About Medical Assisting

Are you looking for a meaningful job? Do you like helping others? Do you have an interest in health and medicine?

Medical Assistants have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties. Duties vary from office to office depending on the location, size, and specialty.  Medical Assistants work in outpatient facilities such as medical offices, outpatient clinics, and medical centers. Medical Assisting is a rewarding profession with many employment opportunities.

Explore Potential Careers

Studying Medical Assisting can lead to a variety of different jobs or career paths. Below are just some of the many options you will have!

  • Medical Receptionist
  • Medical Biller
  • Medical Clinic Assisting
  • Medical Administrative Assisting
  • Medical Evaluation Assistant

Job Description

Medical Assistants have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties.  Duties vary from office to office depending on the location, size, and specialty.

Administrative duties may include:

  • Computer applications
  • Greeting patients and answering telephones
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Updating patient medical records
  • Coding and completing insurance claim forms
  • Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
  • Handling correspondence, billing, and bookkeeping activities

Clinical duties vary by state but include:

  • Taking medical histories and vital signs
  • Explaining treatments and procedures to patients
  • Preparing patients for examinations
  • Assisting the physician during examinations
  • Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
  • Performing basic laboratory tests
  • Instructing patients about medications and special diets
  • Authorizing prescription refills as directed
  • Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician
  • Performing electrocardiograms
  • Drawing blood
  • Removing sutures and changing dressings

Visit the American Association of Medical Assistants web site for more information about the profession of Medical Assisting.

Job Demand

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assisting is one of the nation's fastest-growing careers with an expected growth of 29 percent between 2012 and 2022.

Approximately 50 percent of medical assistants work in physician offices. Other areas of employment include hospital outpatient clinics, private and specialty clinics, insurance companies, and billing agencies.

Program Options 

Click on the degree or certificate you're interested in earning to see a sample map of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish. 

Please note that the course maps provided are just an example to help you get started. Please meet with a counselor to personalize the plan to you and your Academic goals. 

The Associate of Science in Medical Assisting degree program requires students to complete the General Education Requirement Areas A-H in addition to the Medical Assisting courses listed for the program.  Refer to the current College catalog for course listings and descriptions of the General Education Requirements.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
Anatomy and Physiology Option 1 or Option 2 (See Counselor) See Counselor 4  
HCT 61 Introduction to Health Care 2  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2   
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
ENGL 1A + 1AS University-Parallel Reading and Composition + Support 4-6  

Total Units: 15-17 

Semester 2

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 104 Phlebotomy Technician 5.5  
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4  
MED 56 Administrative Procedures 3.5  
MATH 46, MATH 60 or 860, ET 108B, or ET 50, or PSYC 5, or ECON 5, or LALS 5, or PHIL 12A, or FIN 136M or higher math course (or equivalent) Math Graduation Requirement 3-8  

Total Units: 18-23 

Semester 3

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
HIT 76 CPT Coding 3  
MED 49 Clinical Procedures 5.5  
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  
MED 70 Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 71 Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  

Total Units: 17.5

Semester 4

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 73A ICD-10-CM Coding 3  
MED 73 Advanced Medical Manager 1.5  
PSYC 1 General Psychology 3  
CCSF GE Area E Humanities Requirement 3  
CCSF GE Area F United States History and Government Requirement 3  

Total Units: 13.5 

 

Semester 5

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/Certification 5  
HIT 75 Organization and Management in Health 3  
CCSF GE Area H Ethnic Studies, Women's and Gender Studies and LGBTQ Studies 3  
CCSF GE Area A Communication and Analytical Thinking 3  

Total Units: 14

The Associate of Science in Medical Administrative Assisting degree program requires students to complete the General Education Requirement Areas A-H in addition to the Medical Administrative Assisting courses listed for the program.  Refer to the current College catalog for course listings and descriptions of the General Education Requirements.

Classes concentrate on the medical-clerical courses with an emphasis on management skills.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Course: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
PSYC 1 General Psychology 3  

Total Units: 3

Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  

OR

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 108 General Human Anatomy 4  

AND choose one of the following Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 111 Human Physiology 5  
BIO 112 Introduction to Human Physiology 4  

Total Units: 4 - 9

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 61 Introduction to Health Care 2  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2   
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4  
MED 56 Administrative Procedures 3.5  

Total Units: 14.5

Semester 2

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  
MED 70 Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 71 Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
HIT 73A ICD-10-CM Coding 3  
HIT 76 CPT Coding 3  

Total Units: 17

Semester 3

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 75 Organization and Management in Health 3  
MED 73 Advanced Medical Manager 1.5  
MED 72 Advanced Medical Insurance Billing 2  

Total Units: 6.5

Summer Session

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/Certification 5  

Total Units: 5

The Medical Assisting Certificate Program trains students to perform administrative, clinical, and selective laboratory procedures for employment in medical offices, outpatient clinics, medical laboratories, and health centers.

