This program will allow students to write the associate exam through the Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM). Accreditation with CCHIM is still pending and therefore we are not able to accept applicants at this time.
The Medical Office Assistant (MOA) diploma is designed to train students to become skilled and conscientious professionals ready to serve as Medical Office Assistants in various medical office settings. Students will learn procedures on how to communicate effectively in a medical office and deal with clients.
Topics of study include medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, administrative and clinical procedure, communication skills, billing procedures, and transcription. Students will also develop clinical skills by completing a practicum placement in a physician’s office or equivalent setting. This program will allow students to write the associate exam through the Canadian College of Health Information Management (CCHIM).
Upon completion of this Medical Office Assistant program, successful students will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
This program is best suited for individuals with an interest in science, health care and the medical field and those who enjoy working with people. This course is also suited for individuals already in the industry to develop their technical, communication skills, and interpersonal skills further, or for international graduates to transfer their learning to Canadian standards of practice.
Graduates of the program might end up in these types of roles:
Brief Course Description
The study of formal and informal business communication formats including letters, memos and business presentations. They will study formal and informal documents, methods of communication, technological tools, and their proper, effective, and ethical use. They will also learn how to select the best method for communicating information based on purposes and audiences.
Students will also learn how to communicate with pharmacies, doctors’ offices, and insurance companies. This includes professionalism in the workplace, understanding diversity in health care settings and the impact of health equity on different populations and obligations around confidentiality.
Course Prerequisites
None.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
An introduction to medical terminology, intended to serve as a foundation for all subsequent courses, study, and practice. Students will become familiar with various medical word parts, their spelling, and develop fluent pronunciation. They will also become skilled at examining the structure of medical terms in order to effectively determine meaning.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
The study of body systems and sense organs. Instruction on each system and organ will involve both general and specific functions, parts, location, and relationships between systems. There will also be an exploration of common pathologies. This will involve developing familiarity with some lab diagnostic tests, as well as basic signs, symptoms, and the prognosis of these pathologies. At the discretion of the instructor, a discussion of pharmacology may be included.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
Developing familiarity with medical keyboarding, advanced keyboarding, medical language, grammatical and office skills. This will involve the study of documents, such as forms and medical reports. In doing so, students will develop their overall keyboarding skills, progressing to a speed of at least 65 words per minute with 90% accuracy while using medical terminology.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
MOAD 03 – Anatomy and Physiology
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
An introduction to the various administrative skills that will be required from an individual in the health clerical worker field. This will include reception skills and processes and the record management procedure. Other topics covered will be; scheduling, inventory control, and communication (phone, e-mail, and interpersonal) techniques.
Medical law and ethics will feature heavily in this course, given the nature of material and information that a medical office assistant will have access to and work with on a regular basis.
Basic clinical procedures will be approached, equipping students with an understanding of the most common procedures and tests completed in medical office settings. This is crucial due to the role of the medical office assistant as the link between medical professionals and external medical testing and treatment facilities. Students will also learn about common medical emergencies and how to respond to them.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
MOAD 03 – Anatomy and Physiology
MOAD 04 – Medical Keyboarding
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
An introduction to terminology and procedure unique to pharmaceutical and medical billing. This will involve, among other topics, exploring the communication of information between pharmacists and physicians regarding medications. The importance of classifications, spelling, and pronunciation of the most ordered prescription medications will be emphasized, as will the study of appreciations, symbols, and systems of measurements surrounding prescriptions. Students will also become familiar with procedures, forms, and processes related to all forms of billing. Students will also learn the procedure, forms, and processes related to alternate forms of billing. This will involve the specific study of — though may not be limited to — WCB (Workers’ Compensation Board), ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia), Department of Veterans’ Affairs, out-of-province billing, and medical-legal billing.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
MOAD 03 – Anatomy and Physiology
MOAD 04 – Medical Keyboarding
MOAD 05 – Administrative and Clinical Procedures
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
Students will learn the skill of preparing medical documents through the use of transcription. They will be exposed to various reports, forms, and formats used in preparing medical-related documents. This will involve developing familiarity and skill with transcription equipment and software, as well as demonstrating their comfort with the application of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology as previously learned. Legality and accuracy will serve as overarching themes throughout.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
MOAD 03 – Anatomy and Physiology
MOAD 04 – Medical Keyboarding
MOAD 05 – Administrative and Clinical Procedures
MOAD 06 – Medical Billing Procedures
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
Brief Course Description
Students will spend 80 hours in a clinical environment under the supervision of a practicing professional, demonstrating their aptitude in the various skills developed over the course of the program.
