Healthcare Office Professional Associate of Applied Science

Program Overview:

This program prepares students for employment in healthcare office environments. Employment opportunities may include medical administrative assistants, receptionists, appointment coordinators, medical transcriptionists, medical editors, medical secretary, pathology reporting specialists, health unit coordinators, and healthcare documentation specialists. Healthcare office professionals may provide support to patients, physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and surgeons in hospitals, clinics, or medical offices. Extensive training is provided in medical terminology, healthcare documentation, and office technology and fundamentals. Students will learn how diseases affect the body and which medications and other treatments are used to treat illnesses.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Healthcare Office Professional program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Define and comprehend appropriate terminology in the area of pharmacology, pathophysiology, anatomy, and physiology in medical documents.
• Demonstrate the ability to correctly transcribe, proofread, and edit healthcare documents using correct English language and the proper rules of grammar, punctuation, and style.
• Demonstrate ability to accurately manage an electronic medical record.
• Demonstrate the administrative functions, operations, and dynamics of healthcare work environments in the role of a healthcare office professional.
• Exhibit critical thinking, ethical conduct, and professionalism in oral and written communication in a medical office setting.

Additional Information:

This program is offered predominately online. Computer requirements are listed on the RCTC Online web page at: http://www.rctc.edu/online/.

HEALTHCARE OFFICE PROFESSIONAL AAS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (17 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (3 CREDITS)

• ENGL 1109 – Introduction to Professional and Technical Communication (3 cr) OR ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES (4 CREDITS)

• BIOL 1107 – Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology (4 cr)

GOAL 7: HUMAN DIVERSITY, RACE, POWER, AND JUSTICE IN THE UNITED STATES (3 CREDITS)

• COMM 1130 – Interpersonal Communications (3 cr)

GOAL 9: ETHICAL/CIVIC RESPNSIBILITY (3 CREDITS)

• PHIL 1135 – Bioethics (3 cr)

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (28 CREDITS)

• AOP 2220 – Business Communications (3 cr)
• AOP 2614 – Customer Relations Management (3 cr)
• AOP 2617 – Microsoft Outlook and Meeting Planning (3 cr)
• AOP 2622 – Multimedia and Collaborative Technology (3 cr)
• AOP 2870 – Employment Strategies (1 cr)
• HCOP 1620 – Medical Terminology for Health Professions (3 cr)
• HCOP 1630 – Healthcare Office Fundamentals (3 cr)
• HCOP 1640 – Healthcare Office Documentation (4 cr)
• HIMC 2600 – Human Diseases for Health Professionals (3 cr)
• HIMC 2610 – Pharmacology (2 cr)

PROGRAM ELECTIVES (15 CREDITS)

• AOP 1360 – Microsoft Excel (3 cr)
• BUS 1101 – Introduction to Business (3 cr)
• HIMC 1840 – Introduction to Health Records (3 cr)
• HIMC 1850 – Computerized Health Information (3 cr)
• MATH 1111 – Quantitative Reasoning (3 cr) OR Any MnTC Courses

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 (15 CREDITS): AOP 2614, COMM 1130, ENGL 1109 OR ENGL 1117, HCOP 1620, MATH 1111
• Semester 2 (16 CREDITS): AOP 1360, AOP 2617, AOP 2622, AOP 2630, BIOL 1107
• Semester 3 (15 CREDITS): AOP 2220, BUS 1101, HIMC 1840, HIMC 2600, PHIL 1135
• Semester 4 (13 CREDITS): AOP 2870, HCOP 1630, HCOP 1640, HIMC 1850, HIMC 2610

PART-TIME

• Semester 1 (6 CREDITS): COMM 1130, ENGL 1109 OR ENGL 1117
• Semester 2 (9 CREDITS): AOP 2614, HCOP 1620, MATH 1111
• Semester 3 (7 CREDITS): AOP 2622, BIOL 1107
• Semester 4 (9 CREDITS): AOP 1360, AOP 2617, AOP 2630
• Semester 5 (9 CREDITS): BUS 1101, HIMC 2600, PHIL 1135
• Semester 6 (6 CREDITS): AOP 2220, HIMC 1840
• Semester 7 (5 CREDITS): HIMC 1850, HIMC 2610
• Semester 8 (8 CREDITS): AOP 2870, HCOP 1630, HCOP 1640

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions