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Medical Office Management Career Overview

Find out what medical office management careers are like.

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Medical Office Management Job Description

medical office manager

Medical office managers organize office activities and provide support to physicians and other medical staff. They're responsible for everything from transcribing dictation to answering the phone and scheduling patients.

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Medical Office Management Education Requirements

If you're ready to start your medical office management training, you have a couple of different education option. Students interested in pursuing medical office administration careers may choose either of the following:

  • 1-year certificate or diploma
  • 2-year associate degree

Traditionally, the medical office was managed by a medical secretary who received on-the-job training. However, due to the complexities and rapid growth of the medical field, most medical offices now have a fully trained manager.

While there are no specific education credentials required for medical administration, most medical office managers have some formal training in medical office management or a related field. Training is usually offered by career colleges and community colleges.

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What You'll Study in a Medical Office Management Program

Medical office management and medical administrative assistant training programs provide you with the skills necessary to manage the day-to-day operations of a medical facility.

Typical medical administration programs offer courses in:

  • Medical terminology
  • Medical law and ethics
  • Labor law
  • Billing and collections
  • Office management
  • Business communication
  • Human resources

A medical office manager must also be well versed in a wide variety of subjects including:

  • HIPAA
  • Medicare
  • Salaries and benefits
  • OSHA
  • Managed care
  • Staff management
  • Facility management
  • Physician recruitment
  • Legal issues
  • Malpractice
  • Medical record management
  • ICD-9-CM and CPT coding

Medical Office Manager Salaries

Medical office manager salaries depend on a number of different factors. For instance, geographic location, education level and previous work experience all play into how much you'll make in a medical office management job. The medical specialty of the office or department you work for will also make a difference to your earning potential.

The 2008 Managers Compensation Survey from the Professional Association of Health Care Office Management shows the average salaries for medical office managers based on specialty. On the lower end of the spectrum, in family practices, the average salary was $56,411. On the higher end, in multi-specialty offices, the average medical office manager salary was $68,395. For more findings from this survey, read our Health Administration Salaries article.

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Spotlight Schools

University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix makes quality higher education highly accessible for working students. Whether you're seeking an associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree, we can help you reach your goal--and sooner than you may think.


Colorado Technical University Online

At Colorado Technical University, we understand the importance of your goals to pursue an industry-current, college degree. We offer access to skilled professors, small class size and flexible learning programs online and on campus.


Keiser University

Whether your goal is to improve your employability, develop leadership skills, enhance your education, improve your life, or simply study for the enjoyment of learning something new, Keiser University is designed around your needs.