Medical Office Assistant Certificate

Medical administrative assistants (MOAs) may find work in various medical settings, including hospitals, clinics, health insurance companies, and doctors' and specialists' offices.

The Government of Canada's Job Bank reports that currently in British Columbia, 26% of working MOAs are 55 or older. In the coming years, new MOAs will be needed to fill the vacancies arising from retirements.

With changes to the medical care delivery system that are afoot to help with a shortage of physicians in British Columbia, MOAs who train as Advanced Medical Office Assistants may assume additional responsibilities to provide patient support.

Medical office assistant job boards

• B.C. Medical Journal's classifieds
• MOACareers.com

View entrance requirements in the UFV Academic Calendar.

Students are also required to complete a keyboarding assessment before you start your program.

MOAs serve an important role in the delivery of health care service and are the key link between patients, physicians, and other members of the health care team. It is essential that MOAs possess a high level of communication skills, knowledge of medical office procedures, and keen multitasking abilities.

The Medical Office Assistant certificate program is an intensive program designed to prepare you for employment as a medical office assistant in medical clinics, hospitals, and specialist practices in both public and private sectors.

As a medical office assistant, you are often the go-to person in the office—the one who is booking appointments, assisting patients, and keeping the doctors on track and on time. This is a demanding program, but you will graduate with the skills and confidence to handle the day-to-day operations of a busy medical practice.

Courses

The program is comprised of eight modules. You complete a combination of theory and practice-related exercises before participating in a two-week medical office practicum placement. The practicum is followed by a one-week in-class final program review.

The eight modules are:

• Communication Skills
• Medical Terminology
• Pharmacology
• Medical Office Procedures
• Billing
• Clinical
• Practicum
• Review

View the Fall 2023 MOA schedule.

Practicum

You will complete a two-week practicum that provides meaningful work-like experience and exposure to a medical setting. To qualify for practicum, you must successfully complete all courses within the program and meet the attendance requirements. 

Practicum students must follow their host organization’s operating hours and days, so they will complete a minimum of 30-40 hours per week, with a maximum of 80 hours in total over the two weeks.

If you would like to complete your practicum in a hospital setting, you are required to submit the following documents at the start of your program:

• Satisfactory Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening
  • access code CACJXKC5VT
• Health Practicum Student Immunization Record‌

Medical clinic hosts may require any of the above documents; you must be prepared to submit any of the above if requested by your host.

Continuing Education (CE) will pair students with a host from the Fraser Valley area. While we try to place students near their city of residence, we cannot guarantee practicum placement in a specific city. For example, students who live in Chilliwack may need to travel to Abbotsford. Transportation to the practicum site is your responsibility. If you refuse your assigned practicum site, you will need to find your own site and obtain departmental approval prior to the start of your practicum.

If you live outside of the Lower Mainland but would like to complete your practicum in your home city, please contact CE before the start of your program to notify us of your intention to find your own host in your city of residence. All hosts will need to receive departmental approval.

Please discuss any barriers that may affect your practicum assignment with UFV Continuing Education immediately after registration.