This summer, the morning Medical Assistant and Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration classes at Ross Medical Education Center in Port Huron participated in a mock trial. The medical assistant students utilized time during their module to research trials and present a case.
This is the second time the classes have collaborated in a mock trial to enhance their understanding of medical law and ethics and to refine their communication skills. Each of these topics is part of module one for the Medical Assistant & Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration programs, so it worked well to bring them together.
For the mock trial, each Medical assistant student was randomly assigned a role in the trial. This method was used to also decide who would be the judge, attorneys, plaintiff, defendant, court reporter, and bailiff. The Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration students acted as jurors.
The case involved a 43 year old breast cancer patient who was receiving chemotherapy at dose administered 80% higher than the standard. Both sides gave their cases, including testimonies from the plaintiff, the wound care doctor, the defendant, and the medical assistant. In the end, the jury sided with the defendant. They stated that the charges were brought against the wrong doctor and that the defendant wasn’t entirely at fault.
The students did an excellent job presenting their case. It was evident that a lot of time and research went into the process. Mrs. Wilczynski, the Administration Instructor in the Medical Assistant program, commented on what a great time the students had working on this project, “many students put in extra hours after their regular class session to prepare. It’s fun to see how much they learn from the whole mock trial.” Mrs. Jobbitt, Clinical Medical Assistant Instructor also added that “during deliberation, the Jury was very much involved in the process and the outcome. It was a great learning experience for everyone involved.” The instructors were impressed with the time and effort put into this activity as well as the medical expertise exhibited by students in the trial.