Heidi McLean Frye
410-777-2627
hmmclean@aacc.edu
HLSB 368F

Stephanie Smith-Baker, M.Ed., CAHI, CPhT,
Assistant professor, Medical Assisting
Program coordinator, Medical Coding
410-777-7497
sesmithbaker@aacc.edu
HLSB 364F

Our mission is to attract, nurture and prepare market-ready medical assistants through excellence in program curricula, high-quality instructors, meaningful didactic and laboratory learning, and clinical experiences that enhance student knowledge, meet market demands, enhance the health of the community and promote lifelong learning.

Our vision is to recruit, retain and graduate self-directed, self-determined and market-ready citizens of the world who are “change leaders” in their respective field of study.

Goal 1
“To prepare medical assistants who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.” (CAAHEP.org, 2022)

Goal 2
To, at least annually, assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of program resources (e.g., Resource Matrix) related to faculty, clerical and resource staff, curriculum, finances, offices, classrooms, laboratory and ancillary facilities, clinical affiliates, equipment, supplies, computer resources, instructor reference materials and faculty/staff continuing education.

Goal 3
Ensure a curriculum where students progress through the program in a logical sequence of classroom, laboratory and clinical instruction to achieve program goals.

Goal 4
Create shared interdisciplinary learning experiences for students with an emphasis on ethical, moral and diversity issues.

Goal 5
Emphasize a holistic approach in the management of client/patient care.

Goal 6
Form linkages with professional organizations that will accept students as members.

Goal 7
Provide experiences for students that create opportunities for communication among other healthcare providers and the community.

Goal 8
Maintain a diverse advisory board by identifying within the community the internal and external stakeholders, including students, graduates, faculty, administration, employers, physicians and public members.

Goal 9
Maintain Clinical and Administrative Quality Review committees to conduct, at least biannually, analysis of program quality, program resources, courses, curriculum and outcomes measures.

Goal 10
Establish, maintain and nurture relationships with clinical sites and preceptors that provide for a variety of quality experiential learning opportunities, and entry-level employment opportunities.

Goal 11
Identify current industry and community needs both in academic, clinical practice and cultural contexts.

Goal 12
Ensure the content and competencies included in the program’s curriculum meet or exceed those states in the CAAHEP Curriculum Standards and Guidelines.

Goal 13
Provide students with an unpaid, supervised practicum of 160 hours in an ambulatory healthcare setting.

Goal 14
Ensure students have mastered and demonstrated the knowledge, skills and behaviors of the CAAHEP MAERB Core Curriculum in performing clinical and administrative competencies prior to graduation.

Goal 15
Ensure that the practicum experience and instruction of students is meaningful and parallel in contents and concepts with the material presented in lecture and laboratory sessions.

Goal 16
Ensure practicum sites and affiliates provide a variety of student experiences.

Goal 17
The practicum will conduct, at minimum, one on-site visit during the student’s assigned 160-hour practicum time but will maintain communication with the student (weekly) and preceptor (as needed) throughout the practicum.

Goal 18
Prepare students for national certification and/or credentials.

Goal 19
Conduct ongoing evaluation and assessment to ensure equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is in all courses and the program.

The Anne Arundel Community College Medical Assisting certificate program annually publishes and makes accessible to prospective and current students, graduates and the public the Annual Review Report (ARF). Below are the 2024 Medical Assisting Education Review Board approved results:

• The five-year average for the exam passage rate for the years 2019-2023 is 91.78%.
• Retention: 87.5% retention for the 2023 admission cohort
• Job placement: 100% for 2023 graduate year
• Exam passage: 88.89% for 2023 graduates

Advanced Placement

The granting of credit for general education requirements for students is determined upon the receipt and review of formal transcripts by the records and registration office. This includes high school AP courses and CLEP examinations. The granting of Advanced Placement does not apply to the following courses: MDA-111, MDA-115, MDA-117, MDA-140, MDA-142, MDA-274, MDA-275 or HIT-200.

Transfer Credit

Students who are transferring to AACC and submitting formal transcripts from another accredited institution may receive credit for MDA-113 Medical Terminology (3 credits) and ACA-100 Student Success (1 credit) courses that meet the course descriptions and credit hours required by the AACC Medical Assisting program. Granting of credit for MDA-113 and ACA-100 is determined by review of formal transcripts by the records and registration office, and if needed, upon consultation from the Medical Assisting department chair. Therefore, the total number of credits that the certificate program will accept as transfer is 4.

Transfer credit for MDA-111, MDA-115, MDA-117, MDA-140, MDA-142, MDA-274, MDA-275 and HIT-200 is not granted due to accreditation requirements and specificity of the Medical Assisting certificate program courses in measuring student achievement of the cognitive, psychomotor and affective competencies.

Students in the Anne Arundel Community College continuing education Clinical Medical Assisting program that successfully complete the CMA-300, CMA-301, CMA-302 and CMA-303 clinical courses, including all clinical psychomotor and affective competencies, and provide proof of a current and active National Healthcare Association Medical Assistant Certification (CCMA) can apply and receive credit for the MDA-140 Clinical Medical Assisting 1 and MDA-142 Clinical Medical Assisting 2 courses.

Experiential Learning

Credit is not given for experiential learning due to programmatic requirements to fully assess the student knowledge and achievement of the required cognitive, psychomotor and affective competencies.

Medical assisting is a profession with many rewards. Practitioners can perform both administrative and clinical services, filling several roles in a variety of healthcare environments. The Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly outlines that it is a growth field, with an anticipated 18% growth from 2020 to 2030.

Medical assistants work directly with providers and patients, with the goal of providing healthcare and ensuring patient safety. It is a position with a great deal of responsibility.

As with any healthcare position, there are certain occupational risks that come into play with being a medical assistant. Those hazards include:

• Exposure to infectious diseases
• Sharps injuries
• Bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards
• Chemical and drug exposure
• Ergonomic hazards from lifting, sitting and repetitive tasks
• Latex allergies
• Stress

At the same time, there are protections set up with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and those protections are particularly important within a healthcare environment. OSHA has a series of standards that protect the safety of healthcare workers and patients.

Accredited medical assisting programs are required to teach students about the hazards that they face on the job and the protocols that can be put into place to ensure a workplace culture that prioritizes safety.