Medical Assisting - Associate of Applied Science

Doña Ana Community College 2026-2027 Catalog

Medical assistants work alongside physicians primarily in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, such as medical offices, clinics, and urgent care centers.  Medical assistants who earn their AAS in Medical Assisting are cross trained to perform administrative and clinical duties, whereas medical assistants who earn their certificate in medical assisting will be trained for clinical duties only.

Clinical duties include but are not limited to taking medical histories; explaining treatments and procedures to patients; collecting and preparing lab specimens; preparing and administering medications; performing electrocardiograms; and assisting physicians during examinations.

Administrative duties include but are not limited to answering telephones; updating and filing patient medical records; scheduling appointments; billing and bookkeeping.

Mandatory Attendance and Clinical Experiences

Students must attend all class meetings and lab sessions to be eligible for national certification testing. Clinical courses take place off-campus, students will need to have personal transportation, and be cleared for clinical compliance

(62 credits)

NOTE: Students must earn a final grade of C- or better in all required courses and achieve a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0. A grade of C- or better is required in ENGL 1110G Composition I and designated Mathematics courses.

Clinical Compliance Packet

Students registering for a course that has a clinical component (PHLB 1190 Phlebotomist Basic, MAST 2990 Medical Assistant Practicum) are required to complete a clinical compliance packet and submit online to CastleBranch for the director's approval to register.

Students must complete all University degree requirements, which include: General Education requirements and elective credits to total at least 62 credits. Developmental coursework will not count towards the degree requirements and/or elective credits but may be needed in order to take the necessary English and Mathematics coursework.

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Each course selected must be from a different area and students cannot take multiple courses in the same area. 

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See the General Education section of the catalog for a full list of courses. 

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Courses are identical to those offered at New Mexico State University Las Cruces (main) Campus.

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Clinical course requires clinical packet be complete and uploaded to CastleBranch and program director's permission to register for course.

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MATH 1130G Survey of Mathematics is required for the MA degree but students may need to take prerequisites. *Note: select the course to see it's prerequisites in the course bubble.

(62 credits)

A Suggested Plan of Study

The contents of this roadmap may vary depending on initial student placement in mathematics and English. This is only a suggested plan of study for students, and is not intended as a contract.  Individual student academic plans may vary. Please contact your academic advisor to create a plan that works for you. Course availability may vary from fall to spring semester and may be subject to modification or change.

NOTE: Students must earn a final grade of C- or better in all required courses and achieve a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.0. A grade of C- or better is required in ENGL 1110G Composition I and designated Mathematics courses.

Students must complete all University degree requirements, which include: General Education requirements and elective credits to total at least 60 credits. Developmental coursework will not count towards the degree requirements and/or elective credits, but may be needed in order to take the necessary English and Mathematics coursework.