Program Admission
Program Prerequisites
- High School completion or GED
- Completion of the following Prerequisites:
- Wr 121 English Composition
- Math 60 Intro Algebra
- Bi 121 Anatomy & Physiology I, or completion of Bi 231, 232 & 233
- Mp 111 Medical Terminology
- MA 134 recommends a keyboarding speed of 35/wpm with no more than 3 errors.
- Students must have transportation to clinical facilities throughout the Portland Metropolitan area and surrounding communities.
Locations
- Cascade Campus (Eastside)
- Starts Fall Term, applications for Fall 2013 will be accepted January 7 to June 16, 2013
- Willow Creek (Westside)
- Starts Spring Term, application dates for Spring 2014 to be announced
Application and Acceptance
To apply for the Medical Assisting Program, please complete the following steps:
- Complete the Cascade Campus Allied Health Application. Students who have applied in the past must complete a new application in order to receive points required for admission.
- Obtain two statements of recommendation from a recent employer, instructor or counselor. For students who have previously applied you must complete new statements of recommendation if they are more than one year old.
- You must either take the required College Placement Tests, or provide previous college transcripts to an advisor. See the catalog for score requirements for the College Placement Test. Contact Merry Boyd-Bunch for questions regarding previous coursework.
- Demonstrate satisfactory English language ability through a written and oral interview assessment that will be administered at the mandatory Program Orientation for accepted students.
Students will be accepted based on the following point system, and students with the most points will be provisionally accepted and invited to a mandatory orientation. Students who applied earliest will be selected first if there are more students with the same number of points than openings available, so getting your application in early may be to your advantage.
| Activity | Points earned |
|---|---|
| Grade for MP 111 |
|
| Grade for MTH 60 (or highest grade in a higher level math class) |
|
| Grade for BI 121 (or highest grade in an Anatomy and Physiology class) |
|
| Application Essay (from application) |
|
| Program Related Experience (from application) |
|
| Community Volunteer Experience (from application) |
|
| Total Points Possible | 16 |
Application documents should be sent to:
Portland Community College
Allied Health Admissions, CA TEB 201
705 N Killingsworth St.
Portland OR 97217
Upon acceptance to the Medical Assisting Program, students must have documentation of the following prior to the beginning of winter term:
- satisfactory physical examination
- Mantoux Test
- evidence of immunity to measles
- evidence of initiating the immunization series to Hepatitis B or sign a waiver
Alternate List
Applicants who qualify after the qualified number have been selected are placed on an alternate list. Often, many alternates are eventually selected for the program. Qualified alternates are accepted if positions in the class become available in the order their applications are received. The Medical Assisting program is a closed program with limited enrollment.
Legal Limitations for the CMA Certification
Individuals who have been found guilty of a felony, or pleaded guilty to a felony, are not eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistance Examination (CMA). However, the Certifying Board may grant a waiver based on mitigating circumstances. See the American Association of Medical Assistance (AAMA) CMA Examination Application for specifics.
Criminal Background Check
All PCC students enrolled in a health care or child care program, including Medial Assisting, with requirements for practical experience or field training may have to pass Criminal History Checks (CHC) as a condition of their acceptance into a medical or other facility for training.
Students who do not pass the CHC may not be eligible to complete training at affiliated practicum sites, to sit for licensure or certification exams, or to be hired for some professional positions. If you believe that your past history may interfere with your ability to complete the program of study or to obtain licensure or certification in your chosen field, you should contact the appropriate state board or the program director.
Course of Study
Students must receive a grade of “C” or better in all Program required classes. The Program is designed to correlate classroom and laboratory experience with practical experience in health care facilities.