Medical Assistant program offered in Granbury

Weatherford College Continuing Education department is offering the Medical Assistant Certificate Program at the Education Center Granbury beginning Feb. 21. Medical Assisting is an allied health profession whose practitioners function as members of the health care delivery team in a clinic, school, emergency room or physician’s office. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics it is one of the fastest growing occupations now through 2018.

Phase I of the program, Basic Health Professions Certificate for Medical Assistants, includes introduction to health professions, medical terminology, anatomy & physiology, pharmacology and clinical procedures.

Medical Office Certificate for Medical Assistants, Phase II, covers legal and ethical aspects, basic supervision, medical office procedures and job search and skills.

Topics in Phase III, Medical Assistant Certification, are pathophysiology, electrocardiography, and an introduction to clinical lab science. Classes meet Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings 5:30 - 9:30 p.m.

At the conclusion of the lecture and lab portion of the program, students experience a medical assistant practicum where the students are placed in Granbury area medical facilities where they function as a medical assistant under the supervision of a facility employee.

Participants in the program must comply with and complete all requirements as stated in the WC Workforce/Continuing Education Immunization and Drug Screening guidelines before the beginning of Phase III. The student must be at least 18 years of age, a high school graduate, or hold a GED at the time of course completion.

Heather Riale, instructor for the program, is a Certified Medical Assistant, has been employed in this capacity and has previous medical assistant teaching experience before joining WC Continuing Education.

Students must complete all three phases and the practicum to receive the Medical Assistant Certification. Upon successful completion, the student is eligible to sit for the National Registry for Certified Medical Assistants (NRCMA), the National Registry Certification for EKG (NRCEKG) and the National Registry Certification for Phlebotomy Technicians (NRCPT).

For more information, call 817-579-9188 or 817-598-8870, or visit at www.wc.edu/ce.