Enhancing the Quality of a Medical Assistant Program Through Targeted Curriculum Improvements

A large university in the Western US has a medical assistant (MA) program that trains students to work in clinical settings. The program offers a combination of asynchronous hybrid learning followed by hands-on internship placement within the clinic system affiliated with the university. Enhancements in the curriculum have the potential to improve the program, providing students with a more effective learning experience and increased readiness for clinic placement. Methods: A quality improvement project was developed to improve the quality and effectiveness of the MA program by implementing targeted educational improvements. Potential areas for improvement were identified by the MA program staff, and the program curriculum was reviewed. The analysis of feedback from clinic preceptors, input from MA program staff, and scholarly evidence on adult learning theory informed the changes made to the curriculum. The project focused on developing additional methods of student assessment and addressing other needs identified by MA program staff including improving student feedback. Results: Formative assessments were developed to gauge student readiness for in-person classes, a more comprehensive final assessment was created, and targeted resources were provided to facilitate student understanding of professional conduct. All curriculum changes were informed by the data from clinic preceptor feedback. The current survey was enhanced, providing additional student feedback to the staff of the MA program. Conclusions: The MA program's curriculum was improved, particularly in the diversification of assessments that allow the program to evaluate student performance more accurately. Additional changes include the addition of resources regarding professionalism and the targeted expansion of student feedback. This project serves as an illustration and offers a model for the integration of Malcolm Knowles' adult learning theory in enhancing the curriculum of a medical assistant (MA) program.