Latest cohort tests out new hybrid course delivery module for College
McHenry, MD – Five students recently completed the classroom portion of the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) program at Garrett College. They are now working to complete their final externship hours before sitting for the CCMA national certification.
The CCMA program – which takes nearly a year to complete – consists of 426 hours of classroom and lab time, followed by 120 hours of externship. During the externship, students work with experienced medical assistants and phlebotomists in the field.
After externship completion, students are eligible to earn three national certifications through the National Healthcareer Association. They do so by sitting for the Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA), and Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exams.
“We’re very proud of our first-attempt certification pass rates,” said Program Coordinator Doug Beitzel. “We continue to maintain 95 percent pass rates over the last nine years we have offered this program, while the national average is 84 percent.”
Beitzel said the College is adjusting its program format to reduce the amount of time students are required to be on campus to one day a week. The other two sessions most weeks will be on Zoom and can be done from home, according to Beitzel.
“We tested that format this year, and it seems to work well,” Beitzel said. “We plan to fully implement this for the next class beginning in the fall.”
Certified Clinical Medical Assistants are versatile healthcare professionals who are engaged in a variety of tasks in a medical office or hospital. Certified Medical Assistants can be found in a number of healthcare settings, including nursing homes, medical centers, laboratories, and hospitals.
“These professionals are involved in the clinical and administrative aspects of a hospital or practice,” explained Beitzel. “Clinical medical assistants help doctors and nurses by preparing examination rooms, taking and monitoring patient vital signs, interviewing patients for medical histories, preparing patients for X-rays, and assisting in medical procedures such as the administration of electrocardiograms.”
Clinical medical assistants are allowed to perform more advanced duties such as drawing blood, administering injections and medications, and properly disposing of biohazards, added Beitzel.
Scholarship money is now available, and orientation dates are being set up for the fall program starting in September. Registrations are currently being accepted with limited space available.
Classes are slated to run Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday evenings from 6 to 9:15 p.m. with Mondays being in person at Garrett College’s Beitzel Career Technology Training Center in Accident.
Interested individuals should contact Program Coordinator Doug Beitzel at 301-387-3772 or doug.beitzel@garrettcollege.edu.
PHOTO CUTLINE
Five students recently completed the classroom portion of the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) program at Garrett College. Pictured, left to right, are (seated) Brittany Burns (Oakland), Hanna Yutzy (Friendsville), Wisteria Uber (Swanton), (standing) Instructor Lindaly Stewart, Brianna Wilt (Grantsville), Rebecca Younkin (Friendsville), and Instructor Bridgette Friend.