As Calgary became a prominent Canadian city, it faced exciting opportunities and growing pains. It’s been a city with more than 1 million inhabitants for years, with net population gains throughout periods of national and regional economic uncertainty, global pandemics, and shifts in local industrial sectors. Having attracted investment in oil & gas for decades, and more recently expanding into film and television, as well as fintech, Calgary is one of the fastest-growing cities on the Prairies.
Most Calgarians are over the age of 35, with a median age of 37.6 years. Calgary is still considered a "young" population,” but will age significantly between now and 2040. As Calgary’s population ages, greater pressure will be placed on the healthcare system, creating jobs for health care workers, including Medical Office Assistants.
Medical Office Assistants (MOAs) are a critical part of Calgary’s local healthcare system. This role supports administrative work in doctor’s offices, hospital wards and hospital units, medical clinics, and other healthcare settings.
MOAs take on important tasks related to reception, medical reporting, scheduling, inventory management, and public (or private) healthcare insurance billing. They may also perform clinical duties like taking patients’ height and weight measurements, blood pressure, and other responsibilities that physicians and nurses could use support on!
If Calgary is home to you, considering this essential career path is well worth it — especially if you’d like to work in healthcare roles that don’t require a degree.
In this blog article, we’ll explore training requirements, salaries, and job opportunities for Medical Office Assistant roles within public and private healthcare settings in and around Calgary, Alberta — including Airdrie, Chestermere, Okotoks, High River, and Cochrane.
Education & Training Requirements To Become A Medical Office Assistant in Calgary
There are many Medical Office Assistant jobs available in Calgary in public and private healthcare facilities. Job opportunities with Alberta Health Services, the regional health authority, are typically available in hospitals and outpatient medical settings like long-term care facilities and walk-in clinics.
There are also job openings outside of hospitals and walk-in clinics. These include working in:
- Community health centres
- Home care centres
- Immunization clinics
- Long-term care centres
- Ambulatory care clinics
- Dental clinics
- Optometry clinics
- Insurance companies
- Chiropractic clinics
- Naturopathic clinics
- Acupuncture clinics
- And more
Whether you choose to apply for administrative work in a home care facility or a chiropractor’s office, you’ll need skills in medical record-keeping, medical transcription, public or private insurance billing, and standard procedures for medical offices. Medical Office Assistant applicants need the right training, as many employers look for post-secondary education on an applicant’s resume.
Medical Office Assistant Diplomas Vs Certificates
In Canada, there are two options for creating career opportunities for yourself through career college or vocational training: Diplomas and Certificates. Those thinking of getting their start as a Medical Office Assistant have the same choice. But what’s the difference between these 2 academic credentials?
Diplomas can take from 1 to 2 years of study, providing a thorough education and a practical skillset, equipping you to work in a multitude of medical settings, as mentioned above. Diplomas generally look better on your resume and help you stand out more in the job market. Some Diploma programs – including the Medical Office Administration-Health Unit Coordinator Diploma offered by Sundance College – offer practicum training to help students apply their classroom knowledge in a workplace setting.
Certificates are typically shorter programs, ranging from just a few weeks to a few months long. Due to their brief duration, they may not always provide the same in-depth knowledge as a Diploma; usually they do not include work experience practicums due to time constraints. They are usually not eligible for the same student financial aid benefits.
Reasons To Get A Medical Office Assistant Diploma
Candidates who have completed formal Medical Office Administrative Assistant education tend to stand out more on job competition. Completing a Medical Office Assistant Diploma will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to succeed as an MOA in Calgary.
The day-to-day responsibilities of MOAs vary depending upon where the health setting the work in but their work is crucial as they balance administrative duties with direct patient care.
MOAs help doctors and nurses greet and welcome patients and assist them through a healthcare appointment. And another important duty involves getting essential documentation and billing done correctly and on time.
Medical Office Assistant Diplomas provide ideal preparation for these responsibilities. For early success in a healthcare career, MOAs learn essential skills that can be used in a variety of public or private healthcare settings. Diploma programs are designed to provide skills you can apply on your first day at your new job.
The most useful MOA Diploma programs include courses in:
- Anatomy & physiology
- Medical terminology
- Medical transcription
- Computer software
- Coding & billing systems for public and privately insured medical offices
- And more
Usually offering more thorough training than shorter Certificate programs, Diploma curriculums equip you with the practical skills and knowledge you need to easily transition into your MOA role.
Medical Office Administrators’ Job Outlook & Salary In Calgary
When assessing job opportunities in a field, it’s helpful to look at how many jobs will open up versus how many applicants there are to take them.
