Allied Health (AH) Courses
AH 108 Introduction to Health Occupations
- Units:2
- Hours:36 hours LEC
- Prerequisite:None.
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
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:August 1, 2026
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:August 1, 2026
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:August 1, 2026
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:August 1, 2026
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:August 1, 2026
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:Before students can enroll or participate in the Work Experience program, Los Rios Community College District must have a signed Employer Agreement on file with the student’s worksite. If the employer already has an active agreement with the district (viewable at losrios.edu/wexpemployeragreement), no further action is required. In addition, students must have a paid or unpaid internship, volunteer position, or job that aligns with their career goals in the field of Allied Health and a cooperating worksite supervisor who will sign all required course documents. High School students are not permitted to enroll in Work Experience courses.
- Transferable:CSU
- General Education:Local GE L7B (effective Summer 2026)
- Catalog Date:August 1, 2026
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 new or expanded learning objectives are introduced. Only one Work Experience course may be taken per semester.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- SLO #1: Demonstrate Professional Growth through the Application of Industry Knowledge
- Reflect on personal strengths, areas for growth, and career goals while applying industry-specific knowledge and theoretical concepts in professional settings, and develop realistic career goals based on feedback.
- Collaborate with supervisors to evaluate performance, seek feedback, and build professional relationships that support ongoing career development and continuous learning.
- SLO #2: Analyze and Apply Critical Thinking to Solve Problems
- Analyze workplace challenges using information from multiple sources, communicate findings and reasoning effectively, evaluate potential solutions using logical reasoning, and integrate diverse cultural and personal perspectives into decision-making.
- SLO #3: Advocate for Equity and Inclusion
- Recognize and describe diverse identities and experiences in the workplace, communicate respectfully across perspectives, analyze examples of inclusion and exclusion, and contribute to equitable environments by incorporating multiple cultural viewpoints.
- SLO #4: Exhibit Effective Leadership and Teamwork
- Identify and leverage team strengths, support and motivate peers toward shared goals, communicate effectively in collaborative settings, respond constructively to feedback, and plan and manage small-scale projects or tasks.
- SLO #5: Model Professionalism and Ethical Behavior
- Demonstrate reliability, accountability, and integrity by maintaining attention to detail, being prepared, aligning behavior with organizational and ethical standards, and communicating professionally with colleagues and stakeholders.
- SLO #6: Collaborate Effectively in Diverse Teams
- Work effectively with diverse team members by communicating clearly, respecting differing perspectives, resolving conflicts constructively, and assuming responsibility for assigned tasks.
- SLO #7: Apply Technology and Industry Knowledge Competently
- Select and ethically utilize appropriate technologies, communicate technical and industry-specific knowledge effectively, adapt to emerging digital tools, and apply ethical standards to evaluate and complete tasks in professional settings.
