Medical Office Administration/Ward Clerk Dartmouth Campus | Sydney Campus |

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Earn Your Medical Office Administration/Ward Clerk Diploma

The Medical Office Administration program will prepare individuals to work in a Medical Office, or in a clinic or hospital setting as a Ward Clerk. Students will receive instruction in filing systems for the medical office, medical transcription, pharmacology, booking clients through computerized appointments systems, keyboarding techniques, medical billing systems, record processing, basic computer skills, and Microsoft Office applications (Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Excel). Additionally, students will gain knowledge and skills in business communications, web design, and marketing.

Students will receive plenty of hands-on experience and in-depth working knowledge of how busy medical offices function. Upon completion of this program, successful graduates will be ready to start work in most professional medical offices with a sound knowledge of the filing system, medical transcription, computerized appointment booking, the billing system, and the importance of record-keeping. This is an intensive program where individuals will graduate being ready to handle the day-to-day operations of a busy medical practice!

Is the Medical Office Administration/Ward Clerk program right for you?

The Medical Office Administration/Ward Clerk program is an excellent fit for:

  • Someone who is caring works well in a team atmosphere and is passionate about helping others
  • A mature student who has previous job experience, and is looking to enhance and develop new or existing skills that are relevant in today’s job market
  • A recent graduate who wants to specialize in an emerging and in-demand health field
  • Someone who wants to fast-track to a new and exciting career in healthcare
  • Anyone interested in practical training through hospital administration, medical administration, medical office assistant, and medical billing courses

Dartmouth total program length: 46 weeks (including practicum)

Sydney total program length: 28 weeks (including practicum)

admission requirements

Standard Admissions Policy:

  • Grade 12 or GED
  • Admissions Interview

Alternate Admissions Policy:

  • Achieve a level 14 on Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE)
  • Admissions Interview

Program Outline

  • Accounting Fundamentals

    This course will introduce the student to accounting practices and their applications in business. The student will be introduced to accounting principles and terminology and be introduced to finances for the medical office.

  • Anatomy and Body Systems

    The Anatomy & Body Systems course provides education on the anatomy of the human body and its intricate systems. Students will be able to describe the function and structure of the human body and explain how they contribute to human life.

  • Business Communications I - English Essentials

    This course will help the student develop the proper communication skills necessary to function in a professional business setting. There will be a review of grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation as they apply to business communication. Students will complete various exercises with the emphasis on improving basic skills in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and apply them to writing assignments and tasks.

  • Business Communications II

    This 20-hour course is designed to help you develop strategies that will make your writing clear, concise and efficient. These in-depth writing techniques are a continuation of Business Communication -English Essentials. You will learn to express yourself more easily and with more confidence by applying the principles of good writing. Throughout the course, there will also be an emphasis on developing effective writing and editing techniques.

  • Business Communications III

    This subject has three areas of study: Presentation Skills, Facilitative Management and Interpersonal Communications. Students will learn how to create and deliver effective oral presentations. They will also be introduced to interpersonal problem-solving skills through effective listening and responding skills.

  • Career Management

    Our Career Management course will introduce students to and teach them how to apply the most effective strategies to achieve employment in the career of their choice. Topics that are covered: effective job search strategies, cover letter and strategic resume writing, interview preparation and effective interviewing skills. Students will also be introduced to online training in Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) so that they will have a better understanding of their role as regards safety at the workplace.

  • Digital Marketing Fundamentals

    Digital marketing has become the primary channel for businesses large and small to communicate with prospective customers. Digital Marketing Fundamentals lays the groundwork for students to understand how online and offline marketing methods work together to deliver results. Students will learn the terms and concepts used in the industry and how they are applied in practical situations.

  • Clinical Pathology

    This course will provide the student with knowledge of human disease and illness. Subjects to be covered include the common clinical disorders encountered in the health field and physician’s office. Education will be on the description, signs & symptoms, patient screening, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, prevention and patient teaching for each disease or illness.

  • CPR and First Aid Level C

    This course is intended to provide all the skills in Emergency First Aid plus first aid for other injuries and illnesses, including head and spinal injuries, fractures of the upper and lower limbs, and the Health Care Provider (HCP) level of CPR and AED.

  • Health Office Transcription

    The Medical Transcription course consists of 40 hours of study and preparation in the transcription of medical data. Students have letters, exam reports, operative reports and notes to listen to and transcribe using a Transcription Software program. Some time will also be devoted to covering basic English lessons on punctuation, grammar and formatting, as well as medical terminology spelling.

