Medical Assistant Program
Medical Assistants (MAs) are the only allied health professional trained specifically for the ambulatory care setting. Medical assistants interact with a variety of people in pleasant-physician office/clinic environments typically during day hours Monday through Friday. The Medical Assistant is not limited to clinical practice with the potential for advancement in areas such as office manager, administrative support occupations, or teaching future medical assisting. For a more complete description of careers in medical assisting, refer to the website of the American Association of Medical Assistants.
The career is identified by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to grow faster than the average for all occupations at 29% from 2012 through 2022. Part of the reason is the increase need in the number of ambulatory health care facilities who provide preventative care demanding a flexible medical assistant who can perform a variety of skills. Skills acquired in the MA Program include (but not exclusively) administrative such as answer telephones, greet patients, file, complete insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for other health care services, treatments, procedures, handle billing and bookkeeping; and clinical based on state law such as taking medical histories, obtaining/recording vital signs, prepare and administer medications as directed by the physician, preparing/assisting in client examinations, collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, sterilize medical instruments, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, change dressings, and educate clients in treatments/procedures. MAs who specialize may perform additional skills.
BPCC’s Associate of Applied Science (AAS), Technical Diploma, and Certificate of Technical Studies in MA Programs consist of Qualification Courses and Program Courses. The AAS program also includes Additional Required courses. Students may work at any pace (part time/full time) to complete the qualification and additional required courses. When the qualification courses have been completed (with a “C” or better) and successfully completed either ALHT 201 or ALHT 203, students may apply for admission to the program component. The additional required courses may be completed at any time prior to graduation. The program is designed so that a student may complete the Associate of Applied Science in MA program in 5 semesters, the Technical Diploma in MA program in 3 semesters, and the Certificate of Technical Studies in 2 semesters.
Click here to view the program curriculum.
The selection process for the program component begins each spring and fall. Students should be aware of the following requirements and procedures regarding clinical program selection:
- Students must submit a completed MA Program Application Packet after successful completion of either ALHT 201 or ALHT 203..
- Qualification courses and successful completion in ALHT 201 or ALHT 203 must be completed prior to submitting the application.
- Cumulative GPA must be 2.0 or higher and students must earn a “C” or better in all qualification courses to be eligible for application.
- Selected applicants will be notified by email of their acceptance status. In addition, selected students will be notified of the day/time of the MA program orientation meeting.
- 20 students per semester could be selected for the program component based on class size availability of the program.
- Students selected for the program component must adhere to the BPCC Allied Health Clinical Requirements related to additional tests/immunizations required, documentation submission and policies/procedures of the division/program. It is the responsibility of the selected student to (a) complete/fulfill the listed requirements and (b) cover the costs of those requirements. Students will be notified upon selection into clinicals which procedures to follow and what documentation to provide.
- BPCC must have received official copies of all transcripts from all colleges attended prior to being considered for admission to the program.
Specific Requirements
Students pursuing a Medical Assistant technical diploma or degree must first meet College admission requirements. Students are selected into the Medical Assistant Program upon the successful completion (minimum of “C”) in qualification courses and ALHT 201 or ALHT 203, submission of completed program application and signed essential requirement form. BPCC must have received official copies of all transcripts from all colleges attended, prior to being considered for admission to the program.
Program classes are scheduled to begin in the fall and spring of each year. Up to twenty students are selected for each program class. Medical Assistant students are assigned to practicum sites during the spring or fall semester. Practicum training (a minimum of 180 hours) is completed at physicians’ offices and clinics throughout Northwest Louisiana. Prior to graduation, the student must take the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Certification/Recertification. Successful completion of the practicum experience, completion of CCMA (NHA) certification exam, and required course work leads to the awarding of the Certificate of Technical Studies, Technical Diploma or the Certificate of Technical Studies, Technical Diploma with the Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assistant.
ALHT 203 is offered only during the fall semester and ALHT 201 is offered only during the spring semester. The student should successfully complete ALHT 201 and ALHT 203 during the last 2 semesters of the program. With unsuccessful completion in either one of the above two courses, when the other course has been completed successfully; the student may repeat the unsuccessful course a maximum of one time. The unsuccessful course must be completed the next semester it is offered. The Externship/Practicum must be taken within one year of beginning the second course. The Externship/Practicum is the last program course completed. The student must successfully complete ALHT 209 or MOS 107 with a “C” or higher, either prior to or with the Externship/Practicum.
