Esperanza College intends its graduates to be able to pursue their dreams to the fullest potential. With a degree in Medical Assisting, graduates will be qualified to work in the health care industry as an integral support to doctors and other health professionals by performing critical clinical and administrative tasks.
Training consists of providing basic medical functions, becoming knowledgeable in patient care, and enabling quality and accurate preparation of patients. Students will have a solid grasp of medical insurance and billing procedures and will obtain technical skills that will enable them to take part in any working environment.
The Medical Assisting Degree also provides students with a scientific background. Laboratories and class activities are designed to help students discover their dreams of becoming a healthcare professional.
Esperanza College provides an Associate Degree in Applied Science and the opportunity to sit for a nationally recognized Certified Medical Assistant exam, as well as Safety and First Aid Certification. Unlike a liberal arts education, the Associate in Applied Science provides the General Education up-front and allows for heavy concentration of critical concentration courses, readying students for academic rigor in the medical sciences.
Medical assisting is foundational to the running of operations of any healthcare organization or business. Medical assistants enable care and provide service to the community that is highly rewarding as a career track on its own. There is growing need for healthcare professionals, and particular for qualified and certified medical assistants. Take a look at the exciting Curriculum to see if Medical Assisting is right for you!
Program Student Learning Goals
* Students may substitute more advanced courses if able to meet specific course prerequisites.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
Field experience is an essential element of the Esperanza College program for students to gain first-hand experience the field of health care. All Medical Assisting students complete a mandatory 160-hour clinical externship in an outpatient or inpatient setting. Some of our externship partners include the primary care sites of Delaware Valley Community Health, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Esperanza Health Centers, and offices within the Holy Redeemer system. At these locations, students are mentored as they practice key clinical and administrative skills—from administering injections, billing and coding for third party payers to documenting an electronic medical record.
Upon matriculation into the program, students will be informed of field experience placement and timeline from the program Clinical Assistant.
Four Year Plan
An Associate’s degree opens doors to a long-term career and is the first step toward other credentials, certifications, and higher-level degrees, all of which can lead to a rewarding career and increasing your earning power.
Graduates of Esperanza College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Assisting receive certification in safety and first aid, and the opportunity to sit for a nationally recognized Certified Medical Assistant exam.
Esperanza’s Associate’s in Applied Science is organized to give students a strong foundation: the general education courses, field experience, and critical degree-specific courses are designed to prepare students for the academic rigor in the medical sciences field.
By completing the first two years of undergraduate work along with the initial prerequisites of the program, graduates are also prepared to begin work toward the next degree or certification.
With an Associate’s degree in Medical Assisting, Esperanza graduates can continue towards a bachelor’s degree in several allied health fields, including hospital-based nursing programs, or towards specialized certification. (The exact number of credits transferred is determined by each receiving institution.)
HOSA FUTURE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS CHAPTER
The Esperanza College HOSA Chapter is a program medical assisting students can join to enhance their learning. Our HOSA Chapter has been active in the following ways:
- Raised money for AIDS research and the March of Dimes
- Volunteered with The Garces Foundation to provide health screenings to uninsured patients
- Received certification as “lay health educators” from Drexel Medical School’s Ujima program
- Organized a health fair to raise awareness about Type 2 Diabetes in the North Philadelphia Latino community
- Won a gold medal at the 2014 Pennsylvania HOSA State Leadership Conference
To find out more about HOSA, visit hosa.org
