Medical Office Assistant

According to the United States Department of Labor, the health services sector will add over 4 million new jobs over the next ten years, and six of the ten fastest growing jobs in the economy at large will be in the healthcare industry. These trends offer a wide variety of opportunities both for entry-level job applicants and for those looking to advance their careers rapidly once hired. The Medical Office Assistant program provides users with training in general medical office procedures, including scheduling appointments, compiling and filing patient records, using a computer and other office equipment in a healthcare setting, and processing patients. It also provides techniques for telephone use and effective communication in the office and with patients. Users also receive instruction in basic anatomy, physiology, and the use of medical terminology, as well as an introduction to medical insurance basics and coding. The Profesiones sin Barreras™ Medical Office Assistant program consists of five multidisciplinary units. Each unit is composed of lessons that focus on specific areas of knowledge and skills that a student must master to be an effective entry-level medical office assistant.

Features

Unit One: Welcome to the Medical Workplace

This unit welcomes users to the program and orients them toward the modern medical workplace. A friendly introductory lesson addresses program basics and gives an overview of the course of study. The second lesson introduces the basics of entry-level employment in the healthcare field. The overall purpose of the unit is to make students aware of the objectives of the course and provide an introduction to the modern medical workplace. This unit is covered in 2 lessons and requires approximately 20 hours to complete.

Unit Two: Working with Patients

This unit focuses on the skills users will need to successfully welcome, process, and prepare patients for their consultation with the physician. This includes friendly, effective, and efficient interviewing of patients regarding their condition and medical history; effective handling of upset or emotional patients; and a thorough understanding of how to take and read a patient’s vital signs. This unit is covered in 2 lessons and requires approximately 25 hours to complete.

Unit Three: Healthcare Technical Skills

This unit introduces users to the technical skills they will use in their everyday tasks as a medical office assistant. This includes familiarity with and proficient use of basic office machines such as: computers, photocopiers, telephones, and fax machines. Users will also receive an introduction to the basic math skills they will need in order to carry out tasks like collecting payments and providing change. This unit is covered in 2 lessons and requires approximately 45 hours to complete.

Unit Four: Medical Terminology

This unit provides users with the basic knowledge of anatomy they need to work successfully in a medical office, as well as knowledge related to insurance and billing processes. This unit is covered in 2 lessons and requires approximately 35 hours to complete.

Unit Five: Managing Your Career

This unit focuses on the essential set of skills that an employee needs in order to succeed in the American workplace, irrespective of the particular industry. This unit also focuses on the process of searching, applying, and interviewing for a job as a medical office assistant. Emphasis is given to creating a professional appearance, writing an effective résumé, acquiring and using references, and approaching the job search process positively and without anxiety. This unit is covered in 2 lessons and requires approximately 20 hours to complete