Deciding where to start your college education is a big decision. Whether you are earning a degree, brushing up on career skills, or seeking life-long learning, you will enjoy an environment of inspiration and support. It is our goal to create an experience that will enrich your life educationally, professionally, and personally to help you succeed!
If you are well organized, have compassion for those who are ill, and have good communication skills, you have some of the characteristics that can lead to success in a medical assisting career.
Employment is primarily in clinics and with ambulatory care. Medical Assistants have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties in the clinic setting.
Medical assisting is similar to the work nurses do in the hospital but Medical Assistants work in the Dr/providers office doing many skills including blood draws, Injections, vitals, EKG’s, laboratory testing, health-related exams and assisting the provider with many other tasks.
Graduates enter a career as a medical assistant and can achieve hours in a healthcare field that are often required to apply for many other healthcare programs.
A certificate or degree in Medical Assisting can prepare you for the following careers:
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Receptionist
- Medical Records Clerk
We've recently made significant updates to our program to align it more closely with the latest industry requirements. Our primary focus was enabling our students to enter the workforce more quickly while maintaining high-quality standards.
We decided to streamline our curriculum based on valuable feedback from our students. Many expressed a desire for a more efficient and accelerated path, enabling them to transition into the professional field promptly and start earning sooner. Maintaining the rigorous standards set by our Accrediting body is of the utmost importance to us, and we took this into consideration when reformatting our program. However, none of the learning objectives were affected by these changes. We are confident that our updated program will meet and exceed industry requirements while providing our students with an accelerated path to success.
Here is the updated Certificate Pathway for your review, which provides a comprehensive outline of the courses and components included in our updated program. Our students have been incredibly enthusiastic about the benefits of the new, condensed, and stackable certificate opportunities. The changes have been met with high praise and have enhanced the learning experience.
Our revamped program offers an outstanding balance between academic rigor and timely entry into the industry. If you have any specific inquiries or require further information about our program, we would be happy to address them.
Thank you for considering our program If you have any further questions or concerns, please consider utilizing the links below to reach out.
Program Changes- If you are on a certificate or degree pathway for Phlebotomy, Medical Assisting, Billing & Coding, or Medical Office Administration - PLEASE review the updated program requirements and meet with your advisor or program director to confirm you are on the appropriate course track.
If you are in need of an academic plan for classes for this program or any other, please fill out the following intake form and one will be sent to you within 48 business hours of receiving your request.
If you are a current student and want to set up an appointment with the Health Science Pathway Advisor, go to the Red Rocks Community College Navigate page .You can also call 303-914-6275.
We do have limited drop-in availability with the Advising team at the Lakewood campus. You can find hours and what we can assist with during that time on the Medical Assisting Drop-in form.
If you are a prospective student, please visit the Apply Now! page on our website, or reach out to the Admissions department at Admissions@rrcc.edu or 303-914-6600 for help getting started.
If you need someone to talk to during this time, please text TALK to 38255.
“Upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board, (MAERB) the Red Rocks Medical Assisting Certificate Program meets the accreditation standards of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education. For more information visit www.caahep.org ”
9355 - 113th St.N. #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
727-210-2350
This allows our graduates to sit for national certification through the AAMA to become a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant)
The Medical Assisting Certificate program at Red Rocks Community College is one of the few programs that allows students to be credentialed by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) Students who enroll in this rigorous program are required to complete 39 semester hours of credit for the certificate program which is accredited by CAAHEP upon recommendation of MAERB and 60 credits for the AAS in which students receive the certificate accredited by CAAHEP and the AAS that is received through Red Rocks Community College.
Our Medical Assisting AAS Degree meets all Colorado state accreditation requirements. Medical Assisting students pay a fee, that upon completion of their internship, will be used to register them to sit for their AAMA certification exam. As a result of the high standards and qualified instructors, Red Rocks Medical Assisting program students pass at a rate above the national average.
Medical Assisting is often a pathway to other health careers such as Medical Doctor, Physician Assistant, or Nurse and can provide the clinical hours needed to apply for these programs.
Criminal Background Check/Drug Screen
Students will be required to complete and pass a criminal background check, prior to starting their internships. Further information will be given at the start of the MAP 140 course. Students unable to complete this requirement will not be able to continue into the internship or finish the certificate.
Health/Immunizations Check
Students will be required to complete a health/immunization check prior to the start of class. Health/Immunization form can be downloaded here. The completed form should be presented on the first day of MAP 138 and the MAP 140 courses. Students unable to complete these requirements will not be able to participate in blood draws, continue into the internship or finish the certificate.
In addition to tuition you will be asked to have:
- Stethoscope
- Scrubs
- Watch
- Immunizations
Currently, The medical assisting program at Red Rocks Community College has a job placement rate for 2018 of 100% and the rate of 75% for 2019 graduation cohorts with our graduates reporting a 100% program satisfaction rate for the time period from 2018-2019. Those employers returning surveys stated they were 100% satisfied with the education our graduates had received during the 2015-2019 time period.
Participation in the national certification exam to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) in 2018 was 71.43% and was 87.5% in 2019 with an average of 87.04% during the 2015-2019 time period. The exam passage rates for those taking the exam were 85.71% for the 2019 graduates; 100% for the 2018 graduates and 100% for the 2017 graduates.
Visit the Labor and Statistics website for more information.
Communication
- Oral Comprehension
- Speech Recognition
- Ability to read/write proficiently with comprehension
Physical
- Manual Dexterity - Physical Ability and motor skills necessary for the profession
- Ability to bend, squat, stoop and kneel
- Lifting up to 50lbs
- Support the weight of a patient as necessary
- Standing for long periods of time
- Visual and Auditory Acuity including near vision
Mental
- Critical Thinking
- Time management skills
- Deductive Reasoning
- Privacy Sensitivity
- Information Ordering
- Ability to recognize skill limits and seek assistance
- Execute sound judgment
- Absence of any disability that would affect the safety of a patient
- Basic Computer use skills including word processing and spreadsheets
- Professionalism
Red Rocks Community College is requiring all incoming students to meet English requirements to be successful in their courses. Students must test/place into ENG 121 or higher. Courses do not need to be taken, only test scores that show competency at that level are required. Acceptable documentation: a placement score deemed passing by RRCC, SAT/ACT (less than 2 years old), previous ENG 090 or higher course work at a college, college degree or certificate
The Medical Assisting Certificate Program requires completion of the MAT 050 prerequisite prior to entering advanced courses. MAT 120 or higher is required if you are in the AAS program. The MOT/MAP department requires all students to pass courses with a grade of "C" or better.
To ensure our students success in their chosen career we require that all medical assisting/medical office skills based courses (MOT 126, MAP 138, MAP 140) be completed at Red Rocks Community College.
It is recommended that while in the Medical Assisting Program you not be employed or that you work no more than 20hr/week in order in ensure student success.
For those pursuing Medical Assisting or Medical Office Technology programs a statement of Health Care Provider screen is required prior to taking upper-level skill classes as well as a background/drug screen being required prior to internship, but information should be obtained from the program advisors prior to completing either of these.
Becoming a student at RRCC prepares you for transfer to a four-year university, prepares you for an exciting new career or can enhance your current skills.
Red Rocks Community College offers courses in Arvada, Lakewood and online as well as hybrid courses.
In collaboration with Colorado 4-year schools, Colorado has developed a statewide guaranteed transfer program to create a seamless transfer.
Becoming a student at RRCC prepares you for transfer to a four-year university, prepares you for an exciting new career or can enhance your current skills.