What is a Clinical Office Assistant Career Diploma Program?
The Clinical office certificate program prepares your for a career assisting in the office of a medical doctor or in other medical settings that require personnel to handle, receive and prepare patients, maintain schedules for appointments and surgeries, record patient data, maintain medical history files, sterilize instruments, manage equipment upkeep, or perform some of the more routine laboratory tests and basic medical tasks. Interacting with patients is a large part of the Clinical Office Assistant's job. A good certificate program will prepare you to perform more office oriented duties also, such as answering telephone calls, handling mail, completing insurance forms, registering and scheduling patients, transcribing medical dictation, and other tasks native to the front office.
Skills Acquired
Among the skills you will acquire in a diploma program for Clinical Office Assistance, are the effective use of medical terminology, which includes correct spelling, pronunciation and usage. Also, you'll develop the ability to evaluate cases and situations for the purpose of applying office procedures and administrative priorities. You'll get up to speed on the latest in medical insurance billing and coding procedures, and gain proficiency with computer operations and applications necessary for effective patient care and office administration. Since everyone needs medical care, a good program should train you in cultural sensitivity and give you an understanding of all of the different ways in which multiculturalism applies in the health care field. Finally, a program in Clinical Office Assisting should teach you clear communication, critical thinking skills and a basic understanding of technologies like computers and medical and office software, all of which will be essential in gaining entry level employment in the field.
Coursework in a Clinical Office Assistant diploma program may include:
- Clinical Procedures
- Medical Terminology
- Coding and Billing Career Preparation
- Office Procedures
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Clinical Documents
- Clinical Software
- Laboratory Procedures
- Word Processing
- Introduction to Computers
Career Outlook and Salary Information
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), office assistant jobs in general are on the decline, but this should be offset by the fact that the health care field is experiencing rapid growth and all health related job opportunities are on the upswing. A scan of employment websites with job opportunities in the clinical office field shows that entry-level employment for clinical office assistants start at about $9 per hour.