During ALHT 210, the student will be assigned to a physician’s office or healthcare setting, generally for eight hours per day, three to five days a week for 8-14 weeks. Credit for experiential learning is not allowed for the following courses: ALHT 201, ALHT 209, MOS 107, ALHT 203 or ALHT 210.
Students must submit required information for programs with a clinical component (described earlier in this section) prior to beginning ALHT 210. Program students are required to pay a clinical fee and a CCMA (NHA) certification fee in addition to regular tuition.
Application Packet Instructions
- Deadline for submission (hand-delivery or postmark date) – by the end of the second week of the fall (with successful completion of ALHT 201) or spring semester (with successful completion of ALHT 203).
- The following documents must be completed and submitted to:
Bossier Parish Community College
Attn: Erica Mullins- MA Program Director
6220 E. Texas St.
Bossier City, LA 71111
- Signed Essential Requirements Form
- Completed & Signed Application Form
- Official Transcripts (not required if all Qualification coursework is from BPCC or official transcripts from other colleges already in the BPCC Registrar’s Office).
Essential Requirements
The MA Program has established Essential Requirements, identifying occupational-specific technical standards required of students in the program. Please print, read and sign this document and include it in your application packet. If you have questions or concerns related to your ability to meet these described requirements, please contact your academic advisor.
Application Form
Neatly type all information requested on Allied Health Program Application. It must be printed, SIGNED, and included in your application packet.
Official Transcripts/Other Institutions
If you completed Qualification coursework at another institution, you will need to include an OFFICIAL transcript from that college in your MA clinical application packet. If the BPCC Registrar’s Office has an official transcript from other colleges/universities attended, you do not need to provide the transcript in your packet.
Click here to download the program handbook.
Program Outcomes: 2021
| Year | Retention | Placement | Graduate Participation | Graduate Satisfaction | Certification Exam Participation | Certification Exam Pass Rate | # Grads by Admission Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | ≥60% | ≥60% | ≥30% | ≥80% | ≥30% | ≥60% | |
| 2021 | 100% | 60% | 60% | 100% | 100% | 75% | 4 |
A graduation requirement is to take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NHA)Certification/Recertification Examination. The exam is not a requirement to work as a MA in Louisiana. However, the certification is a professional edge which may provide job security, career advancement and is seen as prestigious among peers and employers. Most physicians in the area seek certified medical assistants.
Absolutely. While the majority of our applicants and clinical students live and plan to work in this area, we encourage students from other regions of the state. If you are from out of town and are interested in pursuing a MA degree from BPCC you are encouraged to contact a MA advisor for additional information and to request a personalized transcript review.
Our program has a high reputation in the community and our graduates have a high rate of employment. The job market and salaries in the Shreveport-Bossier City area are very good. The median salary for graduates is $26,470 per year.
More information on the job descriptions, job outlook and salaries for MAs can be found on the website for the American Association of Medical Assistants and the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
While it is likely that within your degree you have taken some or even most of the pre-requisite course requirements, there is a strong possibility that you may be lacking one or more of the required classes. You should request that a MA advisor review your transcript and help you identify what may be missing. Additionally, if a significant amount of time has passed since the completion of your degree, your advisor may recommend re-taking or auditing particular courses so that your knowledge in that content is current.
The Qualification and Additional Required courses of the program have only those costs associated with regular tuition per credit hour which is the same for all BPCC students. Once accepted into the clinical component of the program there are additional costs related to clinical fees, uniforms, immunizations, etc.
- Contact a MA advisor to answer any questions related to the Program and request a transcript review. While you are welcome to call, the most efficient way to correspond and receive responses is by email at emullins@bpcc.edu.
- Contact the Admissions Office on the main campus of Bossier Parish Community College (318-678-6000) to request an application for admission to the college. There is a $15.00 application fee that must be paid at the time of submission. They will give you a catalog that includes information about the MA program. Be sure to mark “MA” on the application as your field of study so you will be assigned a MA advisor.
- Request information on Financial Aid by visiting the Financial Aid Office on the main campus, or by calling 678-6000. Be aware that if you do not qualify for financial aid, you may still request a deferment of fees, which allows you to pay tuition in three parts rather than all at once.
Contact Information
Erica Mullins
Assistant Master Instructor
318-678-6369
emullins@bpcc.edu