Degree Overview: Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree in Medical Administrative Assistance
Majors Overview June 15, 2014Graduates of associate degree programs in administrative assisting emphasizing medical office administration will be able to help healthcare professionals and doctors by performing several clerical tasks. Associate in Administrative Assisting degree programs may not be offered, but students still interested should look into Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) programs.
Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree Programs in Medical Administrative Assistance
Students enrolled in medical administrative assistance associate degree programs are trained to seek entry-level administrative jobs in various healthcare environments. Students can expect to become well acquainted with bill collections, medical record management, billing, insurance coding, and medical transcription. Schools may offer programs in the specific concentration of medical office administration or concentration options relevant to broader administrative support courses.
Students can become adept at using modern office technology and are usually expected to meet minimum speed standards in keyboarding. The programs allow the transfer of general education credits earned for enrollment into a variety of four-year programs.
Admission criteria in these two-year programs typically require applicants to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma.
Coursework
Students that aspire to medical administrative assistant roles would benefit from coursework relating to basic computer and office skills. In addition to coursework specifically devised to meet the needs of those that aspire to become administrative professionals in the medical field, there is also general office administration coursework that covers subject areas such as records management, Microsoft Office, and spreadsheets. Coursework may commonly include the following topic areas:
•Accounting and finance
•Computer business applications
•Business communications
•Business ethics
•Information and records management
•Microcomputer office applications
•Office calculations
•Technical writing
•Medical terminology
•Medical office management
Job and Wage Outlook
A job growth rate of 27% has been predicted for medical secretaries during the period from 2008 to 2018 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)). Qualified administrative assistants and medical secretaries can seek jobs in almost any medical facility or hospital.
Students may seek entry-level jobs as medical administrative professionals and hope to advance to lucrative management or supervisory jobs once they have sufficient experience. In 2013, medical secretaries took home an average annual wage of $33,140 (BLS).
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