Course Prerequisites
MOAD 01 – Business Standards & Communication
MOAD 02 – Medical Terminology
MOAD 03 – Anatomy and Physiology
MOAD 04 – Medical Keyboarding
MOAD 05 – Administrative and Clinical Procedures
MOAD 06 – Medical Billing Procedures
MOAD 07 – Medical Office Transcription
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the successful student will have reliably demonstrated the ability to:
View practicum guidelines and FAQs: www.ashtoncollege.ca/practicum-and-community-field-experience/
Subject to change without notice
Corene Allen graduated from Vancouver Community College (VCC) in 1997 with honours and was a tutor during her studies. She has held many positions throughout different health authorities in hospital wards such as Emergency, Surgical, Medical, Clinical Trials and Ambulatory Care. In 2011, she worked as the lead instructor for a Nursing Unit Clerk Program at another college and was known to have the highest successful graduation rate of any program at the college. Corene currently works as a Nursing Unit Clerk for Interior Health.
Emily graduated in 2018 from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, specializing in Human Resources Management. She has over six years of working in the healthcare sector; including working alongside general practitioners as a Medical Office Assistant to currently working as the Administrative Director of a multi-physician family practice and walk-in clinic. Concurrently, she also assists in the coordination of a physician-led journal club as part of her family physicians continuing education credits. Emily has hosted many practicum students completing their post-secondary education in Medical Office Assistant studies, supplying them with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities for them to become successful MOA’s in their future healthcare careers.
Mariana Gerenska has 25 years of education, human resources management, training and development, leadership development, talent and organizational performance, improvement experience, and advanced credentials across countries and continents. She is passionate and committed to supporting every learner to achieve their professional and personal growth objectives, enjoy a satisfying career and contribute their best to our society. Mariana has recently acquired her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems from Graduate Fielding University in Santa Barbara, California, and is a role model of life-long learning. She encourages her students to broaden their perspectives and to embrace the best selves they can be as human beings and inclusive members of our diverse communities.
Sheena Parker (she/her) brings to Ashton College a diverse professional background, with degrees in both Science and Nursing. She has over 20 years of health care experience in; Emergency, Critical Care, Mental Health, Community Health, and Management. Sheena’s rich career has afforded her the ability to practice throughout Canada in; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut in many advanced practices and leadership roles. Her graduate studies included being a part of the first cohort of Family Nurse Practitioners for the province of British Columbia.
Aman graduated in 2006 from Vancouver Community College (VCC) with a Unit Clerk Certificate. She also pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult Education in 2015 from the University of Fraser Valley (UFV). Since then, Aman has been working at the BC Cancer Agency as a unit clerk. She has done various unit clerk jobs and has taught students at Canadian Health Care Agency (CHCA) and Kwantlen College. Aman loves how rewarding teaching is. In her spare time, Aman loves to spend it with family and friends.
Tina Toal has over 24 years of experience in the health care industry. In 1998, she completed a Unit Clerk course at Vancouver Community College. She then worked over the years specializing in oncology and held various positions from unit clerk to clerical supervisor to medical secretary. She started teaching and realized that it was her passion to help others learn. She loves to be a part of the success our students achieve. Tina currently lives in Langley with her husband, four kids and their adorable French bulldog, Elvis.
Domestic students need ONE of the following:
And you must prove the following:
Are you a domestic student?
You must show your language proficiency in ONE of the following ways:
English is presumed to be the language of instruction in the following countries:
American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierre Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, US Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Approved English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores
International students need:
And you must prove the following:
Are you an international student?
You must show your language proficiency in ONE of the following ways:
English is presumed to be the language of instruction in the following countries:
American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guam, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierre Leone, Singapore, South Africa, St Helena, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, US Virgin Islands, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Approved English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores
Do you identify as a mature student?
To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:
Application Requirements
Mature Students must submit ALL of the following:
Tuition fees for the program are payable in instalments. The first instalment is due 2 weeks prior to the start date. Students with guaranteed funding arrangements will be exempt from this requirement provided they produce proof of funding before the cohort start date. International students are required to pay tuition fees in full at least two weeks prior to the start date.
All formats of the program are eligible for Canada Student Loans, other forms of government funding, and bank financing. However, students are responsible for making their own funding arrangements and are advised to contact the relevant funder well in advance of the start date to make an application.
Application and tuition fees for this program are as follows:
Note: Tuition fees do not include the cost of the required textbooks. The approximate textbook fee is $450
We are currently accepting enquiries regarding the Diploma program but not applications at this time. Program start dates, times, and application information will be made available in the near future.
Online Students
Ashton College offers education for all students with a unique online learning approach. A synchronous learning component provides real time interaction and immediate feedback. We use real time interactive sessions, breakout rooms, and screen-sharing. An asynchronous learning component allows students to work at their own pace. Our asynchronous learning materials include recorded real time lectures, online readings, and discussion forums. We encourage students, if possible, to use both components so as to enjoy interactivity and community of real-time learning as well as studying at their own pace. This approach ensures students have support and resources to achieve their educational goals.
For synchronous sessions, students need to have a fully functional computer system with a webcam, speakers and microphone or headset and headphones, along with a reliable high-speed internet connection. Though the classes can be accessed using smartphones and tablets, we recommend using a laptop or desktop computer for a better learning experience.
This program has been approved by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.