Practicum Syllabus for 2014-2015
Return to Syllabus List

Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

N/A

Student Withdrawal Procedures

N/A

Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

MDCA-1264-001 Practicum

Prerequisites

Prerequisites: Completion of all certificate requirements except for MRMT 2333

Course Description

Practical, general workplace training supported by an individualized learning plan developed by the employer, college and student.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

\N

Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(2 sem hrs; 15 hrs work/week)

Class Type

On Campus Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ None

Supplies

Notebook for Policy and Procedure Manual
Page protectors
Steno Pad for Practicum Notes for Journal

Student Performance

\ COURSE GOALS:

\

\ To give the student the on-hands experience under the supervision of a practicum supervisor in a working environment enabling the student to put to use the applications they have learned while exhibiting a degree of professionalism.
\  

\

\ COURSE OBJECTIVES:

\

\ At the conclusion of each practicum site experience, the student should have met the following through their work experience and by evaluation of the program's faculty:
\
\ Developed an awareness of how the following areas affect the student personally and how these areas affect the work situation:
\ A.        Personal appearance
\ B.        Work attitude and cooperation
\ C.        Punctuality
\ D.        Work initiative
\ E.        Patient/client awareness specifically involving appointments and or telephone conversations.

\

\ •           Discover several beneficial methods of scheduling patient appointments.

\

\ •           Develop proper telephone techniques in handling patient appointments, patient inquiries on insurance or statements, and other office procedures such as dealing with sales representatives, ordering statements, and other office procedures such as dealing with sales representatives, ordering supplies, etc.

\

\ •           Compare the different practicum sites as to checking patients in for their appointments and in checking the patient out after their appointment.

\

\ •           Perform the proper way to post charges and receipts.  If necessary to also correctly perform the duty of balancing the daily business transaction sheets, and if applicable to assist balancing the daily business transaction sheets, and if applicable to assist in any compiling of monthly office reports to the physician.
\
\ •           Cite the proper method of filing the patient's medical record.

\

\ •           Properly prepare any new patient charts and to assist in maintaining the correct order of the medical record.  This will include any filing that is done within the office setting.

\

\ •           Explain and correctly perform the necessary insurance form duties.  This will include any office coding that is to be done to complete the insurance form and to complete any insurance forms themselves in the proper manner.  Medical and dental forms should be assigned to this objective.

\

\ •           If applicable to keep and maintain any office disease and operation indexes.

\

\ •           If applicable, to assist in the sending of office statements.  This area should assist the student in developing an understanding of the proper way to handle past due accounts and any patient accounts that have been turned over to a credit collection agency.  Review should also follow for the student of Texas state law on release of patient information, etc.
\
\ •           If applicable, the student may observe any physician clinical work while seeing patients.

\

\ •           Properly prepare any necessary office transcription, this will include office progress notes, referring physician letters, patient correspondence and/or any other  business letter transactions.

\

\ •           Any other assigned duties that are specialized by practicum site

\

\  

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

Student Responsibility:

The student must notify:

•     The practicum supervisor of the practicum site and the program director for any reason for non-attendance by 8:00 a.m. of the day missed. 

You must speak directly to the practicum supervisor. If the student is unable to reach the practicum supervisor keep trying until you speak to her/him.  Do not leave a message on a machine.

The student will need to leave a voicemail message on the program director's office telephone and also send an email to the program director after contacting the practicum supervisor.   Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action by the program director.

•     All absences must be cleared and made-up prior to the end of the practicum assignment.  Failure to do so will result in the following grade of "F"

•     If a student has an accumulation of four (4) absences, the student’s final grade average will be lowered by one (1) letter grade.

•     There will be no practicum site assignment during the times that the college is not in session.  This will include holidays and the appropriate breaks during the summer semester. 

PRACTICUM CONDUCT:

All students are expected to exhibit a high degree of professionalism during their practicum session while at their respective practicum sites. 

The student will abide by all facility policies and will not cause any disruption of the patient care/office areas while in training. 

The practicum facility supervisor can suspend the student from the practicum site for "just cause" until corrective action has been taken by college/program officials. 

If a student is dismissed from the practicum site, the student MAY BE dismissed from the Medical Data Specialist program.

PRACTICUM SITE & HOURS:

Each student will be assigned to a practicum site by the course instructor.

This assignment is for the duration of the student's practicum training. 

Practicum hours will be announced at the beginning of the practicum assignment and will be adhered to by the student and facility. 

The student will complete 240 clock hours of practicum.

The student will have 8 weeks to complete the practicum.  