  • Healthcare Office Billing

    This course educates on the use of Healthcare Office software to bill clients for services. Students will be introduced to healthcare cards, healthcare insurance and insurance forms, healthcare benefits and billing codes. Using Medical Office simulations, the aim is for students to become confident in combining scheduling and billing real-life scenarios.

  • Healthcare Office Procedures

    This course will provide administrative skills and procedures needed for competency in a medical office setting. It will focus on daily office procedures, creating professional documents and understanding the roles of team building and professionalism. This subject will also include a Medical Office Virtual Simulation to provide the application of knowledge in a realistic setting.

  • Healthcare Software

    This course will provide students with an understanding of the electronic medical record (EMR) commonly used within the medical office. It will provide skills and experience in scheduling appointments, ordering diagnostic tests, accessing patient information and inter-department communication.

  • Healthcare Terminology

    This course provides the student with knowledge of commonly used prefixes, suffixes, and healthcare terminology, including spelling and pronunciation of terms. Students will also learn common charting symbols and abbreviations.

  • Medical Law and Ethics

    Students will examine a variety of social, personal and professional ethical issues. They will learn a variety of methods for resolving the issues through the use of critical thinking skills, ethical reasoning, and legal and professional codes of conduct as it relates to healthcare.

  • Microsoft Excel

    Upon successful completion of this course, students will have achieved a core level competency of the Microsoft Excel application. Topics include creating worksheets, formulas, functions, charts, formatting, analysis, templates, and working with multiple worksheets and workbooks.

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

    This 12-hour course is designed to introduce key concepts about creating, modifying, and enhancing a presentation using PowerPoint 2016. You will explore the PowerPoint environment and create a presentation. You will format text on slides to enhance clarity. To enhance the visual appeal, you will add graphical objects to a presentation and modify them. You will also add tables and charts to a presentation to present data in a structured form. You will then finalize a presentation and deliver it.

  • Microsoft Windows/Microsoft Outlook

    This 20-hour course is designed to provide you with the skills needed to work in Windows OS and MS Outlook. You will learn to use the tools and options available in the MS Windows operating system, manage folders and files, and work with simple applications packaged with the operating system. The Outlook course will provide you with the skills to compose and send emails, schedule appointments and meetings, manage contact information, schedule tasks, create notes, customize the Outlook environment, calendar, and mail messages, and track, share, assign, and quickly locate and organize various Outlook items.

  • Microsoft Word

    As a student in this 40-hour course, you will learn the most important topics of Microsoft Office Word. No prior computer experience is assumed. You will delve into Microsoft Office Word to learn how to create, edit, and format documents and multiple-page reports. Once you have mastered this, you will learn to work with templates, themes, styles, and mail merge. Finally, you will learn advanced techniques, such as automating your work and using advanced online forms.

  • MOA Practicum

    This 160-hour course is designed as a culmination of the program. Our placement department will work with you to arrange a suitable placement in a medical office/ward clerk environment. In your practicum term you will have opportunities to job shadow, perform the skills, and demonstrate the knowledge acquired from the overall program.

  • Pharmacology for the Healthcare Office

    In this course, the student will be introduced to the knowledge of basic pharmacology principles. Learners will be provided information on mathematics, dosage calculation, and education on the most widely used drugs and medications encountered while employed in the medical field.

  • Records Management and Scheduling

    This course will teach the mechanics of records management, scheduling and the fundamentals of scheduling. Students will be introduced to electronic health records and their function within the clinical setting.

  • Understanding Diagnostic Laboratory Tests

    This course provides an essential understanding of common diagnostic and laboratory tests. Students will learn how to properly fill out forms to request general tests, comprehend diagnostic and laboratory test results, and acquire information on methods for patient preparation and specimen collection techniques.

job market

Professional secretaries’ employment opportunities can be found in doctors’ offices, clinics, provincial health services, medical supply companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical education services, hospitals, dental offices, dental clinics, and medical education services. Opportunities are available as transcriptionists in the medical settings. There are lots of opportunities for anyone who would enjoy working in the medical secretarial profession.

CBBC is the best decision that you can make for yourself. The education, the hands-on experience, and the amazing instructors make the time fly by. You learn skills that translate into real job experience. If you are looking to go to college, choose them! Once you become a part of the CBBC family, your dreams become realities! Stephanie Melski Medical Office Assistant / Cape Breton Regional Hospital

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