Programs

Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant Programs in Cookeville, Lebanon, and Nashville TN, as well as Dalton, GA

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Take your first step towards a new career. With the healthcare industry growing at an accelerated pace, employers are increasingly in need of individuals who are well trained in patient care, medicine, and laboratory work. If you have a passion for helping others and want to begin your career in the healthcare field, Genesis Career College’s Medical Assistant Program is the right place for you.

What does a medical assistant do?

A career as a medical assistant is fulfilling, has a wide variety of experience, and does not require years of extensive studies. Medical assistants work alongside doctors and nurses to enhance the patient’s experience and ensure that medical offices are running smoothly. Medical assistants do a wide range of administrative and clinical work. As a medical assistant, you may help with administrative duties like scheduling appointments, managing patients’ medical records, and corresponding with insurance companies. On the patient care side of the job, medical assistants greet patients, take vital signs, draw blood, handle laboratory specimens, and perform diagnostic tests. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook, employment of medical assistants is expected to increase much faster than the average for all other occupations. Becoming a medical assistant allows you to work in the healthcare field and truly make a difference without having to complete many years of expensive schooling.

Hands-on Training

The medical assistant program at Genesis involves a combination of thorough classroom instruction and extensive, hands-on training in the lab, using equipment found in the field and computers. Our program will help you develop the skills you need for both the administrative and patient care side of being a medical assistant. The program starts new every month, so you don’t have to worry about missing an application deadline. To supplement this academic instruction, training also includes an externship, providing students the opportunity to assist physicians and nurses in a hospital or other healthcare facility as they complete their education.

Real-life experience in the healthcare setting gives our students the opportunity to make connections within their field and help them determine where they may want to begin their new career as a medical assistant. Each local Genesis campus is a resource for new employees for the surrounding community’s businesses and organizations. Over the years, Genesis has established externship sites and job placements with local hospitals, medical clinics, and pharmacies. Just a few examples of our possible externship and job placement sites in Tennessee are Thomas Medical, Tennessee Physical Medicine and Pain Management, Dr. Kenneth Anderson Family Medicine, Reliable Healthcare Clinic, and CVS Pharmacy.

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Medical assistant courses

During medical assistant school, Genesis students become well versed in:

Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy is a medical procedure that removes a predetermined amount of blood from a vein, typically in the arm. Often the patient having blood drawn will sit or lay down for the procedure. Then, the patient will be asked to make a fist and a tourniquet will be tied around the upper arm to make the vein more visible before inserting the needle. Once the blood is withdrawn, it is sent to a laboratory to be tested. Medical assistants may be required to draw blood, handle blood samples and perform diagnostic tests, which is why they must be well versed in phlebotomy.

Clinical laboratory work

A clinical laboratory uses chemistry and science to evaluate an individual’s health. When working in a clinical laboratory setting, a medical assistant may examine tissue, urine, cells, bodily fluids, DNA, or blood. This clinical analysis provides essential medical information that helps physicians diagnose diseases or health conditions. For example, a saliva sample can be used to detect HIV or a strand of hair can be used to detect drug use. Clinical laboratory work involves various pieces of equipment, ranging from test tubes to highly technical computer programs. Medical assistants may work in a clinical laboratory in a physician’s office, hospital, public health lab, or pharmaceutical industry. In addition to having a solid understanding of chemistry, biology, math, and science, medical assistants working in a clinical laboratory must be familiar with the tools, techniques, and methods for collecting, distributing, and analyzing samples.

Medical law

Medical assistants must be familiar with medical law and the general ethical code as it applies to their position. There are different categories of law that apply to medical law, including statutory law, civil law, and criminal law. Statutory law covers malpractice lawsuits and a person’s time limit to file a lawsuit, civil law includes torts and breach of contract, and criminal law is concerned with acts against the public. A medical assistant must also know the scope of medical assistant practice and the relevant laws pertaining to it. If a medical assistant failed to work within their scope of practice, they could be fined or receive jail time, so a solid understanding is critical. Medical law also covers unethical practices, and ethical principles. Therefore, being well versed in medical law will ensure you are practicing safely and legally.

