Medical Assistant Degree Curriculum Details

• Demonstrate a high-level of proficiency in analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate computer and information literacy
• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills using correct medical terminology
• Discuss elements of the liberal arts and social sciences as they relate to human behavior and expression
• Explain the role, responsibilities, scope of practice, standards of care, and credentials of medical assistants
• Using correct terminology, differentiate among the structures and their functions within the six levels of structural organization of the human body
• Explain the importance of diet and nutrition including the elements of a proper diet, nutrition guidelines, and options for patients that require special diets or diet modifications
• Identify etiology, processes, symptoms, and treatments for common diseases
• Apply ethical standards and legal responsibilities, including those related to the confidentiality of personal health information, to patient care
• Perform clinical and laboratory procedures applicable to the role of medical assistant in medical office and laboratory settings
• Perform administrative duties applicable to the role of a medical assistant in medical office and laboratory settings

Objectives:

• Understand how to use your Student Portal
• Access the Penn Foster Community and use it to find answers
• Connect with Penn Foster on various social media sites
• Compare the professional roles of health care workers within various health care agencies
• Distinguish government (public) and private health insurance plans
• Identify methods to communicate within the health care field
• Explain the scope of practice as it applies to various roles in the health care field
• Identify safe practice as it relates to the role of a health care worker
• List methods for including others in patient care
• Describe the proper legal and ethical behaviors of a health care worker

Objectives:

• Search the Internet more effectively.
• Get tips about search engines and reliable websites.
• Learn how to search libraries and other information centers for important, useful information.

Objectives:

• Create, edit, and illustrate Microsoft® Word™ documents.
• Apply formulas and functions to large data sets in Microsoft® Excel.®
• Incorporate useful charts and graphs to summarize data.
• Add, delete, sort, and lay out table data.
• Create presentations in Microsoft® PowerPoint® using advanced tools, tables, and charts.

Objectives:

• Effectively use free writing and brainstorming.
• Perfect your ability to edit and revise your writing.
• Apply techniques for getting the reader’s attention.
• Write descriptive essays, first-person narratives, reflective essays, persuasive essays, and effective thesis statements.

Textbook: Successful College Writing
Supplement: The Little, Brown Essential Handbook

Objectives:

• Describe civil and criminal law, sources of law, and the steps of litigation
• Distinguish between liability, negligence, and malpractice and explain how they relate to medical professionals
• Explain the impact of healthcare legislation changes on medical professionals
• Explain defenses against medical malpractice and criminal charges
• Identify the various ethical issues that medical professionals face
• Explain the uses and content of medical records
• Describe the legal significance of confidentiality obligations
• Explain the core concepts of HIPAA's final Privacy Rule
• Summarize the role of peer review in confidentiality issues
• Describe confidentiality and security issues related to electronic medical records

Objectives:

• Define word elements, roots, prefixes, suffixes, combining vowels, and combining forms.
• Describe the basic rules for building a medical word.
• Describe the uses and effects of drugs on the body.
• Distinguish among generic drug names, official drug names, trade names, and chemical names.
• Identify and spell word elements, names of diagnostic procedures, diagnoses, treatment procedures, and abbreviations related to the integumentary and musculoskeletal systems; cardiovascular system; the blood and lymph system; the respiratory system; the digestive and urinary systems; the reproductive system; the endocrine system; and the nervous system.
• Define terms related to the psychology and psychiatry fields.
• Identify and define terms associated with conditions of the eyes and ears.
• Identify and define terms commonly used on operative reports.
• Discuss the field of oncology and potential careers in the oncology field.
• Identify diagnostic procedures related to radiology and nuclear medicine.

Textbook: Medical Terminology, A Living Language

Objectives:

• Explain the various components of nutrition as a science.
• Describe nutrition from a global viewpoint.
• Understand the importance of water and exercise.
• Identify the basics of human growth and aging.
• Discuss food safety procedures.

Textbook: Nutrition for Life

Objectives:

• Define terms referring to location, position, direction, body planes, and sections.
• Identify and describe the basic anatomical structures and major cavities of the human body.
• Discuss the process and mechanics of homeostasis.
• Explain how human anatomy and physiology are related.
• List and discuss the organizational levels of the human body in order of increasing complexity and explain how these levels are related to each other.
• Explain the structures, functions, and diseases of the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems in humans.

Textbook: Body Structures and Functions (with accompanying CD-ROM)

Objectives:

• Identify and describe the components, functions, and disorders of blood, the circulatory system, the lymphatic system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, the urinary system, the reproductive system, and genetics.
• Describe the processes of inflammation and coagulation.
• Explain the disease mechanisms involved in the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
• Describe different types of microorganisms.
• Discuss the body’s defense mechanisms against infection.
• Identify and describe the functions of water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, trace elements, and vitamins.
• Explain the principles of healthy nutrition and describe nutritional disorders.
• Identify and explain the functions of the reproductive system.
• Describe the disorders of both male and female reproductive systems.
• Define genetics, mutation, and lethal genes.
• Describe selected genetic disorders.
• Explain the potential of genetic engineering.

HUM102-Art Appreciation

This course will provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to critique a variety of artwork.

Objectives:

• Understand artistic media.
• Identify historical periods and artistic movements.
• Explain the roles of the artist and the viewer

HUM-104-Music Appreciation

This course will allow you to understand and appreciate the art of music.

• Explain the roles of the composer and the listener.
• Describe music theory, instrumentation, and historical periods.
• Distinguish various styles of music.

ENG115-Introduction to Literature

This course will allow you to develop your critical thinking skills and broaden your knowledge of literature.

Objectives:

• Identify themes and forms of literature.
• Define the main genres of literature--poetry, fiction, and drama.

Objectives:

• Describe the basics of the writing process and the ABC method of organizing material for a document
• Identify the parts of speech in a sentence
• Demonstrate correct pronoun use
• Choose proper and effective words for writing documents
• Identify the elements of a well-written sentence
• Demonstrate how to use length, directness, emphasis, and variety to craft impactful sentences
• Explain how to construct a coherent paragraph
• Describe how to write an effective cover letter and resume
• Format and write an interoffice memorandum, a routine business letter, and an effective email
• Identify the different ways to write for blogs, the Internet, and social media
• Describe how to create an organized formal outline
• Identify the types of research and methods of documentation used in business and technical writing
• Explain how to create visual interest and clarity in reports with illustrations, tables, graphs, charts, and overall design
• Explain the purpose and importance of various types of informal reports
• Describe the nature of formal reports and identify their components
• Differentiate among external, internal, informal, and formal proposals
• Describe an object or a process and prepare a set of instructions
• Describe the preparation and submission of professional and technical articles and manuals

Objectives:

• Understand and explain the components of communication, both verbal and nonverbal.
• Develop effective listening and observation skills.
• Recognize prejudice in interpersonal relations.
• Describe personal traits essential for successful interpersonal relations.