Medical Office and Billing Specialist

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Program Overview

The Medical Office and Billing Specialist program prepares you for an entry-level career in a medical office. You will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to coordinate and facilitate a medical office, including:

Medical terminology
Coding medical diagnoses and procedures
Typing with speed and accuracy
Managing and organizing medical files and data
Ethical business practices

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

Health Records System: Learn the functionality of an electronic health records system by inputting patients' health insurance and demographic information as well as scheduling appointments and collecting payments.
VGM Immersion Experience: Students will get a job shadow experience at VGM Homelink where they will get hands-on experience with medical billing.

Transfer Information

If you plan to transfer, work closely with a program advisor to ensure courses transfer and you meet program requirements.

At A Glance
Award	Diploma
Length of Study	9 months
Tuition-Free Eligible	This program qualifies for the Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship and will pay up to 100% of your tuition. Students must apply for, be awarded, and meet the ongoing eligibility requirements for the Last-Dollar Scholarship.

Faculty Spotlight

Deanne Ulrich

"After our graduates find jobs, they branch out into many areas. Some, after working in the field, have continued their education in areas such as nursing and radiology. This program opens many doors for students."

Graduate Spotlight: Cheri Nelson

Cheri Nelson spent 20 years living in Allison, raising three sons. After the last one graduated, she moved back to her hometown of Waterloo, and enrolled in the Medical Office Specialist program. Everything was going well until December, when a breast cancer diagnosis threatened to derail her plans.

Fortunately, she was able to find the flexibility and support needed to keep moving forward. When chemo treatments zapped her energy, her instructors set up Zoom sessions, and remained flexible so Cheri could take tests when she felt stronger.

Now preparing to graduate and enroll in the Medical Billing and Coding program through Hawkeye Business and Community Education, Cheri is grateful for the support she received at Hawkeye and excited about what comes next.

"I've spent so many years raising my kids that I didn't spend a whole lot of time on myself," she said. "So it definitely made me more confident in what I know and what I can do."

Graduate Spotlight: Randi McDonald

Randi McDonald spent the last decade as a stay-at-home mom. As her kids got older and more independent, she decided she wanted to reenter the workforce.

She had attended classes at Hawkeye before and was familiar with the campus. Its location close to home and a scholarship that covered tuition helped make her decision easy. Randi enrolled in the Medical Office Specialist program, where she soon discovered most of her classmates were also nontraditional students.

"A lot of us kind of are on the same wavelength," she said. "We have families at home. We have outside responsibilities other than being a student."

Though balancing school and life could be difficult at times, Randi was also able to get involved with activities on campus that she truly enjoyed, like choir.

"Who would have thought I'd have been in a choir and having that experience?" she said. "I think everybody should join something."

After graduation, Randi plans to work at VGM.

"I had these plans before I started, but I'm going to fulfill them now," she said. "Because of Hawkeye, I have been able to confidently return to the workforce."

Program Pathway