Gwinnett College

When it comes to training in the field of medical assisting, Gwinnett Colleges & Institute has several options. All school campuses offer diploma programs, with the Lilburn, Marietta, and Sandy Springs campuses offering medical assisting associate degree programs as well.

Regardless of the credential, the core curriculum focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings.

In your training, you will take a variety of courses related to both the front and back office functions. The medical assisting externship component provides the opportunity to put into practice the skills you’ve learned in an actual medical setting working with actual patients.

To ensure a well-rounded medical assisting graduate, some programs may include training in medical insurance and coding, medical transcription, and bookkeeping as it relates to the medical office. Degree programs contain general education courses that are designed to expand your knowledge base and provide a solid educational experience.

The following are just a few of the skills taught in the programs:

• Measuring vital signs
• Patient preparation for medical examinations
• Updating patients’ charts
• Interaction communications with physicians and other medical professionals
• Preparing examination rooms
• Performing triage functions with patients
• Performing laboratory tests
• Performing phlebotomy procedures

Gwinnett Colleges & Institute’s medical billing and coding programs will provide you with the opportunity to learn insurance coding and processing, medical administrative procedures, and the regulatory requirements in the healthcare delivery system.

General education courses are designed to provide a rounded educational experience and encourage lifelong learning. The medical billing and coding degree program provides additional training in coding from the operative report and ICD-10 CM coding for long-term care.

The core medical billing and coding training will include the following topics.

• Billing basics
• ICD-10 coding
• CPT/HCPCS coding
• Advanced clinical coding
• Inpatient coding
• Coding from operative reports
• Health information technology

School externships provide the opportunity to apply the medical billing and coding skills learned in the classroom in actual medical settings.

Upon completion of your training, you will be able to seek entry-level career opportunities for medical billers and coders in hospitals, clinics, physician offices, health insurance companies, and third-party administrator companies.