Make a difference in the lives of others! Be part of an established, expanding career field that will help build a healthier future for San Diego!<br />
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San Diego State University's College of Extended Studies can help you launch or advance your health care career. According to the Department of Labor, 18% of today's 30 fastest growing occupations are in the health care industry. New health care jobs are being created at a rate of 3.5% per year.
<strong>Program Features</strong>
<ul>
<li>Learning programs are fast, skill-based, and hands-on</li>
<li>We offer online or classroom opportunities for careers</li>
<li>Competition for top talent is intense</li>
<li>Upgrade skills, cross-train</li>
<li>A <a href="/Pages/Engine.aspx?id=555">Military Spouse</a> and <a href="/Pages/Engine.aspx?id=550">Workforce Partnership</a> approved program</li>
</ul>
<strong>Where the jobs are:</strong> doctor and dental offices and clinics, hospitals, emergency care centers, outpatient care facilities, medical laboratory and testing services, medical research services, community care facilities for the elderly, home health care, and sports medicine clinics.<br />
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<strong>Location of Classes</strong><br />
SDSU Extended Studies/Gateway Centers, Hardy Avenue entrance, unless otherwise noted.<br />
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Approved Board of Behavioral Science Continuing Education Provider for CEUs. For more information on CEUs, see <a href="/Pages/Engine.aspx?id=64#ceus">Registration Information/CEUs.</a>
Find Available Courses
Course Descriptions
Medical Billing and Coding
This 70-hour billing and coding course offers the skills needed to solve insurance billing problems. Learn how to manually file claims using the CPT and ICD-9 manual, complete common insurance forms, trace delinquent claims, appeal denied claims, and use generic forms to streamline billing procedures. The course covers CPT (introduction, guidelines, evaluation and management), specialty fields such as surgery, radiology, and laboratory; and ICD-9 introduction and guidelines.<br><br>
>> <a href="/pdfs/health/billing.pdf" target="_blank" title="You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF">Medical Billing and Coding Course Information</a><br><br>
<b>SDSU Research Foundation Program</b>
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Pharmacy Technician
This comprehensive 50-hour course will prepare students to enter the pharmacy field and to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Boards PTCB exam. Technicians work in hospitals, home infusion pharmacies, and community pharmacies, working under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Content includes medical terminology specific to the pharmacy, interpreting prescriptions and defining drugs by generic and brand names, dosage calculations, I.V. flow rates, drug compounding, dose conversions, dispensing of prescriptions, and inventory control.<br><br>
>> <a href="/pdfs/health/pharmacy.pdf" target="_blank" title="You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF">Pharmacy Technician Course Information</a><br><br>
<b>SDSU Research Foundation Program</b>
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Administrative Medical Assistant
This 50-hour course prepares students to function effectively in many of the administrative and clerical positions in the health care industry. Medical administrative assistants, medical secretary, and medical records clerks are all positions in great demand. This program covers important background information on the medical assisting profession and interpersonal skills, medical ethics and law, medical terminology, basics of insurance billing and coding, telephone techniques, scheduling appointments, medical records management and management of practice finances. This program is intended to provide students with a well-rounded introduction to medical administration so that they can gain the necessary skills required to obtain an administrative medical assistant position. Note: this program does not include a national or state certification as part of its overall objectives. <br><br>
<b>SDSU Research Foundation Program</br>
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EKG Technician Certification
This comprehensive 50-hour program prepares students to function as EKG technicians and to take the American Society of Phlebotomy Technician (ASPT) Electrocardiograph (EKG) Technician exam and other national certification exams. This course will include important practice and background information on anatomy of the heart, physiology, medical disease processes, medical terminology, medical ethics, legal aspects of patient contact, laboratory assisting, electrocardiography, and echocardiography.<br><br>
>> <a href="/pdfs/health/ekg.pdf" target="_blank" title="You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF">EKG Technician Course Information</a><br><br>
<b>SDSU Research Foundation Program</b>
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Dental Assisting
The 60-hour Dental Assisting Program prepares students for entry level positions in one of the fastest growing health care positions – dental assisting. The purpose of this course is to familiarize the student with all areas of pre-clinical dental assisting and provide training in the professional skills required to function as an assistant in the dental practice. This course covers the following key areas and topics. Administrative aspects include: the history of dentistry and dental assisting; introduction to the dental office; the legal aspects of dentistry; policies and guidelines. Clinical aspects include: introduction to oral anatomy; dental operations; dental equipment, introduction to tooth structure; primary and permanent teeth; the oral cavity and related structures; proper patient positioning; dental hand-pieces; sterilization; and other areas. In addition to entry-level administrative jobs, this course is ideal for students interested in pursuing a future formal dental hygienist program. There is no state or national certification objective with this course.<br><br>
<b>SDSU Research Foundation Program</b>
Find Available Sections