Dental Assistant - Diploma

The Diploma in Dental Assistant program prepares the student for entry-level employment as a dental assistant. Dental assistants work in dental facilities assisting the dentist with the operations of the facility. Their duties may include:

• Working chairside with the dentist
• Preparing patients for treatment
• Sterilizing and disinfecting instruments and equipment
• Preparing tray set-ups for dental procedures
• Making casts of teeth and mouth
• Cleaning and polishing removable appliances
• Making temporary crowns
• Exposing and processing dental x-ray film as directed by the dentist
• Scheduling appointments
• Ordering dental supplies and materials

The program of study provides educational preparation for the dental assistant occupation by combining classroom and clinical experiences with a supervised externship to validate competencies in both administrative and clinical skills.

Dental assistant students are required to take and successfully pass the national certification examination for Dental Assistants (RDA) administered through American Medical Technologists (AMT) as a prerequisite for assignment to externship. A drug screen and background check are also required. A diploma is awarded to graduates upon completion of the program.

Medical Assistant - Diploma or Associate of Occupational Studies

As a medical assistant, you will be one of the most valued employees in any medical office setting. In addition to your front-office responsibilities of appointment scheduling, telephone triage, and insurance billing and coding, you will take vital signs, perform blood tests, operate laboratory equipment, and perform EKGs. Your comprehensive training will prepare you for this rewarding, fast-paced career in a physician's office, health care center or clinic. Your skills will truly make you a valued member of the health care team.

Medical Office Specialist - Diploma or Associate of Occupational Studies

As a medical office specialist, you will work in hospitals, doctors' offices, and extended health care facilities. You'll coordinate all aspects of patient care, including taking patient histories, insurance billing and coding, working with physicians by ordering and scheduling lab tests and surgeries, admitting and discharging patients, and managing equipment and records. This is definitely a patient-oriented career with major decision-making and problem-solving responsibilities.

Pharmacy Technician - Diploma or Associate of Occupational Studies

As a pharmacy technician, you will have the opportunity to advance, grow and apply your skills in many medical settings. You'll work in a retail, hospital or nursing home pharmacy, where you will be responsible for packing medication, ordering supplies, drug destruction and operating pharmacy equipment. You'll also be able to read a standard prescription, use proper phone techniques, and call physicians' offices and insurance companies to verify information. Graduates will learn basic aspects of pharmacy practice, including reading, filling and distributing prescriptions. You will also understand the legal responsibilities of a pharmacy for record maintenance and handling of drugs. You will know basic pharmaceutical calculations, medications, pharmaceutical agents and their uses and common drug interactions and side effects.

Programs vary by campus. Contact individual campus about specific accreditation information.