Medical Assisting, A.A.S. (A45400)

Admission Requirements

Students applying for admission to the Gaston College Medical Assisting Program program MUST meet all Gaston College admission requirements for GENERAL ADMISSION to the college. Admission to the general college does not guarantee admission to the Medical Assisting Program. Admission interviews are conducted March - July.

Admission to the Medical Assisting Program:

1. Schedule and take the ACT exam. The ACT exam is taken in addition to the college placement test (Accuplacer). Applicants should schedule and take the ACT examination to determine acceptance scores for admission into the Medical Assisting Program. Contact the Katherine Harper Testing Center (704.922.2433) for instructions on registering for the ACT. Individuals with a previous college degree will have the ACT and/or SAT examination waived with proof of graduation from an accredited college.   NOTE: SAT score can be accepted in place of the ACT score. Applicants must attain a minimum composite score of 17 or higher on the ACT examination or a score of 830 or higher on the SAT examination to receive full acceptance into the Medical Assisting Program. These scores must be current within five (5) years of program admission.
2. U.S. resident applicants whose primary language is not English will be required to demonstrate English proficiency. This may be established by making a minimum score of 540 (207 on the computer) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
3. Complete and submit the Gaston College Medical Assisting Program Application. This form can be requested through the Medical Assisting Office (704.922.6377). Applicants are advised to apply early.

Admission Status

All applicants will be notified by mail of their admission status by the Medical Assisting Coordinator. Qualified applicants will be contacted for an admission interview by the Medical Assisting Department after receipt of the Medical Assisting Program application. Students meeting all admission requirements will be considered for full admission status. Acceptance letters will be mailed to qualified applicants after the admission interview and verification of files being complete through Gaston College (ACT/SAT scores, college placement test scores and transcripts). Students who have not met all of the requirements for full admission may still be considered for possible conditional acceptance as determined by the Medical Assisting Coordinator. Students accepted through conditional acceptance will be allowed to take Medical Assisting courses for one semester while working toward meeting full acceptance requirements. Individuals not accepted into the Medical Assisting Program must reapply to be considered for admission to the next class. Students reapplying for admission must submit a new application and meet the admission requirements current at the time of their application. Conditional acceptances are not granted for readmissions.

Students Admitted to the Program

In addition to maintaining a 2.0 GPA, applicants accepted into the Medical Assisting program must meet the following requirements in order to enroll and continue in medical assisting courses:

• Earn a minimum grade of “C” in ALL medical assisting curriculum courses. In “MED” prefix courses that have a lab component, students must receive a passing grade in both theory and classroom skills procedures in order to pass the course and progress in the program. The Medical Assisting Program does not grant credit for experiential learning. Students may challenge certain classes for credit by exam, if approved by the appropriate faculty member
• Complete the required keyboarding course for the Medical Assisting Program, OST 130 Comprehensive Keyboarding, with a minimum grade of “C” by the end of the spring semester of the freshmen year.
• Complete all related courses, those that do not have the “MED” prefix, prior to entering the fifth (last) semester of the program.
• Submit a satisfactory physical and emotional health examination documented on a “Gaston College Health and Human Services Division Student Medical Form” provided by the Medical Assisting Program by the specified date.
• Provide proof of immunizations required by the clinical agencies
• Submit criminal background check and fingerprinting by the specified date
• Submit a drug screen by the specified date
• Hold a current adult, child and infant CPR certification through the American Heart Association
• Participate in OSHA Safety Training
• Participate in HIPAA Training

NOTE: In order to comply with current Student Affiliation Agreements students accepted into the Associate Degree Medical Assisting Program will be required to submit the Criminal Background Check, Fingerprinting and Drug Screen according to Gaston College procedures prior to placement in a clinical facility. The facility reserves the right to deny the student access to the facility. If the student is denied access, the student will not be allowed to complete the program. Completion of clinical experiences is required for the satisfactory completion of the program. More information will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

NOTE: All information provided by the student to the College/Program should be accurate to the best of the applicant’s knowledge. Giving false information or withholding necessary information to the College/Program may result in dismissal from the College/Program.

FIRST YEAR

SECOND YEAR

Humanities Electives

Select 1 course from the following:

• ART 111 Art Appreciation (3 Credit Hours)
• ART 114 Art History Survey I (3 Credit Hours)
• ART 115 Art History Survey II (3 Credit Hours)
• ENG 231 American Literature I (3 Credit Hours)
• ENG 232 American Literature II (3 Credit Hours)
• MUS 110 Music Appreciation (3 Credit Hours)
• MUS 112 Introduction to Jazz (3 Credit Hours)
• PHI 215 Philosophical Issues (3 Credit Hours)
• PHI 240 Introduction to Ethics (3 Credit Hours)

Total Program Hours: 73