Medical Office Assistant
So you want to run or manage a medical office, that’s why you are considering the medical office assistant position. Well, becoming a medical office assistant is not a simple endeavor. The position does not only entail simply managing the office, but it also involves a lot of tasks and responsibilities that you might think beyond the scope of your job, like assisting the doctors in clinical and laboratory procedures.
The medical office assistants basically handle administrative matters. They are also known as medical administrative assistants, and although they sometimes deal with some clinical test and procedures, most of their works are limited not beyond the corners of a medical office. Some of the basic duties assigned to medical office assistants are the following:
* Planning and scheduling appointments with patients.
* Managing projects.
* Organizing and filing electronic and paper files.
* Preparing some sorts of correspondence, either by mail or phone.
* Dissemination of information by email, fax, or phone.
There are a lot more tasks entrusted to the medical office assistants. Usually, the task begins early in the morning with the office assistant greeting patients, accommodating them and preparing them for the tests or treatments. It is also usual for the medical office assistant to sort out patient files and manage the files in order for easy access. Aside from that, the medical office assistant may do billing and coding procedures, banking and payroll, keep inventory reports and other medical records, complete insurance forms, and order medical and office supplies. To put it simply, the medical office assistants are the ones who keep the office running smoothly.
With all the tasks and responsibilities entrusted to the medical office assistants, people who are thinking of considering the job are highly encouraged to undergo a formal training, although this is not necessarily required. Well, the good reason for this preference is that there’s nothing better than knowing what is really behind the position. It’s good to know the nature of medical office assisting and what lies beyond this profession. So if you are the type who wants to learn more about the profession, then there’s no reason for you not consider a medical office assistant training program. After al, a lot of medical assistant training programs are available for you to choose from.
Most of the medical assistant training programs usually cover areas of studies dealing with the office procedures, time management, medical transcription, medical terminology, word processing and keyboarding, bookkeeping, manual and computer medical billing. All of these are taught in accordance to the medical protocols and standards maintained in the medical field. The training would also include externships which are often considered at doctor’s offices, clinics, pharmacies, and other medical facilities. This externship is usually considered to prepare the aspiring medical office assistant to the actual practice.