The student should plan to be at the practicum site a minimum of 25 hours per week. 

PRACTICUM DRESS CODE:

All students will be expected to arrive at the practicum site by presenting an appearance worthy of an Allied Health Professional.  This will involve the following areas:

1.         Clothing and shoes are to be neat and clean at all times.  No jeans, Capri pants, cut-offs, shorts, halter tops, mid-drift tops, t-shirts, sweats, tennis shoes, or boots  will be allowed.  Panty hose, nylon stockings, and dress socks must be worn (No bare legs).   If the facility has a jean day /causal day the student is to adhere to the syllabus dress code.  The only exception will be if the facility is closed to patients/physician not in the office and the facility is having a "clean up day".  

2.         Gaudy makeup will not be allowed.  No perfumes.   

3.         Jewelry should be kept to a minimum.  NO FACE JEWELRY ALLOWED.  NO TONGUE JEWELRY.

4.         Flamboyant hairstyles and nails will not be allowed.  Tattoos and hematomas  (‘hickeys”) should not be visible.  They must be covered if located on visible areas of the body.  Some practicum sites have specific hair/dress codes.  You will be expected to adhere to the practicum site dress code while in attendance. 

5.         Amarillo College Name tags should be worn at all times.

6.         The student may not wear scrubs, the student is not an employee of the practicum site.

Students who are in violation of any one of these codes will not be permitted to remain in the practicum site facility until the violation has been and is corrected.  Students will be expected to make-up the time to correct any violations.
 

Withdrawing from a Course:

It is the responsibility of the student to officially drop or withdraw from a course.  Failure to officially withdraw may result in the student receiving a grade of "F" in the course.  The student may obtain a withdrawal form from his academic advisor, the counseling center, or from the registrar's office on any campus.  The student may also withdraw from a course through Webadvisor. 

Students are not automatically dropped from their class roles as a result of nonattendance.

Student Grievance Proceudre:

A student who has a problem with the course or the course instructor should make every attempt to resolve the problem with the course instructor.  If that is not successful, the student may appeal the decision of the instructor to the Program Director, Dean of the Health Sciences Division, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the President - IN THAT ORDER.  Please refer to the current Amarillo College catalog for complete explanation of the grievance procedures.

Cellular Telephones & Pagers:

Cell phones are disruptive during class time.  Telephones must be turned off during class time / practicum with the exception of emergency personnel.  Cell phones must either be turned off or set to vibrate during class / practicum time.  Please notify the instructor in writing if you fall in this category, otherwise failure to comply will result in you being asked to leave class for that day.  You will still be responsible for the material covered during class / practicum.  If a student feels that there may be emergency during class time, leave the number of the student services office (371-5300) and they will contact the student immediately. 

Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty shall constitute a violation of the college rules & regulations & is punishable as prescribed by Amarillo College Board policies.  Academic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.  “Cheating on a test” shall include:

• Copying from another student’s test paper.
• Using test materials not authorized by the person administering the test.
• Collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test without permission from the test administrator/instructor

• Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of an administered/unadministered test

• Substituting for another student, or permitting another student to substitute for one’s self, to take a test.
• Bribing another person to obtain an administered/unadministered test or information about an administered/unadministered test.

“Plagiarism”shall be defined as the appropriating, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work. 

“Collusion” shall be defined as the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements.

 

 

 

Grading Criteria

Method of Instruction:      In-service (on the job) training; practicum.

Methods of Evaluation:    Completion of competency evaluation form by each practicum site supervisor.  (Grade will be assigned by program director by the following format).  Practicum evaluation, procedure manual, academic journal, and exit examination. 
 

EVALUATION METHOD: 

PRACTICUM COMPETENCY:

To assist the program director in determining a student's competency level in the practicum area, the practicum site supervisor will maintain a record of their assisted and unassisted procedures.  The student will be evaluated and graded by the practicum site supervisor.  The student will be able to discuss their practicum evaluation with the program director. 

The practicum evaluation is worth 50% of the student's final grade. 

POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL:

This is an accumulation of the student's classroom instruction and practicum site training. 
The outline included in the Administrative Procedures syllabus is to be strongly followed by the student when setting up this procedural manual. 
Material to be inserted shall not only come from the classroom but also from the practicum site and from the student's own intuition and assertiveness (i.e. using the internet). 
It will also include all handouts given to the student by the faculty during the classroom instruction. 
The policy & procedure manual will be GRADED. 
It should be neat, readable, and organized with tabs for the program director. 
A table of contents should be included in the front of the procedure manual. 
The procedure manual will be turned into the program director at the assigned time and will be returned to the student before the end of the semester. 
The major purpose of this practicum assignment is to provide the graduating student with a reference manual to use when the graduate enters the workforce. 
The procedure manual is worth 20% of the student's final grade.

