Medical Assistant Course - Week 1: Instructor’s Guide

Day 1. Introduction to Healthcare Systems and MA Role

  • Teaching Points:

  • - Definition and importance of medical assisting

  • - Clinical vs administrative duties

  • - Healthcare settings: ambulatory, outpatient, urgent care

  • - Role in the interdisciplinary healthcare team

  • Video Resources:

- What is a Medical Assistant? | NHA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhdFzINzR4I

- Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X5dnnZTej4

2. OSHA, HIPAA & Infection Control

  • Teaching Points:

  • - Key OSHA safety standards for healthcare

  • - HIPAA: Privacy Rule, Security Rule, PHI

  • - Introduction to infection prevention

  • Video Resources:

- HIPAA Training Summary (Simple Nursing): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI3H6UFTAX4

- OSHA Healthcare Safety Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lS8VvQO9ccs

3. Hand Hygiene and PPE Demo

  • Teaching Points:

  • - When and how to wash hands (CDC 5 steps)

  • - Demonstrate hand hygiene return demo

  • - Donning and doffing gloves, gown, mask properly

  • Video Resources:

- CDC Handwashing Steps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d914EnpU4Fo

- PPE Donning & Doffing (CDC Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of73FN086E8

4. Ethics & Professionalism Discussion

  • Teaching Points:

  • - Core values: honesty, empathy, integrity, accountability

  • - Ethical dilemmas in healthcare

  • - Boundaries & respectful communication

  • Activity Ideas:

- Case scenarios: "What would you do?"

- Reflective discussion: "What makes a great healthcare professional?"

Suggested Class Activities

  • - Group icebreaker: “Why I chose Medical Assisting”

  • - Pair-and-share: “How would you protect a patient’s privacy?”

  • - Skills lab: handwashing & PPE checklist

  • - Quiz: 5 HIPAA questions, 5 OSHA/infection control questions.