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2019 Fall Trimester

Admission Information

Admission to the Medical Assisting Program

Northwestern admits students of good character and health who are qualified by previous education and experience to meet its academic challenges and to become practicing healthcare professionals.

Applications for admission, as well as current tuition and fees, are available online at www.nwhealth.edu or they may be obtained by contacting the Office of Admissions. The application for admission must be accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee of $50. It is the responsibility of the applicant to read this catalog and comply with all provisions and instructions.

New students are admitted at the beginning of each trimester of the academic year in January, May and September.

Persons who have been convicted of a misdemeanor of a violent or sexual nature or any felony will be prohibited from professional health care practice in many jurisdictions. Northwestern Health Sciences University will deny admission to applicants with such convictions. The University therefore reserves the right to conduct a criminal background check on all applicants and enrolled students.

Entrance Requirements

In addition to meeting the qualifications of a student of the College of Health and Wellness, applicants must meet the following admission requirements for the medical assisting program:

  • High school diploma or a General Education Development diploma (GED)
  • Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher
  • Personal essay
  • Application submission
  • Meeting with Program Chair
  • Pass a criminal background check

Qualifications

A student must possess the following abilities, with or without reasonable accommodation, for the completion of the medical assistant program:

The Medical Assistant must have sufficient strength, motor coordination, and manual dexterity to:

  • Stand and walk for extended periods of time
  • Transport, move, and transfer patients from a wheelchair to exam table or bathroom
  • Lift, move, or pull 50 pounds

The Medical Assistant must have sufficient eyesight to:

  • Read charts and labels
  • Distinguish colors

The Medical Assistant must have the mental and intellectual capacity to:

  • Read and follow directions
  • Write without grammatical or spelling errors
  • Calculate simple mathematical equations
  • Read and evaluate medical orders and charts
  • Prioritize assignments

The Medical Assistant must be capable of:

  • Handling stressful situations related to technical and procedural standards
  • Providing physical and emotional support to patients and family members
  • Responding to situations requiring first aid or emergency care
  • Taking directions from several individuals
  • Communicating effectively with physicians, co-workers, patients, and family members
  • Maintaining confidentiality
  • Flexibility in daily routines
  • Performing tasks that may be personally distasteful

All students, with or without reasonable accommodation, must carry our laboratory and clinical assignments. Qualified persons with disabilities, with or without reasonable accommodation, must be able to pass oral, written and practical examinations and meet all of the clinical requirements of the University. 

It is in the best interests of both the student and the University to assess the degree of limitation caused by disability. However, the University will make the final determination of whether or not an individual meets all qualifications for study at the University.

The University accommodations process is found under “Student Life.” Additionally, questions regarding qualifications or accommodations should be directed to the Office of Student Affairs.

Selection of Candidates

The Admissions Committee seeks to matriculate students who best suit the philosophies and goals of the University. Northwestern seeks to select students who have strong academic records. The university employs a rolling admissions process. Therefore, early application could increase the applicant’s probability for acceptance. The University encourages campus visits for all applications and reserves the right to require an interview.

Tuition Deposit Policy

Applicants will be notified in writing of the Admissions Committee’s decision regarding their application following receipt of all application materials and committee review. Upon notification of acceptance, a candidate must remit a tuition deposit of $100 to reserve a position in the entering class. This tuition deposit is non-refundable but is applied toward the first trimester tuition. If the student has a loan in progress for the first trimester at Northwestern, then the first trimester tuition will be credited against this loan. It is important to note that because of the limited space available in each class, scheduling priorities and the cost of education, the institutional refund policy does not apply to the $100 tuition deposit.

Transfer Students and Transfer Policy

Requests for transfer credit will be considered based on the following criteria:

  1. An official transcript must accompany any request for transfer credit;
  2. The institution where technical/core coursework was completed must be accredited by CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) and general education coursework must be completed from an institution recognized by the United States Department of Education;
  3. The course(s) completed at the other institution must have similar objectives and be of similar content and length as the course(s) being substituted. A course catalog and/or syllabus may be required to demonstrate course content;
  4. Students must have earned a C or better in any course being considered for transfer;
  5. A minimum of 25% of the technical/core curriculum must be completed at NWHSU;
  6. Students must demonstrate competence in the course learning outcomes for any transferred course in the technical/core curriculum;
  7. Requests for transfer credit will only be considered prior to matriculation into the program;
  8. Coursework submitted for transfer towards technical/core curriculum requirements, excluding general education coursework, must have been completed within five years of the date that a transfer application is submitted to the University;
  9. The final decision regarding transfer credit rests with the Dean of the College of Health and Wellness.

Payment

All tuition and fee payments are due by the last day of the month a trimester begins (a trimester starting September 1st will have a due date of September 30th). All tuition and fees owed by a student must be paid in full before registration begins for the subsequent academic term or s/he will not be allowed to register. Any student with a balance due at the time of graduation will not receive a diploma and copies of the official transcripts will be withheld until the balance is paid in full. Any changes to your course load – for example, adding or dropping a course – may increase or decrease your tuition.

Student Statements are generally produced after registration is completed and financial aid has been applied to a student account. Unclaimed statements will be mailed to the students address.  Statements can be run upon request, at any time.

Non-Program Students

Students not currently admitted to a program may enroll in a course for credit, if they meet the prerequisites, space is available and approval for attendance in the course has been granted by the course instructor and the Dean.

Students that are granted approval to enroll in a course should contact the Office of Admissions for a special application and registration instructions.