Allied Health (AH) Courses
AH 108 Introduction to Health Occupations
- Units:2
- Hours:36 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This course provides an introduction to the health care field and to the core foundational skills needed by all health care workers. Topics include types of health care delivery systems and careers, history and trends of health care, law and ethics pertaining to health care, personal qualities of health care workers, confidentiality and reportable incidents, and infection control and safety procedures for health care settings. Students will be introduced to research tools in the campus library and on the Internet. Students will use these tools to research health care careers and relate them to their own interests, values, and abilities. This course is open to all students wishing to explore the health care industry. A field trip to a local health care facility may be required.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- ASSESS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE AND EVOLUTION OF THE HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM (SLO #1)
- Differentiate between the various health care agencies and facilities, their delivery systems, organizational structure, and major services provided.
- COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT HEALTH CARE CAREERS (SLO #2)
- Evaluate their own interests and abilities and utilize various research resources to match these to potential health care careers.
- Demonstrate usage of reference materials in public and medical libraries (hard copy and Internet) to research health occupations.
- IDENTIFY AND APPLY LEGAL, ETHICAL AND INFECTION CONTROL PRINCIPLES TO COMMON SITUATIONS ENCOUNTERED IN THE HEALTH CARE SETTING (SLO #3)
- Identify and recognize the breadth and limitations within an occupational scope of practice.
- Understand the basic principles and procedures for controlling the spread of infections and promoting safety in the health care setting.
- EXAMINE THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, ATTITUDES, AND APPEARANCE OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS (SLO #4)
- Recognize the importance of cultural sensitivity and humility required of health care providers.
- Accurately spell and pronounce common medical terms and abbreviations used in health occupations.
- Adhere to professional appearance and behavioral standards expected of a health care worker
AH 120 Human Disease
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Corequisite:AH 311 (formerly AH 110) and BIOL 102 (Corequisites may be taken previously. BIOL 100 or 430/431 are also acceptable in lieu of BIOL 102)
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This course is a study of pathological processes imparting basic knowledge to paramedical personnel. The student will study the basic concepts, terminology, etiology and characteristics of pathological processes. Diseases are classified according to both causative agent and the body system to which they relate.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- EVALUATE THE BASIC CONCEPT AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DISEASE PROCESS IN THE HUMAN BODY – SLO #1
- Assess how the systems of the body work together to maintain health
- Examine the effects of disease on all related systems
- DISCUSS THE COMMON DISEASES OF EACH BODY SYSTEM - SLO #2
- Relate patient signs and/or symptoms to the potential disease process occurring within the body.
- Determine the possible etiology of a disease given the clinical manifestations
- Discuss diagnostic tools and potential treatment options for a given disease based on a patient's clinical history.
AH 124 Pharmacology for the Health Care Professional
- Units:2
- Hours:36 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This course introduces pharmacology, the knowledge of basic pharmacological terminology and concepts, administration, common generic and trade name medications, with an emphasis on the clinical application of pharmacology of the treatment of disease.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- ANALYZE AND DEFINE PHARMACOLOGICAL TERMS – SLO #1
- Demonstrate the correct spelling and pronunciation of commonly prescribed generic and proprietary drugs for each medical specialty
- Select the correct definition of various drug abbreviations
- Determine the correct definition of common terms used in pharmacology including routes of drug administration, drug interactions, adverse effects and reactions
- ASSESS COMMON MEDICATIONS AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF DRUGS USED TO TREAT MAJOR BODY SYSTEMS AND DISEASES – SLO #2
- Given the generic name of a commonly prescribed drug, select its proprietary name, drug category, and the disease it is used to treat
- Analyze healthcare records and correlate symptoms, diagnoses, and tests performed with drugs administered
- Master the use of a drug guide to locate and understand the effects and usage of pharmacological agents and the drug names including chemical name, brand name, and generic name
- Evaluate the process of approval of drugs for use in the United States
- Examine the principles of drug dosage and the interpretation of prescriptive terms
AH 295 Independent Studies in Allied Health
- Units:1 - 3
- Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
An independent studies project involves an individual student or small group of students in study, research, or activities beyond the scope of regularly offered courses. See the current catalog section of "Special Studies" for full details of Independent Studies.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- SLO #1: Actively engage in intellectual inquiry beyond that required in order to pass a course of study (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 4).
