Admission Qualifications - Academic and Technical Standards

All students must meet both our academic standards and our technical standards in order to be admitted, progress through, and graduate from the Medical Assistant Program. These qualifications assist you in progressing through the curriculum and clinical training.

Academic standards

Academic standards refer to acceptable demonstrations of competency in various disciplines, before admission and after, as judged by faculty members, examinations, and other measurements of performance.

For detailed information about academic standards, refer to the University Student Handbook (pdf).

Technical standards

Technical standards refer to the essential aptitudes and abilities that allow Medical Assisting students to perform in a modern healthcare environment in a variety of ways.

The Medical Assistant must have sufficient strength, motor coordination, and manual dexterity to:

  • Stand and walk for extended periods of time
  • Work an 8-hour shift with the ability to stay on-task and engaged for the entire shift
  • Transport, move, and transfer patients from a wheelchair to exam table or bathroom
  • Lift, move, or pull 30 pounds

The Medical Assistant must have sufficient eyesight to:

  • Read charts and labels
  • Distinguish colors

The Medical Assistant must have the mental and intellectual capacity to:

  • Read and follow directions
  • Write without grammatical or spelling errors
  • Calculate simple mathematical equations
  • Read and evaluate medical orders and charts
  • Prioritize assignments

The Medical Assistant must be capable of:

  • Handling stressful situations related to technical and procedural standards
  • Providing physical and emotional support to patients and family members
  • Responding to situations requiring first aid or emergency care
  • Taking directions from several individuals
  • Communicating effectively with physicians, co-workers, patients, and family members
  • Maintaining confidentiality
  • Performing all duties ethically with integrity and personal responsibility
  • Flexibility in daily routines
  • Performing tasks that may be personally distasteful

Notice of working conditions: The work environment for the Medical Assistant involves exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medical preparations and other conditions common to a clinic environment.

* Please note that all requests for accommodations must be made in a timely manner, as stated in the “Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy” found in Section 2.2 of the Student Handbook.