Medicine Information

Considerations in Distance Education for the Medical Assistant Instructor


Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School is available at: www.medicalassistant.us

Distance education is not new, and can be traced as far back as the first century. The Apostle Paul wrote to the early Christian churches, instructing them from a distance (even when he was under 'house arrest' in Rome). This was probably the first type of 'correspondence course', which was the only method of learning at a distance until the advent of the telephone. Today, distance education and in particular online medical assistant instruction calls upon an impressive range of technologies to enable medical assistant instructor and the medical assistant student who are separated by distance to communicate with each other either in real time (synchronous) or delayed time (asynchronous). Currently and asynchronous model used at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School to instruct medical assistant students. This has proven to be a very effective model however the medical assistant program is currently investigating the benefits of synchronous online medical assistant instruction and the benefits it may have for the medical assistant student.

Medical Assistant distance learning epitomizes the move away from institute based learning to a more direct, student centered approach. As a concept, distance learning has existed for over a century, notably in the form of paper based correspondence courses including the less formal correspondence education for medical assistants. Now however, distance education is depending increasingly upon technology for its success and technological innovations ensure that distance learning for the medical assistant continues to evolve and grow as a valid and potent force in all forms of education for the medical assistant.

The task of the medical assistant distance educator is therefore to obviate these problems as much as possible by mixing and matching techniques, creating and maintaining a stimulating environment, and offering opportunities for medical assistant students to communicate with each other and with the medical assistant teaching staff on a regular basis. The medical assistant educators will also need to change their traditional role as well. Many remote medical assistant students need a great deal of social support, and medical assistant distance educators may find themselves spending more time offering one-to-one tutorials and less time lecturing. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School at www.MedicalAssistant.us is leading today's technology in medical assistant education.

When designing medical assistant educational systems and materials for medical assistant distance in delivery the medical assistant teacher must consider not only learning outcomes, but also centered requirements and technical constraints for the medical assistant. Also to be considered are the needs, characteristics, and individual differences of both the students, the teachers and future medical assistants.

Medical assistant distance education for the medical assistant then, should not be viewed as a means of reducing costs, but as an opportunity to raise standards. It is also about providing quality medical assistant learning opportunities for those who, for one reason or another, have previously been excluded from this basic human right. Medical Assistant distance education will quickly become the norm and not the exception for the twenty first century medical assistant. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. The St. Augustine Medical Assistant model can be reviewed at: www.medicalassistant.us.

Dr. Mark Stout
Dean of Education St. Augustine Medical Assistant SchoolDistance Education and Informatics Specialist


MORE RESOURCES:

Analysis: Deficit spending is tough medicine
The Associated Press - 7 hours ago
WASHINGTON — It's a painful dilemma. The expected growth of the federal government budget deficit to $1.2 trillion this year could swamp future generations ...


E! Online

Scientologist Views On Medicine Questioned
CBS News, NY - 13 hours ago
"So I started having grand mal seizures," recalls Tory Christman, "and I wasn't even off the medicine. I was only off part of the medicine, and I started ...
Travolta's late son 'not victim of cult' Oneindia
Kawasaki’s disease, cleaning fluid, and cults Blogger News Network
Presley blasts critics for using Travolta tragedy to attack ... Thaindian.com
Popeater - p2pnet.net
all 585 news articles


Ten essential items for your medicine cabinet
Chicago Tribune, United States - 13 hours ago
For information about what to keep in a home first aid kit, go here. Coming tomorrow: 10 things to keep out of your medicine cabinet.


Cost containment focus could have consequences for health care ...
EurekAlert (press release), DC - 7 hours ago
"We believe that in the current environment, the balance has tipped toward market exchanges at the expense of medicine's communal or social dimensions. ...
Money and the Changing Culture of Medicine New England Journal of Medicine (subscription)
all 5 news articles


GulfNews

Obama Wants CNN's Medicine Man to Be the US's Surgeon General!
PerezHilton.com, CA - 15 hours ago
CNN's medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was supposedly offered the US surgeon general position by President-elect Barack Obama. ...
Video: CNN Correspondent Approached for Surgeon General AssociatedPress
Hotline After Dark -- Your Love Is Like Good Medicine National Journal
CNN's Medicine Man Tapped for Surgeon General? E! Online
Washington Post - Wall Street Journal Blogs
all 1,353 news articles


Khaleej Times

Early Elective C-Sections Produce Complications
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 7 hours ago
8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Once a woman has had a Caesarean delivery, she and her doctor may decide to perform an "elective" C-section ...
Study: Setting early C-sections puts babies at risk Houston Chronicle
Early C-section for full-term babies poses risk Reuters
Early C-Sections Can Double Health Risks for Newborns Wall Street Journal Blogs
Newswise (press release) - al.com
all 209 news articles


dBTechno

A taste of Obama's own medicine
NephrOnline, AZ - 13 hours ago
By Thomas Keating Even before "The Transition" turns into the new regime, president-elect Barack Obama has already been fighting back against those who ...
Stay Healthy: Government Healthcare May Be Coming The New American
Replace for-profit insurance with Medicare for all Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Obama's health care pledge may hurt Canada National Post
Capitalism Magazine - San Mateo County Times
all 117 news articles


WELT ONLINE

Jett Had History of Seizures, Medicine Ineffective
FOXNews - Jan 5, 2009
Jett Travolta, seen in this undated photo, died Friday in the Bahamas at the age of 16. Jett Travolta, seen in this undated photo, died Friday in the ...
Video: Travolta's Son Likely to Be Buried in Fla. AssociatedPress
Time to Audit Scientology's Anti-Medicine Stance Gawker
Jett Travolta’s Death, Medically Unclear eFluxMedia
The Associated Press - Oneindia
all 6,587 news articles


Financial Times

Aid agencies say Gaza needs food, medicine -- and body bags
Reuters - Jan 5, 2009
By Angus MacSwan JERUSALEM, Jan 5 (Reuters) - People in Gaza were in dire need of food and medical supplies, aid agencies said on Monday, but Israel's ...
Video: Gaza families mourn dead after UN school bombed - 07 Jan 09 AlJazeeraEnglish
Lack of food and medicine a catastrophe, say aid groups Irish Times
Locals are worried about action in Gaza The Patriot Ledger
Seattle Post Intelligencer - CNN International
all 29,388 news articles


Research database from the US Library of Medicine
The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com, OH - 12 hours ago
Search PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov, the CDC and a dozen other medical sites - all at once. AP MEDICAL VIDEO by Brie Zeltner/Plain Dealer Reporter Ohio had ...

Medicine - Google News

home | site map
© 2006