San Antonio College 2009-2010 Academic Catalog [Archived Catalog]
Allied Health (Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting & Lab Technology)
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Stella Lovato, Chairperson
NAHC 134, 486-1502
www.alamo.edu/sac/alldhlth/
The Allied Health Department consists of three programs: Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, and Dental Laboratory Technology. Each program offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) Degree. Dental Assisting and Medical Assisting offer a certificate.
Dental Assisting Program
The mission of the Dental Assisting Program is to provide for and support competency based learning for a multicultural community. As one of nine accredited Dental Assisting Programs in Texas, the program is committed to excellence in helping to meet the diverse needs of both traditional and nontraditional students. The program seeks to provide each student with the essential knowledge and skills necessary to become a functional dental team member and meet the requirements of the national examining entity.
The Dental Assisting Program prepares individuals with the knowledge, skills, and techniques to become a vital member of the dental health care team. Students accepted into the program attend specialized classes in dental assisting, as well as classes in general education. The knowledge is then applied in a clinical setting.
San Antonio College, in cooperation with the San Antonio District Dental Society and the San Antonio Dental Assistants Organization, offers an AAS Degree in Dental Assisting, a Dental Assisting Certificate, and an Enhanced Skills Certificate. The Dental Assisting Program is accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation.
The Dental Assisting Program also offers a Tech Prep Degree that consists of a combination of San Antonio College courses and training courses offered by the US Navy. For more information about this degree contact the Dental Assisting Program at 210-486-1502.
Commission on Dental Accreditation
Posting Form for Policy on Third Party Comments
The Commission currently publishes in its accredited lists of programs the year of the next site visit for each program it accredits. In addition, the Commission publishes in its Spring and Fall newsletter, Communications Update, those programs being site visited January through June or July through December. Developing programs submitting accreditation eligible applications may be scheduled for site visits after the publication of Communication Update; thus, the specific dates of these site visits will not be available for publication. These programs will be listed in Communications Update with a special notation that the developing programs have submitted accreditation eligible applications and may or may not be scheduled for site visits. Parties interested in theses specific dates (should they be established) are welcomed/encouraged to contact the Commission office. The United States Department of Education (USDOE) procedures now also require accrediting agencies to provide an opportunity for third-party comment, either in writing or a public hearing (at the accrediting agencies’ discretion) with respect to institutions or programs scheduled for review. All comments must relate to accreditation standards for the discipline and required accreditation policies. In order to comply with the department’s requirement on the use of third-party comment regarding program’s qualifications for accreditation or pre-accreditation, the following procedures have been developed:
Who Can Submit Comments
Third-party comments relative to the Commission’s accredited programs may include comments submitted by interested parties such as faculty, students, program administrators, Commission consultants, specialty and dental related organizations, patients, and/or consumers.
How Comments Can Be Solicited
The Commission will request written comments from interested parties in the Spring and Fall issues of Communications Update. In fairness to the accredited programs, all comments relative to the programs being visited will be due in the Commission office no later than 60 days prior to each program’s site visit to allow time for the program to respond. Therefore, programs being site visited in January through June will be listed in the fall issue of CU of the previous year and programs scheduled for a site visit from July through December will be listed in the Spring issue of the current. Any unresolved issues related to the program’s compliance with the accreditation standards will be reviewed by the site visit team while on-site.
Those programs scheduled for review are responsible for soliciting third-party comments from students and patients by publishing an announcement at least 90 days prior to their site visit. The notice should indicate the deadline of 60 days for receipt of third-party comments in the Commission office and should stipulate that comments must pertain only to the standards of the particular program or policies and procedures used in the Commission’s accreditation process. The announcement may include language to indicate that a copy of the appropriate accreditation standards and/or the Commission’s policy on third-party comments may be obtained by contacting the Commission at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, or by calling 1/800-621-8099, extension 4653.
Types of Comments Considered
All comments submitted must pertain only to the standards relative to the particular program being reviewed or policies and procedures used in the accreditation process. Comments will be screened by Commission staff for relevancy. For comments not relevant to these issues, the individual will be notified that the comment is not related to accreditation and, where appropriate, referred to the appropriate agency. For those individuals who are interested in submitting comments, requests can be made to the Commission office for receiving standards and/or the Commission’s Evaluation Policies and Procedures (EPP).
Management of Comments
All relevant comments will be referred to the program at least 50 days prior to the site visit for review and response. A written response from the program should be provided to the Commission office and the site visit team 15 days prior to the site visit. Adjustments may be necessary on the site visit schedule to allow discussion of comments with proper personnel.
