Learn via live instructor-led virtual lectures completed online, anywhere in Ontario.

The Medical Office Assistant program prepares students in key aspects of health administration. Students will begin by cultivating a strong foundation of administrative, word processing and office support skills before focusing on developing the skills required to fulfill the administrative requirements expected in a medical or other health care administrative setting.

This program includes online instructor-led studies and requires a small portion of hands-on practical training in one of our facilities.

Main Duties

Medical Office Assistants perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Schedule and confirm medical appointments and receive and communicate messages for medical staff and patients
  • Prepare, key in, edit, and proofread medical records, reports, articles, case histories and correspondence from machine dictation, shorthand and handwritten notes using computers
  • Interview patients in order to complete forms, documents and case histories
  • Complete insurance and other claim forms
  • Initiate and maintain confidential medical files and records
  • Prepare financial statements and billing procedures
  • Order supplies and maintain inventory
  • Determine and establish office procedures and routines
  • May supervise and train other staff in procedures and in use of current software.

Career College Versus Public Community College

What is different about attending a Career College like Gates College versus Public Community Colleges like Fleming College, Confederation College, Sault College or Durham College?

Gates College is registered as an Ontario Career College and programs are approved as vocational programs under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005 and follow the several amendments included in the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 (Effective, January 1, 2024*). Public Community Colleges such as Fleming College, Confederation College, Sault College and Durham College operate under a separate branch. There are benefits you may experience when attending an Ontario Career College like Gates College, that the Public Community Colleges may not offer.

For example:

  • Small Class Sizes
  • One course at a time Modular Based Learning
  • Fixed Block Schedules
  • Frequent Start Dates
  • This program is currently being delivered in an Instructor-led online environment

A Gates College student will find that our Campuses and our Online experience is very student-focused and always puts the student’s goals first!

Program Outline

Topics covered in this program include:

  • Medical terminology and transcription
  • Validating health cards, patient filing methods and record-keeping
  • Healthcare law and PHIPA (Personal Health Information Protection Act)
  • Anatomy and Body Systems
  • Medical law and Ethics
  • Accounting Essentials
  • Records management and scheduling
  • Provincial and federal health governing bodies
  • Understanding OHIP billing, Insurance and WSIB claims processing
  • Understanding an electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR)