PROGRAM INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS LETTER OF AGREEMENT To ensure student success in the Medical Assistant program, the following information is provided to students to inform them of program and employer expectations. It is also to inform students of precourse requirements. INFORMATION SESSIONS These FREE Information Sessions are for those who would like to learn more about GRCC s Healthcare programs or who have questions about the programs prior to enrollment. These information sessions are scheduled monthly at the Leslie E. Tassell MTEC building, located at 622 Godfrey SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Registration is not required, but is recommended. Go to www.grcc.edu/workforcetraining and click on Healthcare to register or call (616) 234-3400. ORIENTATION After enrolling in the course, students must register for an Orientation session. Details of the program, as well as tips to help students be successful, will be discussed. Register for an Orientation session at www.grcc.edu/workforcetraining and click on Healthcare. Note: If you would like to register for the Medical Assistant program after orientation sessions are held, you will need to call 616-234-3400 for authorization to register for the program. PAYMENT We accept the following forms of payment: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Sallie Mae loans and personal check. Financial Aid is not accepted. Choose to either pay the entire fee at registration, or make three installment payments. The installment payments are due: 1) at the time of registration, 2) 60 days after the first day of class, and 3) 60 days after 2 nd payment is due. Students must be current in their payment status in order to proceed to Phase 2 of the program. Externships will not be assigned if payment in full has not been received. Invoices for second and third payments are not mailed, so please mark your calendar with the due dates. NOTE: Students who are excused from this course due to voluntary withdrawal, low grades, a violation of the attendance policy, the accumulation of 4 points*, or a violation of GRCC s Code of Conduct or other policies, will not receive a refund for any remaining portion of the course. SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS Students are allowed only three excused absences in the course and will be expected to make up any quizzes, tests, or exams during the next class period. Some classes have mandatory attendance requirements and students will be informed of those classes. Students with more than three absences Page 1 of 6
will not receive a passing grade. Students must also meet MA Appearance and Behavioral Standard requirements as outlined below. Phase 1 of the Medical Assistant Program consists of Weeks 1-10. During this time, students learn the foundational knowledge needed by a Medical Assistant to succeed in the field. Phase 2 is weeks 11-course ending. This phase builds on the foundational knowledge learned in Phase 1 by introducing more advanced skills and integrated knowledge. Students must meet attendance, competency, and other course requirements at the end of Phase 1 in order to proceed on to Phase 2. Students who complete Phase 1 but do not meet Phase I successful completion requirements will be excused from the course and refunded a portion of the registration cost for the course. They will not receive a Certificate of Completion or be eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam. These students are encouraged to enroll in the next session of GRCC s Medical Assistant Program to master the fundamental knowledge and proceed with their learning on the path to become a Medical Assistant. Students are required to meet pre-course requirements, earn an average grade of 90% or higher on quizzes, tests, exams, and other graded material, 100% on clinical skills assessments, and meet the remaining course requirements in order to qualify for an externship and pass the course. APPEARANCE AND BEHAVORIAL STANDARDS* We believe that one of the best ways to be successful in the workplace is to practice those standards in our program. Scrubs and/or lab coats are provided and will be required during scheduled class time and externship times. A watch with a second hand is not provided but is required for every student. No low cut shirts or shirts with writing on them, no visible midriff or underwear, no tattered pants or long pants that drag on the floor, no leggings, no shorts, no skirts above the knee, no opentoe shoes, no visible tattoos, and modest piercings (one or two small piercings in the ear lobe only) will be allowed in class or at the externship site. Hair must be tied back if shoulder length or longer. Non-conventional hair styles and colors are discouraged. Artificial nails and chipped nail polish are prohibited. If nail polish is worn, it should be clear. No highly fragrant toiletries should be used. The smell of tobacco smoke is prohibited. Cell phones and pagers must be non-intrusive to the classroom experience and per instructor policy. We strongly encourage you to seriously consider the standards. These are important to your success in the healthcare field. Our program holds students accountable to keep the MA Appearance and Behavioral Standards. Each violation of a standard will count as one point against the student. Students are expected to be ready to begin at the designated class start time and be awake, alert, and ready to learn. Each late arrival or late assignment submission will count as one point against the student. Incomplete or late assignments, failure to notify the instructor of an absence, disrespectful attitudes, and inappropriate use of equipment or technology will also count as one point against the student. Students who accumulate four points will be excused from the program, will not receive a refund, will not receive a Certificate of Completion, or be eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam. Page 2 of 6
