Medical Office Assistant Program - What's Needed to Know?

Canada's ever-growing population is in need for more health professionals to provide it with best practices and care. It's not all about doctors. In fact, most staff patients meet during a procedure in healthcare facilities are not doctors. 

Patient Care technicians assist doctors, nurses and therapists in direct care of patients within healthcare facilities. Some patients have limited abilities and need help in motion, bathing, eating and visiting toilet. Some of patients are also not able to administer their medications, and help is needed to adjust beds, wheelchairs and other specific furniture and equipment. That is why healthcare system needs PCT's. Their additional duties include some basic medical procedures such as phlebotomy, recording temperature, blood pressure and heart rate. Career focus for PCT's are all clinical environments - hospitals, assisted living facilities, rehabs and hospices. 

This position requires many skills, willing to handle patients; habits and requirements which always differ greatly.  Becoming a PCT requires more certifications and overall more education with a broader array of subjects compared to a Medical Assistant.

Medical Office Assistants take administrative tasks of most healthcare facilities. They are usually the first persons patients see when seeking medical assistance - except in urgent cases or when arrive at a scheduled appointment. At the end of the appointment, medical assistants schedule them for the next one. PCT's duties are between the two, alongside doctors and nurses.

Medical Office Assistants manage patients' appointments and documentation and are not expected to triage patients. Thus it's a typical nine-to-five job, while PCTs work shifts match those of doctors and nurses. Night shifts and weekends are what you need to count on as a PCT. Your job as a PCT would also be to overlook patients as for all their less or more urgent needs they will first resort to you as the first link between themselves and doctors. Not everyone has skills and abilities to do such a demanding job. And it's not about how helping you are, it's more about your ability to do job of a PCT the way patients would like.

Medical Office Assistant doesn't require much technical skills and their job doesn't entitle much stress. Also have in mind that there are some medical fields and facilities which don't always need PCT's but still need medical office assistants - such as dentist and psychiatrist practices. That's why there are much more jobs available for Medical Assistants than for PCT's.

Academy of Learning College offers a Medical Office Assistant program, which will make you get a Medical Office Assistant diploma in 40 weeks delivering you all knowledge relevant for this profession and a practicum within a certified medical facility. In 40 weeks you will become eligible for Certified Medical Assisting Professional license.

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