Do you enjoy working with others? Is the healthcare field a sector that interests you? Do you have excellent communication and interpersonal skills? If all of the above describe you, then you may just be tailored for a career as a medical office assistant.

Medical assistant schools are designed to create comprehensively trained graduates ready to enter the workforce. Successful graduates from this area of study will be eligible to achieve the CMAP- Certified Medical Assisting Professional designation, in addition to their diploma. A medical office assistant program prepares you to be fully qualified to work in a hands-on administrative and clinical support capacity in basically any medical field. These medical office assistants take part in a wide variety of healthcare industry tasks such as: patient reception and customer service; bed booking; OR booking; patient registration; patient scheduling; health information management; Basic dictation and transcription; patient filing methods and record keeping; supplies and inventory, correspondence, and mail processing; banking services and procedures; billing and collection procedures; coding and claims processing; patient positioning and draping; aseptic concepts and infection control; vital signs, CPR, and First Aid; clinical assistance with patient exams and patient education.

The qualities of a medical office assistant include someone who has excellent organizational and time-management skills. This is in addition to excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to confidentiality and integrity. An adequate level of physical health is also essential to meet the requirements of the program and of the prospective employment.

A sample of the courses for a medical assistant program would typically involve a list such as the following: Anatomy and Physiology of Body Systems; Basic Bookkeeping; Basic Medical Terminology and Introduction to Pharmacology; Career Vitals; Clinical placement; Clinical Procedures for medical office assistants; customer service; introduction to keyboarding; medical transcription; computers; internet; medical administrative procedures; Microsoft Word; Access; Excel and Outlook.

Graduates of this medical office assistant program are qualified to work in a wide variety of healthcare settings and occupations.

Job titles vary per location, but medical office assistant program graduates are an integral part of many healthcare settings, including:

Hospital Admitting/ER departments such as Patient Registration; Morgue; Ambulatory/Outpatient departments; Diagnostic Lab/X-Ray departments; Medical Finance and Administrative departments; OR Booking/Bed Booking; Health Records Department; Long Term and Extended Care departments; Physicians’ Offices; Clinics; Mental Healthcare and Allied Health Care Centres; Walk-In Care Centres; Daycare and Ambulatory Clinics; Complementary and Alternative Medicine Clinics; Chiropractic and Acupuncture Centres; Research facilities; Lab and X-Ray Clinics; Physio and Occupational Therapy Clinics; Group Homes and Community Living Societies; Medical Supply Companies; Insurance Companies; Wellness and Fitness Centres.

Consider a medical office assistant program for a rewarding career.