Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This is a required course for all Medical Assisting students. Course is limited to students admitted into the program. 

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

1. Describe professionalism and how it relates to the delivery of healthcare.
2. Identify the role of professional organizations in defining standards and providing continuing education opportunities.
3. Create a professional portfolio for clinical practicum placement.
4. Identify individual professional goals for clinical practicum placement. 

Students will demonstrate these learning outcomes by these tasks conducted individually and in cooperation with other students:
 

1. Students are required to participate in small group activities as well as classroom discussions.
2. Provide feedback on guest speaker presentations, lectures, handout materials, and audiovisual presentations.
3. Students are required to maintain a weekly reflection journal.
4. Individual student meetings at the end of the term to develop performance goals and discuss clinical practicum (externship) options. 
5. Students will reflect on the use of performance evaluations as it relates to employment. 

• Psychology and Communications

Develop and awareness of self-understanding and social adaptability for communications and actions with physicians, employees and patients. Develop an awareness of how attitude influences the outcome of any given situation. Understand the principles of recognition and response to verbal and nonverbal communication.

• Human Relations

The goal is to develop an awareness and understanding of a culturally diverse workplace. Understand the adaptations of individual needs.

• Ethical Behavior and Professionalism

The goal is to develop ethical and professional behavior as it applies to the health care workplace

• Professional Organization

The goal is to prepare students to become professionals; understanding the roles of the professional organization in defining ethics and providing educational opportunities.  Develop an understanding of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) as a professional tri-level organization that provides continuing education services.

•  Open Forums and Lectures

The goal is to provide an opportunity for guest lectures and/or a general class discussion on related subjects of interest to the class. Also to provide an open forum for the discussion of students directed practice activities and the various procedural methods utilized at the clinical affiliations sites.

• Professional Performance Evaluations with Instructor

The goal is to provide one on one support for developing professional softskills for healthcare professionals. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the instructor and receive individual plans for performance improvement; including students self-identified strengths and weaknesses.