Medical Office Professional

Program Chair

Charlene Gore
253.566.5082 cgore@tacomacc.edu

TCC’s Medical Office Professional program prepares students for employment in health care settings. The program’s structure is progressive, leading to four levels of achievement associated with increasing levels of job responsibility, and ultimately to an Associate in Applied Science degree.

While most program courses are not intended for transfer to most four-year colleges and universities, several transfer level courses are included in the degree plan, including ENGL&101 and ENGL&102, CMST& 101, BUS 164, and BIOL&170 or BIOL&175. Additional transfer level courses may be substituted, depending on students’ degree plans. Students who plan to transfer should meet with the program chair before enrolling in this program.

Medical Office Clerk (one quarter) prepares students for employment as entry-level medical office clerks. Typical duties might include greeting clients, answering phones, typing, making appointments, and filing.
Medical Registration and Admissions Specialist (two quarters) prepares students for employment in entry-level positions as patient registration specialists, admissions clerks, and patient access representatives in hospitals, specialty centers, clinics, and other health care agencies. Duties may include greeting patients, accurately entering patient demographics into electronic or paper records, maintaining admission forms, collecting co-payments and other cash transactions, and other duties.
Medical Office Assistant (one year) prepares students for employment in entry-level positions as receptionists or clerical workers in physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and other health care agencies. Duties may include greeting patients, scheduling appointments, preparing routine correspondence, processing bills, maintaining health information, and other duties.
Medical Office Professional Associate in Applied Science degree (two years) prepares students to perform general duties in physician offices, hospitals, clinics, and other health care agencies. Duties may include reception, appointment scheduling, specialty services, surgical scheduling, scheduling and managing other medical employees, managing financial operations, interviewing and preparing patients prior to examination, maintaining medical records, and transcribing correspondence and medical reports. Students learn to apply knowledge of medical terminology, word processing and spreadsheet skills.

The certificates are progressive if taken in sequence. Upon completion of the certificate programs, students may continue their education by earning the Medical Office Professional AAS degree. Students must work closely with advisors to ensure correct course sequencing within specific program.

This program is managed through and offered at TCC’s Gig Harbor Campus; however classes may be taken at the Tacoma Campus by prearrangement with the program chair. Students may pursue the program on a full- or part-time basis.

PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the Medical Office Professional AAS degree students will:

Demonstrate effective oral and written communication techniques to be used with professional medical staff and patients.
Use computer skills to make appointments, collect and maintain medical data, post procedures, and post payments.
Interpret state and federal regulations that protect the privacy and security of patient information.
Demonstrate effective and successful employment seeking skills including, but not limited to: job search, personal skill set awareness, application and/or resume/cover letter preparation, successful interviewing skills and personal ethics.
Evaluate professional medical administrative support organizations.
Exemplify good customer service skills.
Construct a professional growth plan.

CERTIFICATE AND DEGREE PREREQUISITES

High school diploma or GED
ENGL/ 095 or assessment at college-level reading and English
MATH 085 or assessment at MATH 090
Minimum keyboard speed of 25 wpm

Additional Requirements

Because most of the curriculum is presented either in online or hybrid online format, students must have 24/7 internet access and reliable computer hardware and software. Contact the program chair for information about:

Criminal and federal fraud background checks
Health insurance
Immunizations

NOTE: There may be changes to this program in the 2012-13 school year. Be sure to check the program website for latest information.

Medical Office Clerk Certificate

(17 credits)

Core Requirements (17 credits)

BUS 102	Customer Service	2
CU 105	Word I, Excel I	5
or CU 102	Word I
and CU 103	Excel I
MO 106	Professional Document Production	2
HIM 130	Medical Terminology I	3
MO 100	Medical Office Procedures	3
MO 143	Medical Office Professional Development	2

Medical Registration & Admissions Specialist Certificate

(12 additional credits = total 29 credits)

This program requires the completion of the Medical Office Clerk certificate (one-quarter program) and the following 12 credits (total 29 credits). All courses must be successfully completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher.

Core Requirements

CU 110	Access I	2
HIM 131	Medical Terminology II	5
MO 241	Clinical Applications for Medical Office	5

Medical Office Assistant Certificate

(24-25 additional credits = total 53-54 credits)

Students must complete the Medical Office Clerk, the Medical Registration and Admissions Specialist certificate programs to enroll in this program. Students are encouraged to work closely with the Medical Office program chair in planning their academic schedules. All courses must be successfully completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. Courses are not listed below in the order in which they should be taken.

Technical Core Requirements (5 credits)

MO 139

Introduction to Disease Process

General Core Requirements (15 Credits)

BUS 110	Business Math	5
BUS 164	Leadership and Human Relations	5
ENGL& 101	English Composition I	5

Optional Electives (minimum 4-5 credits)

CMST& 101	Introduction to Communication	5
CU 203	Excel II	3
CU 210	Access II	3
MO 159	Introduction to Medical Coding	5

Other college-level courses may apply with program advisor permission.

Associate in Applied Sciences Degree

(41 additional credits = total 94-95 credits)

Students must complete the Medical Office Clerk, Medical Registration and Admissions Specialist, and Medical Office Assistant certificate programs to enroll in this degree program. Students are encouraged to work closely with the Medical Office program chair in planning their academic schedules. All courses must be successfully completed with a grade of ‘C’ or higher. Courses are not listed below in the order in which they should be taken.

Technical Core Requirements (21 credits)

BIOL& 170	Human Biology (without lab)	5
or BIOL& 175	Human Biology with Lab
CU 203	Excel II	3
CU 210	Access II	3
MO 140	Medical Transcription I	5
MO 159	Introduction to Medical Coding	5

General Core Requirements (10 credits)

CMST& 101	Introduction to Communication	5
ENGL& 102	Composition II: Argument and Persuasion	5
or ENGL 103	College Composition III: Writing about Literature

Electives (10 credits)

At least two college-level courses, one of which must be designated as a multicultural course.

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