- Discuss and outline a proposal of study (that can be accomplished within one semester term) with a supervising instructor qualified within the discipline.
- Design an independent study (to be completed individually or by collaboration of a small group) to foster special knowledge, skills, and experience that are not available in any one regularly scheduled course.
- Use information resources to gather discipline-specific information.
- SLO #2: Utilize modes of analysis and critical thinking to apply theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study to significant problems and/or educational activities (College Wide Learning Outcome – Area 3).
- Analyze and apply the knowledge, skills and experience that are involved in the independent study to theoretical perspectives and/or concepts in the major discipline of study.
- Explain the importance of the major discipline of study in the broader picture of society.
- SLO #3: Communicate a complex understanding of content matter of the major discipline of study (College Wide Outcome – Area 3).
- Demonstrate competence in the skills essential to mastery of the major discipline of study that are necessary to accomplish the independent study.
- SLO #4: Identify personal goals and pursue these goals effectively (College Wide Outcome – Area 4).
- Utilize skills from the “academic tool kit” including time management, study skills, etc., to accomplish the independent study within one semester term.
AH 299 Experimental Offering in Allied Health
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This is the experimental courses description.
AH 311 Medical Language for Health-Care Providers
- Units:3
- Hours:54 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Transferable:CSU
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This course is an orientation to medical language: basic structure of medical terms and their components: prefixes, suffixes, roots, and combining forms with emphasis on analyzation, meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. The course builds a medical vocabulary applicable to the specialties of medicine, the systems of the body, names of major diseases, and terms used in physical examination, diagnosis, and treatment. This course was formerly known as AH 110.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- POSSESS A BASIC WORKABLE KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICAL VOCABULARY – SLO #1
- Utilize medical terms correctly as they apply to the systems of the body, anatomy, physiology, disease, diagnosis, and treatment
- Revise health care reports into clear, non-medical terms
- Define medical abbreviations and translate in to non-medical language.
- ANALYZE THE STRUCTURAL DESIGN OF MEDICAL TERMS - SLO #2
- Compose medical words with correct spelling and pronunciation
- Identify component parts of a medical word including prefixes, suffixes and combining forms.
AH 498 Work Experience in Allied Health
- Units:0.5 - 4
- Hours:27 - 216 hours LAB
- Prerequisite:None.
- Enrollment Limitation:Students must be in a paid or unpaid internship, volunteer position or job related to career goals in Allied Health.
- Transferable:CSU
- General Education:AA/AS Area III(b)
- Catalog Date:January 1, 2025
This course provides students with opportunities to develop marketable skills in preparation for employment in their major field of study or advancement within their career. It is designed for students interested in work experience and/or internships in transfer level degree occupational programs. Course content includes understanding the application of education to the workforce; completion of required forms which document the student's progress and hours spent at the work site; and developing workplace skills and competencies. Appropriate level learning objectives are established by the student and the employer. During the semester, the student is required to participate in a weekly orientation and complete 27 hours of related work experience for 0.5 unit. An additional 27 hours of related work experience is required for each additional 0.5 units. Students may take up to 16 units total across all Work Experience course offerings. This course may be taken up to four times when there are new or expanded learning objectives. Only one Work Experience course may be taken per semester.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- SLO #1 DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE BEHAVIOR IN A FIELD OF STUDY RELATED ONE’S CAREER.
- Understand the effects time, stress, and organizational management have on performance.
- Demonstrate an understanding of consistently practicing ethics and confidentiality in a workplace.
- Examine the career/life planning process and relate its relevance to the student.
- Demonstrate an understanding of basic communication tools and their appropriate use.
- Demonstrate an understanding of workplace etiquette.
- SLO #2 DESCRIBE THE CAREER/LIFE PLANNING PROCESS AND RELATE ITS RELEVANCY TO ONE'S CAREER.
- Link personal goals to long term achievement.
- Display an understanding of creating a professional first impression.
- Understand how networking is a powerful job search tool.
- Understand necessary elements of a résumé.
- Understand the importance of interview preparation.
- Identify how continual learning increases career success.
- SLO #3 DEMONSTRATE APPLICATION OF INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND THEORETICAL CONCEPTS AS WRITTEN IN LEARNING OBJECTIVES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EMPLOYER WORK SITE SUPERVISOR.