Medical Office Assistant

Program Description

This 336-hour Medical Office Assistant (MOA) program prepares students for administrative and clinical duties of an office assistant in a medical office or clinical environment. Students will acquire skills to communicate accurately and professionally with medical professionals and patients, demonstrate knowledge of office procedures and time management, apply medical terminology throughout the program, obtain a good understanding on the use of computers in the office environment, perform computerized medical billing tasks, apply medical office guidelines and standards, and gain real-world experience through a practicum. Students will also learn about medical/legal aspects of the healthcare industry.

Career Occupation (if applicable)

Medical Office Assistant, Doctor’s Assistant, Medial Clerk

Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent, or 19 years of age and out of secondary school for at least one year as of the first day of classes.

English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.

Applicants must provide evidence of a negative tuberculin test, taken no more than six months before the date of application (or evidence of an appropriate follow-up if the test was positive).

A criminal record check clearance from the B.C. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General’s Criminal Records Review Office.

English Language Proficiency Admission Requirements

Evidence that 3 years of full-time secondary school (Grades 8-12) has been completed in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages.

Evidence of post-secondary education completed in English in a country where English is one of the principal languages.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic: Minimum overall score of 5.5.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT: Overall score of 46

Canadian Language Benchmark Placement Test (CLB PT): Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5 and Writing 5

Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP): Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5 and Writing 5

Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL): Overall Score of 40

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:

Perform medical office tasks, including scheduling appointments, and documenting and maintaining medical records, while maintaining confidentiality, managing time effectively, showing professionalism and being ethical.
Assist physicians and prepare patients for examinations, clinical procedures, and tests.
Manage the input and retrieval of data using electronic medical record software.
Prepare bills for visits, supplementary items, and diagnostic procedures carried out in a medical office, a hospital, or home as dictated by the Medical Services Plan (MSP) of British Columbia.
Create professional medical documents, letters, and emails that are respectful to the recipients and contain proper paragraphs, proper sentence structure, correctly spelled words and abbreviations, and correct grammar.
Transcribe medical dictation in the correct format for medical letters, chart notes, history and physical reports, discharge summaries, operative and pathology reports, and miscellaneous medical reports.
Apply critical thinking and problem solving techniques to resolve issues that can be found in a medical office.
Demonstrate effective communication, interpersonal, and team skills in all work duties, where communication skills require clear spoken and written English, correct medical terminology, accurate spelling, and correct grammar.
Demonstrate fluid computer literacy in Microsoft Office software.
Name the organs, define the medical terminology, and describe the functions, the common disease processes, and symptoms that are associated with major body systems.

Additional Information

Method(s) of Evaluation*

Quizzes, Assignments, Midterms, Final Exams, Case Studies.

Completion Requirements*

Students must pass the practicum and attain a minimum grade of 70% in each of the other courses in the program.

Delivery Method(s)

Indicate how the program is delivered:

In-class instruction: 100% hours of instruction delivered in a classroom or other setting, where instructors share the same physical space as students.

Distance education: 100% hours of instruction, excluding work experience hours, if applicable, delivered remotely from a BC location.

If distance or combined delivery is indicated, the online components are:

Synchronous: Meaning students attend classes virtually in ‘real time’ with instructors and classmates.

Required course materials

The Language of Medicine, 12th Ediition, Author: Davi-Ellen Chabner ISN: 978-0-323-37081-3

Medical Transcription, Techniques and Procedures, Most Current Edition, Author: Marcy O. Diehl

Canadian Medical Transcription, Authors: Lynn Berry, Deobrah Janssens, Eugenia Kanellakos and Kathy Weatherdon

Text book: Clinical Procedures for Medical Assistants, Tenth Edition, Author Kathy Bonewit-West.

Program Organization*

Key Information

Start Date: 20 January 2025
End Date: 12 May 2025
Program Duration: 192 Hours | 16 Weeks
Homework Hours: 40 Hours
Total Tuition Fee: $2,500
Delivery Method(s): In-class instruction + Distance education