Medical Receptionist Certificate

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Academy of Health Professions

Lowell Campus - Evenings and Weekends

Program Description:

The Medical Receptionist Certificate program in the Academy of Health Professions consists of 18 college credits, including both academic and career courses. This program enables the student to build the skills necessary to work at the reception desk in an outpatient health setting. Tasks a medical receptionist in these areas may perform include the following: answering telephones and taking messages, scheduling appointments and greeting patients, data entry and review of patient information, obtaining and/or verifying patient insurance information, explaining patient rights and obtaining signatures as required by state and federal legislation, taking payments and copayments, and working with medical records (paper and electronic). Career exploration is an essential component of this program. In addition, students obtain CPR and first aid certification, as well as strengthen college and academic reading skills.

Visit the Department Website for this program

Career and Transfer Outlook:

Medical receptionists usually obtain employment in physician’s offices, clinics or hospitals. They may also work in laboratories, insurance companies and nursing homes. Hours are usually day or evening, and may include weekends. After completing the Medical Receptionist Certificate program, a student becomes eligible to enroll in either of two Level II Academy of Health Professions certificate programs (Medical Secretary or Phlebotomy).

Graduates of the Medical Receptionist Certificate program are prepared to assume entry-level employment as receptionists in a variety of medical/health care settings, such as hospitals and clinics, or in group and individual physician offices. Upon satisfactory completion of this certificate, students will be eligible to move up the career ladder by taking additional college-level courses and meeting requirements for other certificates or associate degrees in a health career.

Gainful Employment Disclosure Information:

Department of Labor Standard Occupational Code (SOC) and Title:
43-6013.00
Medical Office Administration
Link to Department of Labor O*Net occupational and employment information for this program:
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-6013.00

Estimated cost of tuition and fees for this program: $3,373.00
Estimated cost of books and supplies for this program: $774.14

Program Outcomes:

Graduates of the Medical Receptionist Certificate program are prepared to:

Perform the responsibilities and duties of the medical receptionist in a variety of health care environments;
Demonstrate professional and ethical work habits as they apply to health care environments;
Navigate the Microsoft Windows environment and specific computer applications as required in a medical or dental office setting;
Exhibit proficiency in entering information into a computerized database system.

Required Courses

Total Credits: 18

Program Specifics:

All classes and labs are held during evening and/or weekend hours at MCC’s Health, Science & Technology Center, located on Middle Street, on the Lowell campus.
Students are responsible for the purchase of textbooks.
In order for a student to be eligible to participate in an academic, community or clinical program that involves potential unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, the elderly, or other vulnerable populations, the student may be required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and/or a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check.

Standard/Technical Skills Notice:

To view the list of standard and specific skills required to perform duties in the Academy of Health Professions, visit the Middlesex Community College website (www.middlesex.mass.edu/programs) or the Student Information Centers. These skills are not conditions for admission to MCC programs, but do indicate abilities and characteristics necessary for the successful completion of college Health programs, and to perform the duties of the career upon graduation.

Admission Information:

Admission Prerequisites: Current reading score of 56 on the college placement test. A pre-admission meeting with an admission/academic counselor is required. English Language Learners will also be required to have course completion through ELL 055 and ELL 075/085.

Requirements After Admission:

Students must submit the Student Health Record form, provided by Middlesex Community College, to the Center for Health & Wellness. Required documentation of health status includes a completed physical examination, and proof of immunization against Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Tetanus/Diphtheria (within last ten years) and one lifetime dose of Tdap, Hepatitis B and Varicella. Students born in the United States before January 1, 1957 will be considered immune to Measles, Mumps and Rubella and exempt from the MMR vaccine requirement. Students born in the United States before January 1, 1980 and enrolled in a health care program will not be considered immune to Varicella (chicken pox) and exempt from the Varicella requirement.
Students enrolled in the program must demonstrate a satisfactory level of performance in class and clinical settings in order to remain in the program.