurance and coding in medical settings.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of this program, students will be able to create and submit CMS 1500 forms after identifying  the correct ICD and CPT codes within the parameters of the designated insurance carrier.
Program prerequisite:
NURS 155Basic Medical Terminology3
Required courses:
MAP 60Introduction to the Electronic Health Record3
MAP 62Medical Coding3
MAP 64Medical Insurance and Billing3
Select at least 3 elective units from the following:3
Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers
Medical Keyboarding and Document Production
Internship Studies
Total Units15

Certificate of Proficiency

Medical Office Specialist

This certificate prepares students to work in health information management offices. Students receive training in all of the medical administrative tasks performed to manage health records, patient management plans, and patient education. Students acquire skills and training to obtain employment in all health care facilities/settings.

Program Student Learning Outcome Statement

  • Upon completion of this program, students will be able to identify and perform job tasks (such as receptionist, scheduler, biller, coder, patient educator) of a medical administrative assistant.
Required courses: 
MAP 50Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers3
MAP 56Introduction to Patient Advocacy3
MAP 60Introduction to the Electronic Health Record3
Select one course from the following:3
Medical Keyboarding and Document Production
Medical Coding
Medical Insurance and Billing
Total Units12

How to Read Course Descriptions

For more detailed information about a course, such as its content, objectives, and fulfillment of a degree, certificate, or general education requirement, please see the official course outline of record, available on the Courses and Programs webpage at https://www.miracosta.edu/governance/courses-and-programs-committee/curriculum-management-system.html.

Courses

MAP 50: Introduction to Medical Administrative Careers

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course introduces the documentation and revenue cycle operations of a medical office, clinic, or hospital office environment. Topics include the duties and responsibilities of the receptionist, scheduler, insurance biller, medical coder, transcriptionist, medical records auditor, HIPAA compliance officer, health information technician, and office manager as well as information on professional development and industry certifications for administrative medical personnel.

MAP 52: Medical Keyboarding and Document Production

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This keyboarding and document production course for medical office professionals combines medical terminology with advanced word processing skills. Exercises include practicing keyboarding drills, creating medical documents, and inserting electronic entries. The course emphasizes medical terminology, procedures, phrases, and commonly used terms.

MAP 56: Introduction to Patient Advocacy

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course introduces students to the general practices and competencies of a patient advocate. It develops skills to help the patient advocate navigate through the complexities of today's rapidly evolving healthcare system from the patient's perspective. Students discuss the cultural, social, hereditary, and environmental influences on human behavior and personality development, including behaviors associated with death, dying and grieving, cultural beliefs, mental health, values, and practices regarding health and illness.

MAP 60: Introduction to the Electronic Health Record

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course provides students with an overview of all the information entered into and extrapolated from an electronic health record (EHR) as well as in-depth and practical training on EHR software. Students examine specific sections of the EHR in relation to health information management.

MAP 62: Medical Coding

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course provides entry-level training in medical coding. Students develop an understanding of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), International Classification of Diseases-Clinical Modification(ICD-CM) Volumes I and II, and HCFA Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) as they are used in medical claims processing and record management. Students review both paper and electronic medical documentation to assign specific codes for diagnoses and billing.

MAP 64: Medical Insurance and Billing

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course provides an overview of health insurance. It introduces procedures for submitting insurance claims for reimbursement to major health insurance carriers and government agencies.

MAP 70: Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogen Standards

Units: 1
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 0.50 hour, laboratory 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course presents the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne and Airborne Pathogen standards that protect health care workers from contracting infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, HIV-AIDS, and tuberculosis. Topics include compliance requirements, exposure control measures, exposure determination, protective equipment, and post exposure practices.

MAP 80: Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office I

Units: 3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1.50 hours, laboratory 4.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall

This course expands medical assistant proficiency in medical back office support. Students are introduced to the medical laboratory and equipment. The course emphasizes assisting physicians with exams and minor office surgical procedures. Topics include principles and practices of infection control, patient medical history and documentation, basic pharmacological concepts, and basic drug administration. Students perform CLIA approved procedures on urine, fecal, and microbiologic specimens.

MAP 82: Medical Assistant--Clinical Back Office II

Units: 3
Prerequisites: MAP 70 and MAP 80
Corequisite: MAP 90.
Lecture 1.50 hours, laboratory 4.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Spring

This course expands medical assistant proficiency in medical back office support. It presents students with the basic principles of performing and analyzing an electrocardiogram (ECG), pulmonary function testing, capillary puncture, and venipuncture. Topics include a review of the anatomy, physiology and electrophysiology of the heart and circulatory system; basic components of an ECG, normal and abnormal cardiac rhythms, review of the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, Clinical Lab Improvement Act (CLIA) approved pulmonary function tests, capillary puncture techniques, and venipuncture. Students are instructed in methods of quality control for specimen collection, transport, and testing while they learn to screen patients for various diagnostic tests and test result reporting.

MAP 90: Medical Assistant Clinical Preceptorship

Units: 4
Prerequisites: MAP 80
Corequisite: MAP 82.
Laboratory 12 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Spring

This course provides medical assisting students with a hands-on, unpaid clinical experience in a health care facility. Students apply the skills they have learned from their courses in a safe, ethical, and legal manner. The course emphasizes enhancing communication skills, professionalism, and interpersonal relationships. Topics include goal setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to medical assisting. Each student works with their preceptor for 192 hours utilizing a variable time schedule.

MAP 292: Internship Studies

Units: 0.5-3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Instructor, dept chair, and Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

This course provides students the opportunity to apply the theories and techniques of their discipline in an internship position in a professional setting under the instruction of a faculty-mentor and site supervisor. It introduces students to aspects of the roles and responsibilities of professionals employed in the field of study. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students must develop new learning objectives and/or intern at a new site upon each repetition. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.

MAP 296: Topics in Medical Administrative Professional

Units: 1-3
Prerequisites: None
Lecture 1 hour.
Lecture 2 hours.
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

This course gives students an opportunity to study topics in Medical Office Professional that are not included in regular course offerings. Each Topics course is announced, described, and given its own title and 296 number designation in the class schedule.

MAP 299: Occupational Cooperative Work Experience

Units: 1-4
Prerequisites: None
Corequisite: Complete 75 hrs paid or 60 hrs non-paid work per unit.
Enrollment Limitation: Career Center approval. May not enroll in any combination of cooperative work experience and/or internship studies concurrently.
Acceptable for Credit: CSU
Course Typically Offered: To be arranged

Cooperative Work Experience is intended for students who are employed in a job directly related to their major. It allows such students the opportunity to apply the theories and skills of their discipline to their position and to undertake new responsibilities and learn new skills at work. Topics include goal-setting, employability skills development, and examination of the world of work as it relates to the student's career plans. Students may not earn more than 16 units in any combination of cooperative work experience (general or occupational) and/or internship studies during community college attendance.

Campus Locations

MiraCosta Community Learning Center

1831 Mission Avenue
Oceanside, CA 92058
760.795.8710
888.201.8480
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MiraCosta Oceanside Campus Building

1 Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
760.757.2121
888.201.8480
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MiraCosta San Elijo Campus

3333 Manchester Avenue
Cardiff, CA 92007
760.944.4449
888.201.8480
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MiraCosta Technology Career Institute Building

2075 Las Palmas Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92011
760.795.6820
888.201.8480
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