Policy & Procedure Manual DUE to Program Director on July 13^th by 5:30pm

ACADEMIC JOURNAL:

A journal will be required to be kept by each practicum student during the time that they are assigned to a practicum site. 
This is not to be a diary but rather an assignment in the skill of critical thinking through writing. 
The student should have each entry dated and explain what the student was assigned in the practicum site for that day. 
Giving details of the assignment and what the practicum supervisor expected of the student and what the student learned from the assignment. 
The journal is to be typed. 
This journal is due on the last day of the practicum site assignment and will not be returned to the student. 
This journal is a mandatory assignment and failure to complete the assignment will result in a drop of one letter grade deduction in the overall grade for this course. 
The journal is worth 10% of the student’s final grade average.

EXIT EXAMINATIONS:

The student will be required to pass an Capstone Exit Examination during this course. 
The student will be allowed three (3) attempts to pass this exam. 
A grade of 70.0% or better is required. 
This will be a comprehensive examination consisting of all of the information presented within the Allied Health and Medical Data Specialist courses.
The exit examinations will be administered online.   
THERE WILL BE A 3 HOUR TIME LIMIT ON EACH EXIT EXAMINATION. 
The student will be required to take 2 of the 3 exit exams. 
If the student should fail the 1st and 2nd attempts then the student will be required to take the 3rd exit exam.

The student must have the necessary hardware and a dependable Internet provider to be successful with the on-line exit examination.  Be sure that you have the correct plug-ins and browser settings. 

See the AC Connect web site for more information or contact Student Help Center @ 371-5992 for assistance or you may call AskAC @ (806) 371-5000.

Hours for Student Help Center:  (Technical Help)
Monday through Thursday from 8:00am to 9:00pm. 
Fridays are from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

Hours for AskAC:
Monday – Thursday from 7:00am to 9:00pm.
Fridays are from 7:00am to 5:00pm.
Saturdays are from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

 If the student does not have a computer, the student may take the exit examination at the Lynn Library (Washington Street Campus) or any facility that has Internet access. 

The exit examination will be taken through AC Connect Online. 
The student will login through AC homepage. - www.actx.edu
The student will look for the course titled “Practicum”. 
The dates for the exam availability are listed at the end of the syllabus. 

If the student has trouble with their Internet provider in losing access to the Internet then go to another facility to take the exit examination.

REMEMBER:  The Capstone Exit Examination is a timed exam.  Once the exam has begun the time will continue to pass, even if your internet connection fails.

It would be in the best interest of the student to take the exit exam as early as possible. 
Students who wait until the last minute to complete the exam have frequently encountered problems and therefore have not completed the exam successfully.

THERE ARE NO MAKEUPS. 
IF A STUDENT MISSES THE SCHEDULED TIME FOR ONE OF THE EXIT EXAMS, THE STUDENT WILL RECEIVE A GRADE OF ZERO (0) FOR THAT EXAM. 
REMEMBER THE STUDENT WILL HAVE 3 ATTEMPTS TO PASS THE EXIT EXAM. 
THE BEST GRADE WILL BE RECORDED.

The Capstone Exit Examination will be worth 20% of the final grade. 

Practicum Evaluation          =       50% of the final grade     
Policy Procedure Manual    =       20% of the final grade
Capstone Exit Examination  =      20% of the final grade
Journal                                 =      10% of the final grade

Grades will be based on the following scale:
90.0 - 100      =          A
80.0 - 89.9     =          B
70.0 - 79.9     =          C
69.9 or less    =          F

If a student fails any part of this course, then the student must make arrangements with the program director to repeat the course in its entirety. 
No final grades will be rounded in this course.

 

 

 

Attendance

\ ATTENDANCE POLICY:

\

\ "Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement.  Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to attend class."  Any student who is chronically late to class or leaves early or is absent more than 3 times during the course may earn a failing final course grade. 
\
\ Medical Malpractice Insurance must be paid before the student can attend the practicum site.  This insurance is obtained at the time of registration for this practicum course.

Calendar

Additional Information

DATES OF IMPORTANCE:

May 26^th     Classes begin
July 7^th       Last Day to Withdraw or Drop course
July 16^th      Final day to complete Practicum