By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) Mesquite Center is bringing a new career training program to the community – an opportunity that hasn’t before been available locally.
This fall, the center will be offering a two-semester Medical Assistant certification training program; and all of the coursework will be available at the newly equipped Mesquite center.
“The Mesquite center is in the process of a build-out of a lab facility just for this course,” said Chantile McAllister of the local center. “The new lab will simulate an exam room of a medical office as well as administrative functions included in the role of Medical Assistant (MA). Before this, local students would have had to travel to Las Vegas to get this training.”
The MA role is currently in high demand. Medical assistants are usually the first to help patients in medical clinics and offices.
The CSN course trains students to perform administrative and clinical/laboratory duties as well as managing emergency situations, facilities and/or personnel.
Clinical duties might include taking vital signs and measurements, patient interviews, diagnostic testing, phlebotomy and lab testing.
Administrative dutes often include answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, insurance and billing and more.
“One of the great things about this training program is that it is a fairly short term to be in school,” McAllister said. “It is just a one year program spanning the fall and spring semesters. Then students should be prepared to take and pass the national certification exams.”
But that also makes it a fairly rigorous course, McAllister added. The first semester, students complete a total of 17 credits. The semester is divided into two eight-week periods with accelerated coursework in each period.
Similar classwork is continued in the second semester. But the spring semester also includes clinical on-the-job components.
“The clinical portions will be done with Mesa View Medical, through work at the local medical offices, urgent care clinic and at the hospital,” McAllister said.
There are some requirements which students must complete before enrolling in the course. These include CPR certification, health insurance, proof of negative two-step TB skin test, negative urine drug screen, criminal background check, physical examination and full immunization.
In addition, participants must have completed English 101 before enrolling in the class. But McAllister explained that the college was making a slight timing exception to this rule for the upcoming local program.
“Because time is short, we are offering English 101 locally during the summer term,” she said. “Students can enroll in the MA program with the idea that they will complete the English 101 prerequisite this summer in time for the MA program in the fall.”
The summer English 101 course begins on June 3 and continues to July 28. Classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 12:50 pm. Students needing this course should register as soon as possible. The course is open to all students, not just those wishing to enroll in the MA program.
The CSN Mesquite Center is taking applications for the MA program between June 1 and July 1. Only a limited number of spots will be available in the course so students should apply early.
More information is available at the CSN Mesquite campus located at 140 N. Yucca Street; or by calling 702-346-2485. The instructor Professor Jessica Dycus, may also be contacted by emailing MAP@csn.edu.