JOB SHADOW EXPERIENCES Area employers support the learning of our students by offering Job Shadow Experiences. Students will be expected to participate in these experiences in Phase 2 of the Program. They will occur outside of class time. Each student will be assigned to 3-5 organizations for a 4 hour shadow at each site. Student availability will be taken into consideration when assigning students to job shadow sites. EXTERNSHIP Unpaid externships will be assigned prior to the end of classroom learning. No externship will be assigned without full payment of the course. The GRCC Medical Assistant program requires students complete 160 hours within a four week time frame. The externship is full time, with hours scheduled during the day. Students need to meet the pre-course requirements, earn the employer competency standard of 90% academic competency, 100% in skills competency, have fewer than three absences, less than four points, and complete the group study and independent learning module requirements to qualify for placement in an externship. Students will not receive a passing grade, a certificate of successful completion for the program, or be eligible to sit for the National Certification Exam if they fail to complete all 160 hours of the externship. The signature on the last page of this agreement authorizes GRCC to share the student s name and pertinent information with the externship site. ALLERGIES For students who may have allergies, please note that a history of chemical/latex or other sensitivities and/or allergies, which occur in the work or clinical environment, is a potentially lifethreatening situation and may limit or prohibit your ability to complete the clinical requirements of the program.. PRE-COURSE REQUIREMENTS After enrollment in the course, the following items must be completed and submitted. WorkKeys NCRC, WorkKeys Talent and WorkKeys Fit Assessments Each of these assessments may be completed at any time. Students must submit their results either before or at Orientation. If you have already taken any of these assessments, you must provide documentation of scores/results either before or at Orientation. Those who were in high school since 2006 may have taken the WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate as a part of their 11 th grade standardized testing. Page 3 of 6
Students may enroll and pay for each assessment at www.grccworkkeys.com. The National Career Readiness Certificate bundle is $60. Once payment has been made for the NCRC bundle, please call 616-234-3400 to schedule a testing time. The WorkKeys Talent Assessment is $19, the WorkKeys Fit Assessment is also $19. Once payment has been made for these tests, please call 616-234-3800 to schedule a testing time. On the Lakeshore, these assessments may be taken at the Ottawa Area ISD. For registration information: www.oaisd.org/mtec/programsservices/certificationsassessments/workforcedevelopment/ NOTE: It is required that the individual attain a Silver Level in the NCRC before admission into the Medical Assistant Program (a minimum score of 4 in Locating Information, Math, and Reading for Information). WorkKeys Talent and WorkKeys Fit Assessments will guide students in making informed career choices. CPR/First Aid Certification Current certifications in American Heart Association s Basic Life Support for the Healthcare Provider CPR and Heartsaver First Aid are required prior to the start of the course. Fees for these certifications are not included in the price of the course. Certifications may be obtained at the location of your choice. GRCC will offer courses prior to the start of class. Please go to www.grcclearn.com and click on Healthcare to find the dates and times for this course. Students must submit copies of their certification cards prior to first day of class. o *On line courses are not acceptable unless they include a skills demonstration with a certified instructor o Other CPR and First Aid certification organization s cards are not acceptable. Immunizations It is the student s responsibility to keep required immunizations current throughout the program. The Student Immunization Form located on the Medical Assistant web page, and supporting documentation, must be submitted prior to the start of class. Required immunizations are: TB, MMR, Varicella, Hepatitis B, Flu, Tetanus (TDP). Criminal Background Check - It is a requirement of area employers and the GRCC Medical Assistant program that students be fingerprinted, which includes a criminal history to be cleared by the State Police. Once you are enrolled in the Medical Assistant Program, please fill out the Fingerprint Processing Form and return it to: Grand Rapids Community College Workforce Training Department, Room 102 622 Godfrey Ave. SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Page 4 of 6
One week after submitting the completed Fingerprint Processing Form, please call Mercedes in Campus Police at 234-4010 or 234-3677 to set up a fingerprint appointment. The form must be submitted and appointment completed two weeks before the start date of the class. NOTE: Students who do not pass the criminal background check will not be able to be placed at an externship site. Externship hours are required for successful completion of this class, so the student will be excused from the course. Students may drop the class within seven days of receiving notification that they did not pass the criminal background check for a full refund less the $65 background check fee and cost of materials that may have been used. Computer Competency With the increased use of electronic medical records, computer skills are more important than ever in the healthcare field. Prior to the start of the program, students are required to fill out the Computer Competency Agreement form and come in to be assessed for competency. o Once a student registers for the Medical Assistant Program, he/she is to sign up on the website for a time to complete a Computer Competency Assessment, and complete a typing test. Assessments may be scheduled at www.grcclearn.com. Click on Healthcare to find a date and time for the test. o Directions for the typing test will be shared at the Computer Competency Assessment. o Employers set the standard of 40 words per minute for successful completion of the Medical Assistant program. It is advised that students attain this score prior to the start of the program. Students must have documented proof of the ability to type 40 wpm in order to move to Phase 2 of the MA program. Raider Card (GRCC Student ID) After attending orientation, students must obtain a Raider Card identifying them as a GRCC student. To obtain your Raider Card, bring a valid picture ID to one of the following locations: GRCC Student Life Department Student Community Center, Room 25 122 Lyon St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 GRCC Tassel MTEC Career Resource Center 622 Godfrey Ave. SW Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Patrick A. Thompson M-TEC 6364-136th Avenue Holland, MI 49424 Page 5 of 6
Go to grcc.edu/raidercard for more Raider Card information. Code of Conduct GRCC has a Student Code of Conduct policy. See grcc.edu/codeofconduct. Signing this document indicates that the student has reviewed and agrees to abide by GRCC s Code of Conduct. Disability Support Services Statement Signing this document indicates that the student has reviewed the statement. Attendance and Grade Policy Signing this document indicates that the student has reviewed and understands the policy. Grade Grievance Procedures Signing this document indicates that the student has reviewed and understands the policy. My signature here indicates that I have reviewed this Program Requirements document and understand the information provided. Student name: (printed) Student Signature Date Please bring this signed sheet with you to orientation. Page 6 of 6