Medical Office Assistant / Unit Clerk / Medical Transcription Program

Medical Office Assistant / Unit Clerk / Medical Transcriptionist works with doctor’s offices, hospitals, medical or surgical clinics, pharmaceutical companies, government health agencies and a variety of other medical office settings.

Overview

They are integral members of the health care delivery team and perform many administrative and some basic clinical procedures. The Medical Office Assistant / Unit Clerk / Medical Transcriptionist primary duties may require them to –

collaborate with all members of the health care team;
promote safety, work in a safe manner, practice universal precautions and maintain a clean working environment;
schedule and confirm medical/surgical appointments, receive and communicate messages for doctors and patients;
type medical records, reports, case history and correspondence from handwritten notes and machine dictation;
interview patients to complete forms, documents and case histories;
complete insurance and other job claim forms;
initiate and maintain confidential medical files and records;
prepare financial statements and handle billing procedures;
plan and initiate procedural set up including those required for patient preparation and maintenance of supplies and equipment;
assist with simple diagnostic procedures as required; and,
perform other general office work as required.

Course Outline Summary

Course Number	Course TItle	Current Total Hours	Current Credits
1	Duties and Responsibilities of Medical Office Assistant, Health Unit Clerk and Medical Transcriptionist	30	2
2	Human Anatomy and Physiology	90	6
3	Medical Terminology	60	4
4	Medical Documentation	50	3
5	Admission/Discharge/Transfer	20	1
6	Scheduling and Medical Billing	80	5
7	Medical Transcription	80	5
8	Hospital and Medical Office Skills and Procedures	40	2.5
9	Basic Office Computer Skills	40	2.5
10	Medical Laboratory	60	4
11	Clinical Practicum (Medical Office/Clinic & Hospital Unit)	320	10
	Total	870	45

Program Admission Criteria

Grade 11 – English Language Arts, or
IELTS – Level 6, or
Duolingo with a minimum score of 95, and
High school or Post-Secondary Transcripts with official translations if not in English.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Medical Office Assistant program can find employment in general/family practices, dental offices, medical specialists’ offices, clinics, chiropractor/physiotherapy / podiatrist practices, diagnostic imaging clinics, senior/nursing homes and various hospital department. Medical Office Assistants are an important part of the health care system delivering administrative and basic clinical services. Relevant positions include:

Medical/Dental Receptionist
Medical/Health Office Assistant
Medical/Health Office Manager
Dental Office Assistant
Medical Transcriptionist
Hospital Patient Registration Clerk
Ward Clerk
Medical Billing Clerk / Secretary
Administrator in Government Health Agencies
Medical Office Assistants

According to the 2015 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey, Albertans in this occupational group earned on average $24.00 to $29.88 an hour. The overall average was $27.92 an hour.