Medical Office Assistant Courses – Training and Certification

When you visit the doctor, there’s always someone at the front desk waiting to greet you and make sure the doctor is ready for your appointment. Sometimes this person will also check your weight, height or blood pressure. Who are they? They’re the medical office assistant. At Robertson, we offer a Medical Office Assistant diploma program to prepare you for a rewarding job in the medical field where you can make a difference in every patient’s medical experience. 

We’ll give you all the details on our program, the skills you’ll build throughout the program and career paths you can take after you graduate. 

 

What does a Medical Office Assistant do? 

The Medical Office Assistant is typically the first person a patient sees when they enter a doctor’s office, so it’s important for the person in this role to be friendly and welcoming. They have the power to influence the patient’s medical experience and make it a positive one. 

The Medical Office Assistant will check in patients and even perform minor clinical procedures like checking their weight, height, blood pressure or temperature. They also do a lot of behind-the-scenes work to ensure the clinic is running smoothly. These tasks range from scheduling appointments and organizing medical records to basic office accounting.

 

If you’d like a detailed rundown of their typical day-to-day, read this blog post. 

 

How is the program set up? 

Our Medical Office Assistant course is 44 weeks long and we offer multiple start dates throughout the year to accommodate your busy schedule. This course is available at our Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg or Online campuses.

There are two main areas of focus in the Medical Office Assistant course: administrative duties and clinical procedures. You’ll learn how to use computer software applications for medical offices, learn basic accounting and strengthen your keyboarding skills. You’ll also learn how to perform basic clinic procedures involving infection control, sterilization, and sanitation. 

Before you graduate, you’ll also get to experience a 4-week full-time practicum where you’ll work alongside medical professionals in an office setting. The practicum gives you a chance to apply the skills you learn firsthand in an industry environment and experience what it’s like to work in the field.

 

What are some of the courses you will take? 

You can find the full list of courses on our program page but we’ll go over some of the major ones: 

 

• Anatomy, Physiology & Medical Terminology 1 and 2 (200 hours total). These courses will give you a strong knowledge base so you can feel confident dealing with patients and performing the clinical part of your role. You will learn how to deconstruct medical terms and use them appropriately given the body’s structures, functions and diseases. This will help you read, understand and transcribe patient medical reports. 

 

 

• Medical Office Procedures (80 hours). During this course, you’ll learn the fundamental administrative and clinical responsibilities of your role. This can be everything from managing reception, scheduling appointments, office communication and accounting to sterilization and basic patient care. You’ll also learn how to communicate with patients to determine their needs and how to approach their specific medical situation. You’ll develop “book smarts” and tangible soft skills that will help you every day in your career.

 

 

• MS Office Applications (80 hours). Every day you’ll be working on some form of Microsoft application whether it’s Word, Excel or PowerPoint. This course will help you develop your skills so you can use these programs to manage files, create business communications and print documents for patients. It may seem like basic training but it’s incredibly important for this role.

 

 

• Medical Transcription (80 hours). There may be times a doctor will relay patient information to the Medical Office Assistant and it’s their job to transcribe that information accurately for office records. This course will teach you how to format a medical document and properly transcribe recordings. 

 

 

• Billing and Coding (60 hours). When a patient comes into a medical office, they will always be billed in some capacity, whether that’s directly or to an insurance provider. As a Medical Office Assistant, you’ll be responsible for making sure the proper party gets billed and the correct information is included. This course will also teach you the basics of medical coding, which involves assigning standard codes to medical conditions and procedures. These skills will help you read medical records and communicate effectively with the resident doctors.

 

 

• Customer Service (20 hours). This course is one of the most essential in this program. Since you are the first person that patients see when they enter the office, it’s up to you to create a welcoming environment where patients feel comfortable as they wait for medical assistance, an experience that can be stressful. This course will help you develop positive customer care approaches so you can form positive customer relationships with the patients that visit the office. 

 

 

Where could the Medical Office Assistant course take you in your career?

There are many career paths you could take with this program, including: 

• Medical Office Assistant
• Medical Receptionist 
• Medical Secretary
• Medical Administrative Assistant
• Patient Care Coordinator
• Medical Billing Clerk
• Health Care Assistant

 

In the first year after graduation, most students can expect to make anywhere from $22,000 to $54,000. To read more about career opportunities, check out this blog post. 

 

Why take this program? 

The Medical Office Assistant course can lead to an extremely meaningful career where you can truly make a difference and help others. You have the opportunity to shape the patient experience and provide support to other medical professionals. It’s this type of hard (and heart) work that we need in the medical field. 

 

If you’re interested in starting your career journey with Robertson, you can apply online and one of our Student Admissions Advisors will be in touch.