Medical Office Assistant Associate Certificate

Associate Certificate
TYPE:
  • Part Time
LENGTH: 6 months or less
CAMPUS: Prince George
FEES: Check fee schedule
START DATE: Fall 2024
DELIVERY:
  • Some courses are available online
  • Overview
  • Courses
  • Location & Dates
  • Entry Requirements
  • Fees

Overview

Become career ready within six months with the Medical Office Assistant Certificate. The Medical Office Assistant (MOA) is a dynamic and vital role within a medical office team. This highly rewarding career path is currently in demand within British Columbia.

As a Medical office assistant, you will perform administrative and clinical tasks to ensure offices and clinics run smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

Careers

Earn a career as a Medical Office Assistant or as a Primary Care Assistant in a number of environments including:

  • Doctor’s Offices
  • Walk-in Clinics
  • Chiropractors
  • Podiatrists
  • Physical Therapy Clinics

Median Salary  $45K - $55K

Annual provincial median salary in related positions according to Work BC

2,000 Job Openings

Total expected job openings in this field by 2032 according to Work BC

What you will learn

With this certificate, you will receive a combination of synchronous and asynchronous online courses as well as hands-on clinical training. By the end of the program, you will have gained knowledge, skills and abilities in the following:

  • Managing a Medical Office
  • Effective Oral and Written Communication
  • Administer general office procedures
  • Demonstrate Time Management Skills
  • Software Training in Medical Office Information System (MOIS)

Medical Office Assistant Associate Certificate Courses

This program prepares you to work as a medical office assistant (MOA) in various medical offices, or upgrades the skills of those currently employed as medical office assistants.

Required Courses

COURSE CODE COURSE TITLE CREDITS LENGTH
MEDT-105 Intro Medical Terminology 2 15 weeks
MOAS-101 Medical Off. Asst. Procedures 4 15 weeks
MOAS-103 Medical Billing 3 15 weeks
MOAS-107 Mental Illness & Substance Use 1 15 weeks
MOAS-109 Medical Office Asst Practicum 1 4 weeks

Locations & Dates

CNC programs have varying lengths and start dates to meet your needs, and are offered across multiple campuses where possible. Don’t see the campus you’re looking for? Check back with us soon as this page is updated throughout the school year.

Please contact continuinged@cnc.bc.ca for information about enrolling in the program from communities outside of the ones listed below. 

For Regional Campuses 

A local hands-on clinical is being worked towards for regional campuses, but accepted students may need to travel to Prince George for the clinical if a local option can not be developed.

 

START DATE CAMPUS DELIVERY LENGTH
Fall 2024 Prince George Online 6 months or less

Entry Requirements

  1. High school graduation or equivalent.
  2. English Studies 12, English First Peoples 12, or ENGL 050, or ENGL 051 or equivalent (minimum “C” ).
  3. Typing speed of 35 NWPM or higher.

Note 1: The typing test must be invigilated by an approved testing centre. 

Need help meeting these requirements? Check out our Academic Upgrading options.

Program Requirements

Once accepted into the Medical Office Assistant Associate Certificate program, students will be required to:

  1. Complete official college forms certifying current immunizations as per the Practice Education Guidelines for B.C. and as required by provincial health authorities. Failure to comply with immunization guidelines may prevent you from entering the practicum component of the program and therefore make you not eligible to graduate from the program.
  2. Complete a Criminal Record Check (CRC) from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General. A search which identifies relevant criminal convictions may prevent you from entering the practicum component of the program and therefore make you not eligible to graduate from the program.

Note 2: The costs of immunizations and a Criminal Record Check are the responsibility of the student.

Note 3: Instructions and forms will be sent during the acceptance process. Due dates for each requirement will be included at this time. Program recommendations While it is not a requirement, it is highly recommended applicants have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.

Program Recommendations

While it is not a requirement, it is highly recommended applicants have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.

Limited admission

A program with a limited number of seats per intake and is on a “first qualified, first admitted” basis.

Acceptance Process

If there is room in the program, students will be accepted once they have met all admission requirements. This is called “first qualified, first accepted.” If students qualify after the program is full, they will be put on a wait list.

Graduation Requirements

A minimum grade of 72% "B" in MEDT 105 or 75% "C+" in MEDT 100; a minimum grade of 72% "B" in MOAS 101, MOAS 103, and MOAS 107; and successful completion "S" of MOAS 109 is required to graduate with a MOA Associate Certificate.

Note 4. A student is permitted to take MEDT 100 outside of the MOA program schedule if it has been successfully completed within two years prior to the initial program intake date.

Clinical Placements

Clinical placements may or may not be in your home community. Clinical placements will be located throughout Northern BC. CNC will assign your placement. While every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred location, CNC reserves the right to determine the appropriateness of any placement. All clinical sites must be approved by CNC.

Re-admission

A student who does not meet the minimum grade required in a course within the Medical Office Assistant Associate Certificate program will be permitted to repeat the course once. Two failures or withdrawals from courses in the program will exclude the student from further study in the program. Regular re-admission to the MOA Associate Certificate program after two previous withdrawals or failures is subject to the Dean’s Approval. A student who withdraws from the program voluntarily should notify a faculty member and the student will be required to apply for re-admission to the program. Re-admission will be considered on a space-available basis and will be administered according to the following priorities:

  1. A student who has successfully completed the prerequisite courses and/or who, at the time of withdrawal, has maintained course grades required by the program (or higher), will be awarded first priority.
  2. A student who has failed a course or who has withdrawn from the course with less than the grades as required by the program will be awarded second priority.

All MOA Associate Certificate course work must be completed within three years of initial program intake date. In the event of significant changes to the courses, students may be required to repeat a course.

Program Tools

Many courses in this program use online learning tools. Students will need

  • a reliable internet connection, and
  • a device to access the internet

Students are encouraged to review historical syllabi or discuss with a recruiter, an advisor, or a faculty member to identify their technological needs.

Invest in your future

The estimated cost for this program is $3,495.48

Tuition and fees for the Medical Office Assistant Associate Certificate will be charged on a semester basis and not course-by-course. Upon acceptance, you can register for desired course(s); availability is on first come, first qualified basis. Check the fee schedule for more details.

A $300 seat deposit till be required upon acceptance to the program.

Books for this program can be purchased from the bookstore.

To find more information on applying, refunds, or the registration timetable please see the Office of the Registrar's website.

Paying for college 

Looking for a job? Check the student employment opportunities board