Learn what it takes to have a successful career as an administrative medical assistant in the exciting and high-demand world of healthcare.

In this course, you’ll master the basics of scheduling patients’ appointments, surgeries, and hospital admissions. In addition, you’ll discover how to create, maintain, and file medical charts. You’ll also find out how to verify patients’ insurance, create encounter forms (charge tickets), post charges, obtain pre-authorizations from insurers, and schedule return visits.

After that, we’ll go behind the scenes as you learn how to apply diagnostic and procedure codes to patients’ accounts and bill their insurance companies. Next, we’ll explore additional accounts receivable tasks including posting payments and adjustments, billing secondary insurance, and following up on unpaid insurance claims. You’ll also learn what a day sheet is, why it’s important, and how to keep track of all your patient accounts on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis.

Finally, we’ll delve into the basics of keeping a medical office running smoothly—from ordering supplies to scheduling staff meetings and making travel arrangements.

If you’re organized, you’re a “people person,” and you’re interested in a secure job in the healthcare field, a career as an administrative medical assistant may be just what you’re looking for. This course will set you on the path to that career and help you determine which aspect of medical information management—from patient contact to billing and coding—suits you best.

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when lessons are released. You will have access to all lessons until the course ends. However, the interactive discussion area that accompanies each lesson will automatically close two weeks after the lesson is released. As such, we strongly recommend that you complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

The final exam will be released on the same day as the last lesson. Once the final exam has been released, you will have two weeks to complete all of your course work, including the final exam.

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Carline Dalgleish.

Carline Dalgleish has been employed in the medical business office management profession since 1970. She began in the medical records department of the Army/Air Force Hospital in Nuremberg, Germany and has performed accounts receivable and business office management services for physicians, clinics, hospitals, and Medicare. 

She has real-time experience in administrative and financial departments, as well as management experience in business office administration, regulatory compliance, and information technology. She is also a subject matter expert in administrative medical assisting and medical billing and coding. In addition, she has created the curriculum for and taught many accounts receivable and accounts payable educational programs, with an emphasis in administrative medical assisting and medical billing and coding.

In the early 1990s, Ms. Dalgleish moved full-time into curriculum development, teaching, and management of business and allied health education programs, with special emphasis on medical business office administration and management. 

Ms. Dalgleish holds a bachelor's degree in business information systems and a master's degree in leadership. She is an AHIMA approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer and is a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM). She owns her own consulting firm, AnnGrant Education Services, Inc., and is currently completing a textbook on the new ICD-10 coding system.

“ Thank you for the practical exercises you provided throughout this lesson. I appreciated this lesson as it was very new to me. I just went on an interview for a medical records position at our County Public Health Department. I was surprised as part of my interview they had me perform the exact assignment that you had us complete; I had to alphabetize about 20 names. Thank you for all the great information you have provided us thus far. I have already picked apart pieces to add to my resume and will hopefully have a concrete decision regarding my career path by the end of the course. ”

“ As a former medical assistant I found the course to be rewarding and memorable. I thank you very much for taking me down memory lane. I have recommended this ed2go class to many of my friends. This was my second course and I am ready the go on the my third course. Keep up the good work. You did a very informative and rewarding job. ”

“ I want to thank you Ms. Dalgleish for this class and the time and energy you put in it to help us see, find and understand the lessons. Your lay out, illustrations and examples were great. I always wanted some knowledge of just what goes on in the medical office. I passed my exam with a 100%. This was my 5th online medical class and I hope to take many more. Your class was not only informative but also interesting. I love to learn and you did a great job in teaching. Please make more medical classes available. You are a great teacher and I hope to take more classes with you as the instructor. ”

“ Thank you ever so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to teach this class. This particular class was exactly what I needed to get an overall view of the medical administrative part of this field. The material that you provided is just a wealth of information, and your teaching style is very effective. I have printed all of my lessons, and have made note of all of the valuable supplemental resources that you provided. Some good news as well...I recently interviewed for two positions at my local hospital (affiliated with the cancer clinic where I volunteer)! Your class gave me that extra bit of knowledge and confidence that I needed to even apply for the positions! I will continue my education in this field, and I want to sincerely thank you once again for making this valuable education venue possible. ”

“ This particular class was exactly what I needed to get an overall view of the medical administrative part of this field. The material that you provided is just a wealth of information, and your teaching style is very effective. I recently interviewed for two positions at my local hospital (affiliated with the cancer clinic where I volunteer)! Your class gave me that extra bit of knowledge and confidence that I needed to even apply for the positions! I will continue my education in this field, and I want to sincerely thank you once again for making this valuable education venue possible. ”

“ This course has cleared up all my confusion about billing and the medical office environment. I took several courses at a local community college, and even though I excelled in grades, it didn't make sense. The professor uses everyday language as a door opener and eased us through any intimidation of learning something new. The instructions were clear and concise and encouraging to learn more. Thank you. ”

“ I am 44 years old and hold an MA and a BA. I recently took a nearly year-long Medical Coding course at a local Community College. This course and Ms. Dalgleish's teaching methods was better than the Medical Coding course I took. I learned more and developed more of an excitement for the field with this course and the materials presented. I strongly recommend this course and this online learning company to anyone thinking of learning and growing. ”

“ I enjoyed this first class. It met my expectations of an online class and kept my interest up. I enjoyed the format of the class and was quite intrigued by some of the other students take on the class and the questions that were posed in the discussion areas. ”

“ To an online class participant first-timer like me, I now find taking web classes as a worthwhile endeavor to partake. The instructor’s overall approach displayed an excellent mastery of the subject being taught, a genuine showcase of knowledge and experience-bound skills in the field of administrative medical assisting (and more) and lastly, a good demonstration of an inexhaustible pool of patience. ”

“ While taking this course I got a new job working in the office of a Periodontist. Although my background in hospitality management and HR were helpful in getting the job, much of what I learned in this online class helped to make my first few weeks easier--and made me look more impressive to my new employer. Thank you very much for that. ”