Anatomy

Anatomy is a field of study within biological science that is focused on the identification and understanding of bodily structures such as bones, muscles, nerves, veins, and arteries.
It is considered the oldest branch of medicine ushered in around 5 B.C. by the Ancient Greeks. The study of anatomy includes all parts of the human body, including those that require a microscope. For example, respiratory anatomy includes the lungs and airways as well as the nasal cavity, mucus filters, pharynx, trachea, etc. Although often studied together, anatomy involves the structures of the human body, whereas physiology is the study of organs and how they work together. Through coursework on anatomy, medical assistants will further their knowledge of medical terminology and become well versed in all the body’s structures and the disorders, diseases, or injuries that may affect them.

Physiology

Physiology is a branch of biology focused on the science of living things. Simply put, physiology studies how the body works. This area of biology helps medical assistants understand how the body functions as well as how things can go wrong with disease and disorders. This field of study also looks at the body’s organ systems like the immune system, endocrine system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and skeletal system.

Diagnostic procedures

Diagnostic procedures are an important aspect of clinic work that involves various diagnostic tests to identify a disease with high accuracy. There are hundreds of diagnostic procedures such as C.T. scans, biopsies, x-rays, blood tests, colonoscopy, oxygen saturation tests, ultrasounds, etc. For example, a mammogram could be used to look for breast cancer, and a skin biopsy may be used to diagnose skin cancer. These procedures vary in invasiveness and complexity, and a medical assistant may be required to assist, administer, or understand the results. A diagnosis may explain a person’s symptoms or be made after a routine visit. An early and accurate diagnosis is critical in order to provide early and appropriate treatment.

Medicine administration

Medicine administration is when prescribed medication is administered to a patient. It is an essential realm of medicine that medical assistants must be well versed in. The manner in which the drug is given determines the clinical benefit and can reduce side effects, and if given incorrectly, can result in severe consequences. Therefore, medical assistants must know how to properly read and understand these directions as well as the various routes of medicine administration. For example, buccal is held inside the cheek, intravenous is when it is injected into a vein through an IV, oral is when it is swallowed by mouth, and topical is applied to the skin. Further, they must understand how medicine moves through the body, the importance of timing, storage and handling, and reactions.

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Genesis’ medical assistant school has locations in Cookeville , Lebanon, and Nashville Tennessee, as well as Dalton, Georgia. Request more information about the medical assistant program by clicking below, or learn more about how to become a medical assistant in the Genesis Career Center.

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Your Future Career Options as a Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant career opportunities in a variety of settings:

Physician’s Offices
Personal Care Providers
Clinics
Hospitals
Nursing Homes

As you look into your new career as a Medical Assistant, be sure to research some of the real-life details of your new trade such as job outlook, self-employment opportunities, earning potential in your chosen career track and details of your new work environment. We recommend to you the resources of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor’s O-Net, where all this information can be found and more.

Want to know how to get your medical assistant license? Read our step-by-step guide, so you have an idea of what to expect after your finish your medical assistant program.

Genesis Career College is authorized for operation as a postsecondary educational institution by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. In order to view detailed job placement and completion information for this program offered by Genesis Career College, please visit www.tn.gov/thec and click on the “Authorized Institutions Data” button at the bottom of the page.

Genesis Campuses Offering the Medical Assistant Programs

Financial Aid

At Genesis Career College, we offer financial aid to those that qualify. These programs can help you afford college through any combination of grants and student loans. We are a participant in the Title IV Federal Student Financial Aid program. The Financial Planner at each individual campus will assist you in completing your free application for Federal Student Aid.

Other Programs in Health and Medicine

Dental Assistant

Providing leading instruction in oral healthcare, pharmacology, and medical office procedures. Learn more about the program, and being prepared to work in a dentist’s office or group practice.