The Medical Assisting Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 9355 - 113th St. N, #7709, Seminole, FL 33775, 727-210-2350, www.caahep.org, on recommendation of the Medical Assistant Education Review Board (MAERB).  Students who complete the Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting will be eligible to apply to write the national qualifying examination for certification as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA).

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Course: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
EMT 14 First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation 3  

Total Units: 3

Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  

OR

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 108 General Human Anatomy 4  

AND choose one of the following Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 111 Human Physiology 5  
BIO 112 Introduction to Human Physiology 4  

Total Units: 4 - 9

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 61 Introduction to Health Care 2  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2   
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4  
MED 56 Administrative Procedures 3.5  
HCT 104 Phlebotomy Technician 5.5  

Total Units: 19

Semester 2

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
MED 49 Clinical Procedures 5.5  
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  
MED 70 Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 71 Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
HIT 73A ICD-10-CM Coding 3  
HIT 76 CPT Coding 3  

Total Units: 22.5

Summer Session

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/Certification 5  

Total Units: 5

Overall Total Units: 53.5 - 58.5

The Medical Biller's Certificate Program trains students in billing procedures for medical offices and outpatient facilities.  This program focuses on medical billing skills and computer applications.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2   
HIT 76 CPT Coding 3  
MED 70 Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 71 Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  

Total Units: 16 

Semester 2

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
HIT 73A  ICD-10-CM Coding 3  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4  
MED 72 Advanced Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 73 Advanced Medical Manager 1.5  

Total Units: 15.5 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Semester 1 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2   
MED 56 Administrative Procedures 3.5  
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  

Total Units: 14.5 

Semester 2

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
MED 49 Clinical Procedures 5.5  
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
MED 55  The Electronic Health Record 4  
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/ Certification 5  

Total Units: 17.5

The Medical Evaluation Assistant (MEA) Certificate Program is designed specifically for employment within the San Francisco Department of Public Health including the neighborhood health clinics.  Students have the option of completing additional courses for a Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assisting. 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Fall Semester 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I 3  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4   
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  

Total Units: 11

Fall Semester

Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  

OR

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 108 General Human Anatomy 4  

AND choose one of the following Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 111 Human Physiology 5  
BIO 112 Introduction to Human Physiology 4  

Total Units: 4 - 9 

Spring Semester

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 104 Phlebotomy Technician 5.5  
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
HIT 57 Disease Process 3  
HLTH 66  Chronic Conditions Management 3  
MED 49 Clinical Procedures 5.5  
MED  Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  

Total Units: 21

Summer Session

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/ Certification 5  

Total Units: 5

Overall Total Units: 41 - 46

This certificate program prepares students for employment as a receptionist in a physician’s office, outpatient clinic, or other medical facility. Students receive training in computer applications, appointment scheduling, telephone etiquette, communication and professionalism, medical record preparation, medical terminology, business correspondence, insurance policies and claims completion, and first aid and CPR. Students must complete each course with a grade of “C” or higher.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Fall Semester

Choose one of the following Anatomy and Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 106 Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology 4  

OR

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 108 General Human Anatomy 4  

AND choose one of the following Physiology options: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
BIO 111 Human Physiology 5  
BIO 112 Introduction to Human Physiology 4  

Total Units: 4 - 9

Required courses:

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 61 Introduction to Health Care 2  
HIT 50A Medical Terminology I  3  
HCT 67 Computer Applications in the Health Care Setting 2  
MED 56 Administrative Procedures 3.5  

Total Units: 10.5

Spring Semester

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HIT 50B Medical Terminology II 2  
HIT 76 CPT Coding 3  
MED 55 The Electronic Health Record 4  
MED 62 Communication and Professionalism in Health Care 2  
MED 70 Medical Insurance Billing 2  
MED 71 Electronic Management of Financial Medical Records 2  

Total Units: 15

Summer Session

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
HCT 82 Professional Practice Internship/ Certification 5  

Total Units: 5

Overall Total Units: 34.5 - 39.5