Admission Guidelines and Rules

The medical assistant specializes in the application of scientific knowledge and theory in the skillful performance of their profession.  Therefore, all applicants should possess:

1. sufficient gross and fine motor coordination to efficiently implement the skills required in performing medical assistant functions e.g., laboratory skills, patient ambulation, multitasking capabilities, and medication administration;
2. sufficient communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, and written) to interact effectively with individuals;
3. sufficient intellectual and emotional functions to plan and implement their duties in a responsible manner;
4. sufficient visual acuity, such as is needed in the preparation and administration of medications in the performance of laboratory procedures, and for the observation necessary for patient assessment and care; and
5. sufficient auditory perception to receive verbal communication from patients and members of the health team and to assess health needs of people through the use of monitoring devices such as stethoscopes, fire alarms, etc.

Each applicant must submit the following credentials in order to be admitted:

1. Application for admission to the college;
2. Official high school transcript showing graduation or G.E.D. scores;
3. Official ACT (or SAT) or Compass scores; and
4. Official transcripts of previous college education.

Two pre-admission conferences will be offered each semester.  Dates, times and location will be announced by email to all students, on Facebook and in the Green Street.  Anyone seeking more information regarding the program should attend one of these informational sessions.

The following information is available for implementation of selective admissions should this become necessary due to high enrollment.

Enrollment in the Medical Assistant Program may be limited because of available externship facilities in the community as well as limited faculty and financial resources.

In the event that the number of applicants exceeds the maximum capacity, preference may be given to:

1. applicants with an ACT composite standard score of 19 or above, or the equivalent.
2. applicants who rank in the upper half of their high school graduation class or have an average score of 50 or above on the G.E.D.
3. applicants who submit evidence of successful completion of developmental coursework and/or those who have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in 12 or more credit hours of college work.
4. applicants who are Kentucky residents or live within the college’s service area.
5. applicants who complete the admission procedure prior to established college deadlines.

Selection of students for the program will be made by the presidents of the college or the president’s designee after considering the recommendations of the Medical Assisting Admissions Committee.  Membership on this committee may include the following:

• Medical Assisting Program Coordinator
• Medical Assisting Faculty Member
• Admissions officer and/or Counselor
• General Education – Faculty Members (2)

Readmission to the Medical Assisting program will be dependent upon available resources. In order for a student to be considered for readmission to the Medical assisting program, the applicant must:

1. If three (3) years or more have elapsed since the initial enrollment in the program, the student must repeat the Medical Assisting courses of the curriculum.
2. A student may be readmitted to the Medical Assistant program no more than two times.

1. Students wishing to transfer from one KCTCS Medical Assistant program to another will be considered on an individual basis.
2. Admission will be dependent upon available resources at the community college.
3. Students must meet all program admission requirements set by the college to which transfer is sought.

Students must meet all program admission requirements set by the college to which transfer is sought:

We offer this for a MAI course that does not have psychomotor and/or affective competencies.  The challenge exam is the final exam that is routinely given by the instructor in the class and a 70% pass rate is required.  The instructor must ensure that the final exam covers the cognitive competencies as appropriate for the course.  At this time only MAI 200 is available for credit in this manner.

We also offer this form of advanced placement as an option for Medical Assisting courses which contain psychomotor and affective competencies, but the student must prove that they are able to/or have in the past mastered each of the required psychomotor or affective competencies. This may be in the form of a syllabus from a past course at another college which indicates the requirement for passing the competencies and a grade of “C” or better in the course or by producing a signed check off list from the course by the past instructor.  The student must also successfully pass the final exam covering the cognitive competencies with a 70% or better grade.  Medical Assisting courses which may be considered for this option include MAI 105, 120, 140, 150, 170, 220, 230, 250, and 270.

For students who wish to get advanced credit through the “Credit for Experience” mechanism for specific MAI courses:

For students who wish to get advanced credit through the “Credit for External Experiences” mechanism, a portfolio can be completed by following the “KCTCS Portfolio Development Student Handbook.”  It should be submitted through the registrar’s/admissions’ office.

Please see the Medical Assisting program coordinator for further information or assistance with advanced placement options.

To qualify for Medical Assisting credentials, a student must earn a grade of “C” or better in all required courses which includes passing all psychomotor and affective competencies.

A student is required to take the CMA or RMA exam as a part of the MAI 289 externship experience. Passing the exam is not a requirement for successful completion of MAI 289, but the exam must be scheduled and taken before a grade will be awarded for the course.