Medical assistants are multi-skilled, allied health workers who work primarily in ambulatory care settings such as medical offices and clinics. Medical assistants function as members of the health care delivery team, performing routine clinical and administrative procedures to keep health care delivery settings functioning smoothly. As assistants in the clinical setting, medical assistants perform duties such as taking and recording vital signs, exam room preparation, patient data collection, simple dressing changes, lab tests, phlebotomy, medication instruction and EKGs. Medical assistants carry out administrative duties such as scheduling, reception, insurance monitoring, record maintenance and bookkeeping. Students develop knowledge of pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, and nutrition to assist the physician with patient education. The program includes 175 hours of unpaid, supervised clinical externship experience.

The Norwalk Community College Medical Assistant Certificate Program is accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org), upon the recommendation of The Medical Assistant Education Review Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants Endowment (AAMA).