Degree Overview: Associate of Arts (A.A.) Degree in Medical Office Systems Management
Majors Overview February 23, 2014Students will be prepared for administrative positions in different medical settings when they take an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree program in medical systems management or medical office systems. These are usually two-year degree programs which are offered by community colleges.
A.A. Programs in Medical Office Systems Management
Students enrolled in two-year Associate degree programs in medical office systems or medical office management are trained to seek entry-level administrative positions in a variety of medical work settings. Community colleges typically offer these programs that offer a combination of classroom instruction and clinical lab experiences. Students can expect to become adept at medical office procedures apart from acquiring rudimentary medical knowledge in various areas including bodily systems, disease and anatomy. Those who complete the program can seek entry-level jobs in the healthcare field in work environments, such as hospitals and private practices.
Educational Requirements
Admission criteria related to associate of medical office systems management degree programs typically require applicants to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma apart from being eligible to take college-level classes in keyboarding, math and English composition. Entrants may have to complete some general education courses may also have to be completed by applicants before they are allowed to take courses within the major concentration area of study.
Coursework
Coursework in Associate degree programs cover basic office administration and business concepts, in addition to functions specifically relevant to the medical field, both in medical understanding and administrative tasks, and may include topic areas such as:
•Medical transcription
•Medical billing & coding
•Records management
•Computer databases
•Human resources management
•Accounting
•Healthcare systems
•Anatomy and physiology
•Medical terminology
•Healthcare law and ethics
Career Choices
Those who successfully complete medical office systems administration programs can expect to become adept at administrative tasks, such as coding, billing, insurance processing and records management, in various medical environments, such as insurance companies, physicians’ offices, ambulatory care centers and hospitals. They can choose from various career options including:
•Medical administrative specialist
•Medical secretary
•Medical office administrator
Continuing Education and Certification Choices
Given the different career choices available to them, graduates can pursue several voluntary professional certification possibilities. Passage of the exam is required to obtain certification and completion of continuing education over a span of time is needed to maintain its validity. Among common certification choices, the American Health Information Management Association offers the Certified Coding Specialist designation, while the American Society of Professional Coders offers the Certified Professional Coder designation and the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity awards the Certified Medical Transcriptionist designation.
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