A degree in medical administration as a medical administrative specialist helps you gain knowledge about the ins and outs of the healthcare field as you handle many vital tasks for a medical facility.
Allied health careers are one of our specialties here at Bryan University. Today, we will answer several frequently asked questions about medical administration degrees.
What are the duties of a medical administrative specialist?
A typical example of your medical administrative duties include:
- Handling schedules and appointments for patients.
- Answering phones.
- Taking patient questions.
- Filing, updating, and organizing patient records.
- Taking in, sorting, opening, and answering postal mail.
- Answering email and other electronic communications.
- Coordinating hospital transfers.
- Transcribing notes from doctors and clinicians.
- Arranging laboratory tests.
- Processing forms for insurance claims.
- Billing insurance companies.
- Ordering supplies and taking inventory.
- Managing budgets for medical offices.
What skills do I need as a medical administrative specialist?
Medical administrative specialists need to:
- Follow and give instructions in your office setting.
- Use all kinds of technology, including computers and medical testing equipment.
- Organize the medical office and keep it organized.
- Manage your time very well throughout a work shift.
- Communicate effectively with coworkers and patients.
- Solve problems as they arise.
- Budget for supplies and manage purchases.
- Perform billing and coding.
What jobs can a medical administrative specialist have at a healthcare office?
- Office administrator
- Office manager
- Medical transcriptionist
- Medical billing and coding specialist
- Health information administratorÂ
- Admissions clerk
- Billing and insurance specialist
How long does it take to complete an associate in applied science degree as a medical administrative specialist?
70 weeks or 7 quarters for about 1 ½ years.
How many courses do I need to take to complete an associate in applied science degree as a medical administrative specialist?
Bryan University’s program covers 20 courses, 90 quarter-credit hours, and 1,180 contact hours (number of hours in the classroom) over your time in this program.
What advanced courses do I take for a medical administration degree?
Your advanced training at Bryan University covers four main courses.Â
MA230 Electronic Medical Records Management
This course introduces you to the basics of medical records management while providing you an opportunity to put administrative skills learned in previous coursework into practice in a simulated medical setting using electronic health care records (EHR). You’ll learn about EHR management practices and a variety of software programs and gain exposure to the medical billing process, including the flow of information from pre-registering patients through collecting on overdue accounts, information technology in medical offices, and HIPAA. You will explore types of electronic management systems along with their impact on various areas of the healthcare system.Â
MAA250 Pathophysiology
Pathophysiology is a study of how normal physiology processes are altered by disease. This course will include an exploration of the causes of disease, neoplasms, as well as the cause of several classes of diseases in various body systems:
- UrinaryÂ
- Reproductive
- DigestiveÂ
- Respiratory
- Circulatory
- NervousÂ
- Endocrine
- Musculoskeletal
You will also learn about diseases of the skin, eye, and ear as well as congenital and childhood diseases. You’ll explore topics related to pain management and holistic health.Â
MAA260 Pharmacology
You will discuss the various types of drugs and become familiar with the forms by which medications are administered. You’ll also learn to identify the most common medications by classification and the body system they are most commonly used for.Â
MOA299 ExternshipÂ
This course allows you to put theoretical knowledge to practical use at a physician’s office, clinic or other healthcare setting. An externship provides you with on-the-job learning activities in the medical front-office environment under the direct supervision of local healthcare professionals.Â
Prerequisite: Must have a 2.0 CGPA in all completed core courses.
What certification do I need as a medical administrative specialist?
Bryan University’s program prepares you for the medical administrative specialist certification exam through American Medical Technologists.Â
How can I enroll in a medical administrative specialist degree program?
Contact Bryan University or call 1-855-862-9755 for more details on how to enroll in this career-focused program.