Admission

Application Filing Period

The application filing period is April 18th - July 18th for fall semester enrollment, and September 15 thru October 31 for Spring enrollment.  Applications are only available during the application period.

How to Apply

1  Apply for admission to PCC

If you are not currently enrolled at PCC, you need to apply for admission to the college in addition to applying to the Medical Assistant program. Apply now to PCC .

2   Complete Your Online Application

To apply to the Medical Assistant program, you need to submit an  online application which includes:

• A completed Medical Assistant Application 
• One official U.S. high school transcript, GED certificate, or Equivalency Report from one of the college’s acceptable companies.
  Note: The above is not required if an associate or higher degree is posted on your U.S. college transcripts
• One official transcript of ALL U.S. colleges and universities attended, including Pasadena City College.
  If you have foreign transcripts, please read our information on how to have your transcripts evaluated.

Be aware that unofficial transcripts and photocopies of diplomas are not acceptable, and incomplete applications will not be considered in the selection process. If you are accepted into the program, the college’s Records Office will also require transcripts.

3   Submit Your Official Transcripts

Once your online Medical Assisting application has been submitted, you will receive an email sent to the email account you used on your application to securely upload your high school and college transcripts.

An official transcript from an accredited U.S. High School (or GED or Foreign Equivalency Report) and each college attended (this includes an Advanced Placement report from the College Board and PCC transcripts) must be opened, scanned, and uploaded as a PDF. This means your official transcript must be received by you through postal or electronic mail. Once you open the transcript it is now your personal record. When submitting your transcripts, formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be considered. All college transcripts must be provided even if the coursework is not applicable to the program.

Create a folder on your desktop and place all of your required transcripts into the folder.

A confirmation email will be sent to the email account you provided on your application when your transcripts have been received.

Follow these basic directions for scanning documents as a PDF file:

• Open your official transcripts that you will be uploading to the application
• Scan the official transcripts using a device such as a printer or scanner
• Follow the scanner manufacturer's directions to scan each document to your computer or USB drive
• Select the PDF file format option before scanning. Only PDF files of your transcripts and other supporting documents will be accepted. Formats such as JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIF, screenshot, word documents, etc. will not be accepted for the application process.
• Save your PDF document to a folder in a location on your computer or removable drive that you can easily access (Desktop or Documents folder is suggested)

NOTE: Students who do not have access to a personal scanner may choose to use a commercial copying center to have their required documents scanned and made into PDFs that then may be uploaded as part of your application.

Program Acceptance

The Health Sciences Division will inform you of the status of your application by email upon submission of all required documentation.

• Upon selection to the program, you will be required to complete:
  • A health clearance 
  • A background check 
  • An American Heart Association Basic Life Support for Health Care Providers card 
  • A First Aid certificate 
  • A COVID - 19 vaccine 
• While in the program, you must maintain a grade of “C” or higher in each course in order to progress to the next level.
• A conviction of a felony may be grounds for ineligibility to take the National Certification Examination of the American Association of Medical Assistants. Any conviction must be cleared for eligibility prior to taking the National AAMA certification examination. This clearance is the responsibility of the individual.

Technical Standards

The intent of the program is to develop competent medical assistants who can provide satisfactory healthcare to the general population. Students are expected to complete all academic and clinical requirement of the program. The following technical standards specify those attributes that the MA faculty consider necessary for completing the professional education and subsequently enabling the graduate to enter the workforce.

Levels
O	Occasionally	50% - 74%
F	Frequently	75% - 89%
C	Constantly	90% - 100%

Physical Standards	Frequency
LIFT: patients, equipment - up to 100 lbs.	F
CARRY: equipment, objects - up to 25 lbs.	F
KNEEL: to perform CPR; assist patients who fall; to retrieve items from a storage cabinet	O
STOOP/BEND/TWIST: to position the examination table, perform transfers	F
BALANCE: safely maintain while Assistant patients in ambulation and transfer.	F
CROUCH: to locate and plug in equipment	O
REACH: to adjust equipment, to guard patient, to reach supplies	C
HANDLE: equipment such as syringes, BP cuffs	C
DEXTERITY: manipulate and fine tune knobs, dials, blood pressure cuffs tools, equipment, instruments, scales, phlebotomy, injection instruments, prepare and use equipment while maintaining sterile technique and keyboard 30 wpm.	C
PUSH/PULL: wheelchairs, stretchers, patients	C
WALK: a distance of at least 2 miles during a normal work day	C
WEAR: personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed and gloves for extended periods of time.	F

TACTILE STANDARDS
PALPATE: pulses, muscle contractions, bony landmarks, swelling, skin texture	C
DIFFERENTIATE: between temperature and pressure variations	F

VISUAL STANDARDS
READ: accurately, numbers, letters, cursive writing in fine and other print in varying light levels in English.	F
DETECT: changes in skin color, patient's facial expressions, swelling, atrophy, forms of non-verbal communication (gestures)	F
OBSERVE: patient and environmental to assess the patient's condition or needs from 20 feet.	C
SEE: BP manometer, small prints on vials, syringes, dials and gauges	C

COMMUNICATION STANDARDS
SPEAK: in English language in clear, concise manner, to communicate with patients, families, health care providers, community	C
RESPOND: to patient with communication disorders (aphasia, hearing loss)	O
COMPREHEND: oral and written language including health care terminology in order to communicate with patients, families, health care providers and community	C
WRITE: in English, clearly, legibly, for charting and computer input	C

AUDITORY STANDARDS
HEAR: blood pressure sounds through a stethoscope, breath sounds, patient distress sounds, machine timer bells and alarms; verbal directions from supervisor from a distance of 20 feet; verbal requests from patients, physicians, etc.	C

MENTAL/COGNITIVE STANDARDS
Function safely, effectively, and calmly under stressful situations	F
Remain alert to surroundings, potential emergencies, respond to patient situations,  ie: falls, pain, change in physical status	F
Integrate information, and make decisions based on pertinent date, in a collaborative manner	C
Interact effectively and appropriately with patients, families, supervisors, and coworkers of the same or different cultures with respect, politeness, tact, collaboration, teamwork, and discretion	C

MENTAL/COGNITIVE STANDARDS (CONT'D)
Communicates an understanding of basic principles of supervision, ethics, and confidentiality	C
Displays basic interpersonal skills necessary to interact in situations requiring close, personal contact	C
Maintain personal hygiene consistent with close personal contact associated with client care	C

Transcript Evaluation

If you are a student with foreign transcripts, you must have your transcripts evaluated by one of the following three companies before applying:

International Research Foundation (IERF)
(310)-258-9451 | www.ierf.org

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI)
(310)-275-3530 | http://www.acei-global.org/application-for-evaluation

American Education Research Center (AERC)
(626)-339-4404 | www.aerc-eval.com