Adopted: (7/95)
Revised (1/97)
Institution: San Antonio College
Program(s) to be Reviewed: Dental Assisting Program
Site Visit Date: 2012
60-Day Deadline for Receipt of Comments in the Commission Office: September, 2008
(Commission on Dental Accreditation, 211 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611)
Medical Assisting Program
Medical Assistants are multiskilled health professionals specifically educated to work in ambulatory settings performing administrative and clinical duties. The practice of medical assisting directly influences the public’s health and well-being, and requires mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience that serve as standards for entry into the profession.
The mission of the Medical Assisting Program is to train students to perform routine medical assisting administrative and clinical tasks in a physician’s office, hospital outpatient clinic, or other ambulatory care facility. Medical assistants work under the direct supervision of a physician or other licensed health care provider. Although duties may be similar, or even overlap, medical assistants are not nurses.
The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office and/or practice to practice. Administrative duties often include answering telephones, greeting patients, managing the front desk, initiating and maintaining medical records, performing duties in billing, coding and claims, and managing the financial component of the practice. Clinical skills include assessing vital signs, preparing patients for examination, setting up sterile fields and assisting with minor surgery, and preparing and administering medications. Medical assistants also collect and analyze specimens, perform phlebotomy, remove sutures, change dressings, and perform EKGs. An important aspect of the occupation is patient education and instruction concerning medications, nutrition, and other physician-directed regimens pertinent to the patient’s condition.
San Antonio College AAS and Certificate Level II Medical Assisting programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
727-210-2350
Students who graduate from the Medical Assisting Program, with the exception of the Medical Office Administrative Assistant curriculum, qualify for the examination for the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential. The Medical Office Administrative Assistant Certificate, which does not require accreditation, is non-clinically based, and will not qualify completers to test for the CMA (AAMA) credential.
Dental Laboratory Technology
Our Mission
The Dental Laboratory Technology Program provides for and supports competency-based learning for a multi-cultural community. As the only civilian-accredited Dental Laboratory Technology Program in Texas, the program is committed to excellence in helping to meet the diverse needs of both traditional and non-traditional students. The program seeks to provide each student with the essential knowledge and skills necessary to become functional dental team members and meet the requirements of the national examining entity.
General Information
The Dental Laboratory Technology Program prepares individuals with the knowledge, techniques, and skills needed to become a productive member of the dental laboratory field. Students are exposed to all five of the recognized specialty areas and are given concentrated instruction and practical experience in one specialty area.
San Antonio College offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Dental Laboratory Technology. The American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation accredits the Dental Laboratory Technology Program. The Commission on Dental Accreditation is the only nationally recognized accrediting agency for dental, allied dental, and advanced dental education program.
A total of 66 semester hours are required to receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree. The program features classroom instruction combined with laboratory application and practical experience in the field. Upon completion of the program, the student can continue his/her education through a Bachelor of Science Degree in Dental Laboratory Sciences offered through the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Upon being awarded the degree, the graduate is eligible to take both the Recognized Graduate Exam and the Certified Dental Technician Exam, the national board exam for dental laboratory technicians. If the examination is passed, the graduate will become a Certified Dental Technician (CDT). The CDT exam is offered through the National Board for Certification of Dental Technicians (NBC). The exam is divided into three parts: the Comprehensive Exam, the Practical Specialty Exam, and Written Specialty Exam. The Recognized Graduate Exam takes the place of the Comprehensive Exam for individuals who have completed an ADA-accredited educational program in dental laboratory technology. There are five different specialties in dental laboratory technology.
The Profession
The dental laboratory technician performs the laboratory aspects of dentistry — fabricating dentures, crowns, bridges, implants, and maxillofacial and orthodontic appliances. A highly trained craftsman, the technician fills prescriptions written by dentists who specify the prosthesis or appliance to be fabricated and the materials to be used in construction. Upon completion of the program, the graduate receives an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Dental Laboratory Technology.
The professional dental laboratory technician must have knowledge of dental anatomy, tooth morphology, and dental materials in order to perform the extremely intricate procedures required for dental laboratory work. Artistic and technical aptitudes are especially valuable in this profession. The dental laboratory technician whose products will affect the well-being of dental patients must demonstrate the same high ethical standards demanded of all healthcare professionals.
Employment opportunities are available in commercial laboratories, as employees, managers, or owners; in private dental offices; in civil service positions; in laboratories or as field representatives of dental supply manufacturers; or in institutional programs. Sales positions with dental supply firms, laboratory management, and teaching and research opportunities are open to technicians with experience and advanced education.
Programs and Courses - Allied Health Allied Health (Medical Assisting, Dental Assisting & Lab Technology)
Associate of Applied Science
Level I Certificate
Level II Certificate
Enhanced Skills Certificate
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