Medical Assisting

Is a Medical Assisting career in your future? Find out!

Through a partnership with UAS Sitka, students in Kodiak can earn their accredited Medical Assisting Certificate or a Health Sciences AAS degree with a MA emphasis without leaving the island.

 If you are interested in a career in the health care field, there is a growing demand for medical assistants. Working alongside health care practitioners, these multi-skilled allied health professionals function as a member of health care delivery teams, primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics, under the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner.

How often? stethescope and office supplies on a desktop

Starting in Fall 2022 a new cohort will begin each fall. Hybrid courses are taught online with face-to-face required clinical skills lab intensives twice a semester.  

Medical assistants are multi-skilled health professionals specifically educated to work in a variety of health care settings. The practice of medical assisting necessitates mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience. You have an option to earn a certificate or an associates degree.

Prepare yourself for the program by taking these prerequisite courses:

  • WRTG 111 Writing Across Contexts

    3 credits
    GER. An introduction to writing strategies and processes for reading and responding to rhetorical situations across a variety of public and academic contexts.
    Prerequisite: ENGL/WRTG S110 (C 2.00 or better) or placement test.

  • HS S114 Fundamentals of Anatomy, Physiology, and Disease

    4 credits 
    Non-laboratory overview to the anatomical structures and functions of the human body. Includes integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, special senses, immune, respiratory, urinary, digestive and reproductive systems. Introduces signs and symptoms, diagnostic measures and treatments of common human disease processes.
    Prerequisite: HS S135 or HIM S135 (C- or higher) or concurrent enrollment.

    ** BIOL A111/L and BIOL A112/L Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II or BIOL A100: Human Biology and BIOL104: Essentials of Human Disease  may be substituted.

  • HS S116 Math in Healthcare

    3 credits 
    Cross-listed as HIM S116.Practical application of mathematics in health care, including arithmetic review, percentages, interest, ratio, proportion, dimensional analysis, metric system, medication calculation, graphs, charts and measurement instruments.
    Prerequisite: MATH S054 with a C (2.00) or better, or placement into MATH S055 or higher.

    **MATH A105 Intermediate Algebra may be substituted.

  • HS S135 Medical Terminology

    3 credits
    Cross-listed as HIM S135.An introduction to root forms, prefixes and suffixes, and medical abbreviations. Focus is on terminology of body systems related to symptomatology, diseases and treatment.

    **MA A101: Medical Terminology may be substituted.

Program Contact :

Amy Samuel

Amy Samuel, M.Ed., CMA (AAMA), AHI (AMT)

Associate Professor and Program Director, Medical Assisting
Phone (907) 747-7748
Email aksamuel@alaska.edu