Course Descriptions
MEDA 100 Introduction to Medical Assisting (3 units)
Duties and responsibilities of a medical assistant, medical administrative assistant, and billing specialist in a physician's office, clinic, hospital or other medical facility. Emphasizes desirable personality traits and human relationships as well as medical ethics, specialties in the medical field, and office maintenance.
MEDA 110 Medical Terminology (3 units)
Develop a medical vocabulary that covers diagnosis, disease processes, pathology, anatomy, and body systems. Includes abbreviations, symbols, spelling, and pronunciation.
MEDA 115 Introduction to Electronic Health Record (3 units)
Introduction to electronic health record and learning the skills required of medical scribes and editors. Electronic entering of medical letters, reports and forms.
MEDA 120 Clinical Procedures I (4 units)
Patient intake and preparation, examination room techniques, asepsis and sterilization procedures, laboratory procedures and specimen collection, taking vital signs, and performing electrocardiograms.
MEDA 121 Clinical Procedures II (4 units)
Dosage calculation, exposure control, disposal of biohazard waste, administering medications, injections, microbiology, venipuncture, and emergency medical procedures.
MEDA 140 Implementation of Electronic Health Record (3 units)
Electronic scribing/editing of patient medical chart progress notes, history and physicals, letters, consultations, surgical and autopsy reports, and discharge summaries from different aural modes. Course includes analyzing, editing, proper documentation, and compliance requirements for medical scribes and medical editors.
MEDA 150 Medical Office Procedures (3 units)
Fundamental office procedures applied to the medical field. Decision-making, setting priorities, finding information, coping with interruptions, and producing under pressure in medical office simulations.
MEDA 160 Medical Insurance Procedures (3 units)
Covers Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Medicare, Medi-Cal, The electronic preparation of medical claims , coding, billing, and bookkeeping of insurance claims for insurers including Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Medicare, Medi-Cal, and Worker's Compensation.
MEDA 164 CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) Beginning Coding (1 units)
Basic coding principles of medical procedures according to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Use of CPT, modifiers, appendices, and preparation of documents.
MEDA 165 CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) Intermediate Coding (1 units)
Continuation of MEDA 164. Intermediate-level principles and philosophy of coding logic according to CPT (Current Procedural Terminology). Emphasizes the understanding of terms and processes.
MEDA 166 CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) Advanced Coding (1 units)
Continuation of MEDA 165. Advanced principles and philosophy of coding logic according to CPT (Current Procedural terminology). Emphasizes the understanding of terms and process.
MEDA 167 ICD (International Classification of Diseases)-10-CM (Clinical Modification) Beginning Coding (1 units)
Development of nomenclature and classification of diseases. Basic coding principles of diseases and symptoms according to ICD-10-CM(International Classification of Diseases-10 and Clinical Modification) with emphasis on the coding of medical records. Use of indexes, sequencing of code numbers, and preparation of documents to increase competency.
MEDA 168 ICD (International Classification of Diseases)-10-CM (Clinical Modification) Intermediate Coding (1 units)
Intermediate-level principles and philosophy of coding logic according to ICD-10-CM((International Classification of Diseases)-10-CM (Clinical Modification). Emphasizes the use of UHDDS(The Uniform Hospital Discharge Data Set, which is the core data set for inpatient admissions and discharges for Medicare and Medicaid programs), source documents, multiple coding, sequencing, Z codes, tables, neoplasms, and mental disorders.
MEDA 169 ICD (International Classification of Diseases)-10-CM (Clinical Modification) Advanced Coding (1 units)
Advanced-level principles and philosophy of coding logic according to ICD-10-CM((International Classification of Diseases)-10-CM (Clinical Modification). Emphasizes diseases by body systems, complications, injuries, and adverse effects of drugs.
MEDA 190 Introduction to Pharmacology (3 units)
Designed for medical assistants, medical scribes and other allied health professionals. Includes general principles of drug use, knowledge of the most commonly used drugs and regulations for controlled drug usage.
MEDA 672 Work Experience Education: Internship (1- 3 units)
Supervised internship in cooperation with private or public sector employers. Designed to apply knowledge and learn new skills, directly related to the student’s program of study, outside of the normal classroom environment. Students must attend one orientation which is offered the first three weeks of each semester. One unit of credit will be earned for each 48-54 hours of paid or unpaid work per semester, with a maximum of 6 units per semester. Students may repeat Work Experience courses within the SMCCCD for credit up to a maximum of 16 total units. The unit limitation applies to any Work Experience Education (any combination of 670, 671 and/or 672 courses) offered within the SMCCCD.
MEDA 695 Independent Study (0.5- 3 units)
Designed for students who are interested in furthering their knowledge via self-paced, individualized instruction provided in selected areas or directed study to be arranged with instructor and approved by the division dean using the Independent Study Form. Varying modes of instruction can be used -- laboratory, research, skill development, etc. For each unit earned, students are required to devote three hours per week throughout the semester. Students may take only one Independent Study course within a given discipline.