Medical Assisting

Degrees & Certificates

Medical assisting is a one-year certificate where students will receive training which involves administrative and clinical aspects of health care in clinics and physicians' offices.

MAERB Annual Report 2017

The Columbia Gorge Community College Medical Assisting Program just completed its 11th year. In that time, over 150 students have graduated from the program. The 5-year running averages for the CGCC Medical Assistant Program are:

• Medical assisting program at Columbia Gorge Community College has a job placement rate average of 95% over the past five years.
• Graduates of the Medical Assisting program are satisfied with the education that they receive at here at CGCC, as there is an average 100% graduate satisfaction rate over the past five years.
• Our program takes pride in an average retention rate of 95% for the past five years; in part due to the number of support services available to students and open communication
• Five-year average for employer satisfaction is at 100% for the last 5 years. We cannot thank our local offices enough for all the work they put in helping to make this program the best it can be

We are proud of the success of the CGCC Medical Assisting Program and commend its faculty for the outstanding work that they do to promote student success even into the workforce.

MAERB Annual Report 2018

For the 2016 admission cohort the retention rate was 100%. 

MAERB Annual Report 2019

For the 2017 admission cohort the retention rate was 100%. 

For the 2018 graduate year job placement rate was 93.33%. 

For the 2017 graduate year exam pass rate was 85.71%.

Clinical Duties

• Assisting the physician and preparing patients for examinations and treatment.
• Taking and recording vital signs and medical histories.
• Performing certain diagnostic tests.
• Preparing, administering and documenting medications.
• Collecting and processing specimens.

Administrative Duties

• Scheduling and receiving patients
• Maintaining medical records.
• Handling telephone calls.
• Correspondence and reports.
• Insurance matters.
• Office accounts.
• Fees and collections.

Prerequisites

College entry-level competencies in English and computational skills. Completion of: WR 121, MTH 60, BI 121, MP 111