Total demand for Medical Office Assistants tends to be higher than the supply; for the decade spanning from 2022 thorough 2031, the Government of Canada is forecasting 41,100 new medical administrative assistant jobs and only 36,400 applicants.
That number doesn’t include the cross-section of Calgary-based MOAs who will retire and leave job openings behind. More broadly, in Alberta, there is likely to be consistent industry demand, despite different demand curves in other parts of the country.
MOAs in Alberta are required at above average rates. Indeed.com shows over 250 open MOA positions in Calgary, AB. That number includes all sorts of medical health settings from dental clinics to primary care networks.
Did you know you can get a job as an MOA in a hospital? There is a position closely related to that job title, but it’s more commonly known as a Hospital Unit Clerk.
Whether you opt for a Unit Clerk position at a hospital or an MOA position in outpatient healthcare settings — your pay, your employer, and your benefits can vary.
How Much Does A Medical Office Administrator Earn In Calgary?
Minimum wage in Calgary is $15/hour, or $27,378 per year. In contrast, the average wage for an MOA in Calgary sits at $28.40/hour or $50,921.00 per year. Wages usually vary depending on your workplace, who your employer is, and how many years of experience you can boast.
The average wage, $28.40/hour for an MOA in Calgary, is a combination of a range of wages including the lowest starting salary $18.00/hour and the highest salary average for an experienced MOA ($34.13/hour or $61,051.74 per year).
If you know where you want to work, you can narrow down to what you might earn starting out. Make sure to find out what you can earn through advancement or promotions by researching the type of position you are most interested in and the employer for the position!
What Skills Are Required For a Medical Office Assistant?
Employers and hiring managers often demand a particular skillset to stand out from other applicants on your job application. What does that look like for someone looking to work as an MOA in Calgary?
Medical Office Assistants should have exemplary administrative skills, but these important skills can be broken down into sets of complementary skills. And some are more important than others.
Communication skills and organization skills are two mutually dependent skills that help doctors and nurses to provide healthcare to a community — for the benefit of individual patients. But there are more skills required; you’ll need to know hard skills and demonstrate soft skills that are critical to success in medical offices or inpatient medical settings.
MOA's Hard & Soft Skillsets
What’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills, and why do MOAs need them?
Hard skills are typically recognized as technical ability; an MOA working in Calgary will need to take an Alberta healthcare card confidently and bill public health insurance competently — using specialized software found in medical offices all over Alberta. They’ll also need knowledge of billing with Alberta’s health insurance codes with thorough understanding of medical terminology to avoid mistakes.
However, soft skills are just as important; again, you’ll need the organizational skills to manage patient records, enter data, and handle other detail-oriented tasks efficiently.
You’ll also need to make an available and welcoming environment for anyone working in the hospital or medical office — as well as the public who pass through. A medical office exemplifying optimal internal and external communication is always better prepared to serve their community.
What Job Can You Get After Medical Assistant?
The right Medical Office Assistant program provides you with a relevant skillset and transferrable skills between healthcare settings, opening your options for a variety of well-paying positions, including:
- Medical Transcriptionist
- Medical Billing Clerk
- Medical Scheduler
- Hospital Unit Clerk
- Patient Coordinator
- And more
After finding success in one or more of these roles for years, MOAs have additional experience and skills that can lead to various advancement opportunities with Alberta Health Services, private clinics, or other employers, including:
- Medical Office Manager
- Clinic Manager
- Medical Office Trainer
- And more
The best way to optimize your job application is to seek hands-on experience and training in a real medical office through a practicum placement. It’s also a great idea to network with healthcare professionals in Calgary, through job fairs, LinkedIn, or a career training program.
Why Becoming An MOA In Calgary & Area Is An Amazing Career Choice
Becoming an MOA in Calgary could be the best career move you’ve made in your life — one that defines your place in the healthcare system. This field is growing as quickly as Calgary’s population, requiring plenty of administrative and technical skills from job-ready MOAs right from the start.
While Medical Office Assistants don’t need a degree to get their first job and get a promotion, most employers look for specialized training and hands-on experience right from the start. Sundance College offers a Medical Office Administration Diploma with a 5-week practicum work placement, giving you the chance to apply your knowledge in a real workplace. Through their practicum, students get the opportunity to network with industry professionals and learn more about the career path.
You’ll also have the choice to study online or in-person at one of our campuses in Edmonton, Calgary, or Winnipeg. A student-focused Medical Office Assistant Diploma with a well-designed curriculum is attainable within one year; get in touch with us and start talking to an Academic Advisor!