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Degree Overview: Associate in Specialized Business Degree in Medical Assisting

Majors Overview June 19, 2014

Receive information about the Associate in Specialized Business degree program in Medical Assisting and its coursework, career choices, and continuing education choices.

Associate in Specialized Business Programs in Medical Assisting

Private, for-profit colleges are among the main schools that offer Associate in Specialized Business in Medical Assisting programs. Public and nonprofit schools also offer Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) programs. Students enrolled in these programs are imparted instruction in bill collections, insurance coding, medical record management, and medical transcription. By the time they graduate, degree holders will become adept at coordinating and scheduling patient care, processing insurance claims, and maintaining patient files.

Coursework

Coursework is devised to help students develop basic computer and office skills in addition to acquiring in-depth medical information. Students enrolled in some programs are required to gain hands-on experience in real world settings through participation in medical assisting externships or internships. This program that lasts between 18 and 24 months and has coursework that may include the following topic areas:

•Accounting
•Insurance coding
•Pharmacology
•Communication
•Medical terminology
•Human anatomy
•Business law

Career Choices

Those that successfully complete an associate’s degree program can expect to acquire the administrative skills and medical information necessary for managing accounts, maintaining records, preparing treatment areas, and performing diagnostic tests. They can seek entry-level occupations at nursing homes, outpatient facilities, hospitals, and physicians’ offices. Apart from aspiring to become medical assistants, graduates may also aim to perform the roles of:

•Medical secretaries
•Home health aides
•Medical transcriptionists

Continuing Education Choices

Graduates of the associate’s degree program may opt to continue their education by earning a four-year bachelor’s degree in allied health. Coursework in an allied health program is devised to impart advanced knowledge on comprehensive health-care and health delivery processes.

Coursework includes examination of health planning and diseases in addition to acquiring the business management skills necessary for running a medical office. Participation in medical administrative internships may also be expected of students enrolled in allied health degree programs.

Medical assistants may seek voluntary professional certification as offered through a variety of associations; for instance, certification credentials to medical assistants, which are awarded to candidates that satisfy experience and education criteria.

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