Medical Office Assistant

Medical Office Assistant Program Director and Instructor, Dr. Jose Vila talks about the Medical Office Assistant Program at COT...

About the Medical Office Assistant Certificate Program

To see Chicago employment opportunities for Medical Office Assistants, click here.
To see the Medical Office Assistant Program curriculum and courses click here.

In recent years medical office assistants have become indispensable to the healthcare field. Health care providers have become more reliant on medical office assistants. The objective of the Medical Office Assistant Certificate Program is to provide graduates with the skills and knowledge that will enable them to qualify for entry-level positions as medical office assistants. The Medical Office Assistant training program covers various medical office responsibilities, including medical billing and coding, answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing medical records, completion of insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and accounts receivable billing and bookkeeping.

The Medical Office Assisting Program at the College of Office Technology provides students with the skills and knowledge to find employment in a hospital, doctor's office, or clinic. Along with learning the basic office tasks used in medical offices, students also learn medical billing and coding skills, qualifying them for higher salaries in a Medical Billing and Coding career. In just months of training, students can take advantage of the promising career opportunities that the skills acquired in the Medical Office Assistant Program will provide. This program prepares students to become a certified medical office assistant.

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Medical Office Assistant Training at COT

Our goal is to provide the student with the skills and training needed to become an outstanding Medical Office Assistant in several months. After our training is complete, the graduate knows how to manage the business activities in a medical clinic, and how to handle routine patient activities.

Because COT is a modern career college, our training matches the needs of the medical office. Our Medical Office Assistant course gives students the classroom, computer and hands-on training that the medical industry is looking for.

On the classroom side...

Students learn information that will make them conversant in a medical environment, and it will help them understand what the patients need. The students are instructed in fundamental anatomy, medical terminology, ethics and more.
The Medical Office Assistant Program covers various medical office responsibilities, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing medical records, completion of insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and accounts receivable billing and bookkeeping.

At the computer...

At COT, students develop strong computer skills. Students learn the applications that are widely used in medical settings, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and medical insurance and appointment scheduling software. All of this is a key reason so many of our graduates are in high demand. Simply put, COT's computer training matches the technological needs of medical offices.

On the hands-on side...

In the clinical laboratory, students learn a variety of basic medical procedures, including taking vital signs, first aid, CPR, and taking specimens. Also, the student learns how to follow the instruction of higher personnel when working in a clinical setting.

Insurance, Billing & Coding...

Insurance is a major part of the medical industry, and the Medical Office Assistant has many responsibilities here. The tasks range from filling out insurance forms, to billing the insurance company, to talking on the phone with insurance representatives, and the tasks do not stop there. The ongoing mission is to make the entire insurance payment process run smoothly, and that requires a great deal of skills training. COT has long recognized this need, and our instructors provide outstanding Insurance, Billing & Coding instruction. As a result, COT's Medical Office Assistants are well-trained to take on the insurance billing and coding duties in a medical practice.

Externship...

COT's Medical Office Assistant training can include an externship at an off-campus medical environment.

What Medical Office Assistants do

The Medical Office Assistant title is three accurate words:
Medical: This entry-level career is in the healthcare industry.
Office: Activities take place primarily on the organization side of the healthcare institution - the duties are mostly administrative, secretarial, and office-related. The Medical Office Assistant also has routine patient care responsibilities.
Assistant: The Medical Office Assistant has a trusted support role in the healthcare environment. Physicians, nurses and other staff members rely on the Medical Office Assistant every minute of every day.

When patients walk through the doors of a medical office, the Medical Office Assistant is the first person they meet. The Medical Office Assistant greets the patient with a friendly welcome, and the Medical Office Assistant takes care of all the patient's needs prior to the doctor's arrival in the examining room. As the patient signs in, the Medical Office Assistant already knows a lot pertaining to that appointment.

In the examining room, the Medical Office Assistant checks the patient's vitals: height, weight, blood pressure, pulse and so forth. The Medical Office Assistant enters this information into the patient's chart. The doctor receives the chart and examines the patient, and the Medical Office Assistant may assist here.

And all this time, all day long, the phone is ringing, and many activities are going on. And, the Medical Office Assistant is being seen by everyone, because this is a high-profile position.

Certifications for Medical Office Assistants

A COT Medical Office Assistant student receives training to prepare for the following certification exams:

• Medical Office Assistant Certification Exam
• Certified Insurance and Coding Specialist Exam

Who should become a Medical Office Assistant?

In the medical office, everyone always turns to the Medical Office Assistant to accomplish the day-to-day activities. To be a great Medical Office Assistant, a person should be well-organized and a multi-tasker - someone who can manage many activities simultaneously.

Friendliness is also key. A patient is in a medical office for help, and this can be a sensitive time for that patient. A kindly smile from the Medical Office Assistant helps put the patient into the right spirit, and that is one of the Medical Office Assistant's lesser known goals: Trying to have the patients in a pleasant mood. Therefore, the Medical Office Assistant position is right for a person who can be joyful most of the time. In short, someone should be a "people person."

Also, the technical equipment changes often - as do the procedures pertaining to equipment -- and the Medical Office Assistant is expected to learn everything. Often, the Medical Office Assistant leads the office into the new technology.

One of the most important qualities of the successful Medical Office Assistant is energy. The energetic Medical Office Assistant makes all the difference and helps more patients make more progress.

Another important characteristic is for the person to be responsible. These future Medical Office Assistant professionals already know how to manage lives, because they already help their children, elderly family members, themselves and their households. They understand the sacrifices that need to be made in order to be responsible, the medical field wants these people.

Here is perhaps the most important quality: The medical field is looking for people with outstanding character. A Medical Office Assistant is entrusted with patient information and much else, so the right Medical Office Assistant is moral, ethical and discreet.

Contact us

Anyone who wants to learn more about COT's Medical Office Assistant training can call us at 800-953-6161. Also, people are always welcome to stop in and meet with our admissions professionals. That first meeting could lead to a career as one of the Chicago area's top Medical Office Assistants. Request more information.