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What is a Medical and Dental Office Administrator? An Overview of the Role

Medical and dental office administrators play a key role in the healthcare industry in Canada. They are the first people who greet you when you enter a hospital or a clinic, and chances are that you must have engaged in a conversation with any of them some time in your life. For instance, people who do the Dental Office Administrator course usually work at the front office of a dental clinic and manage the overall operations. Similarly, medical office administrators usually handle different kinds of office operations in a medical facility, such as hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care, etc.

Role Of Medical And Dental Administrators

Medical and dental administrators do a variety of duties, starting from greeting the patients and answering phone calls to managing insurance claims and other payments. Some of the main duties include:

  • Scheduling patient appointments
  • Checking insurance policies and claims
  • Maintaining payable and receivable accounts
  • Coordinating with other staff to make sure patients receive good services
  • Making sure that patient data is handled confidentially
  • Dental insurance and claims

Admission Requirements For A Diploma

Most colleges in Canada require a high school certificate or an equivalent certificate. Colleges also require English language proficiency requirements to take admission for both domestic and international students. Domestic students usually need to present their grade 10 English language certificate, while for international students most colleges require a certain score in IELTS or TOEFL.

Job Opportunities

Medical and dental office administrators usually get employment in general practitioners or specialist offices, dental clinics and medical offices, physiotherapy clinics, massage clinics, dermatology clinics, and other various medical offices, etc.

Salary Range

Medical and dental office administrators usually work between 35 and 40 hours per week. There is a minor difference between their salaries, but it mostly depends upon their experience and the province where they work. The median salary of a medical administrative assistant is $24 per hour as of December 3, 2024, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank. Alberta offers the highest median salary, which is $28.30, while Manitoba offers the lowest median salary of $23 per hour. Job Bank does not have specific data for dental office administrators, but according to Glassdoor, the median salary of dental office administrators is $25.75 per hour.

Conclusion

Medical and dental office administrators are the backbone of any medical or dental facility because of their critical role in planning and coordination. This is the reason why dental and medical administrators often become senior managers because of their responsibilities to run a healthcare facility smoothly. If you are considering entering the growing healthcare industry in Canada, you can definitely look into further details related to these two careers. 

Join the Medical & Dental Office Administrator Diploma at Edison College

Edison College’s medical and dental office administrator is a dual diploma, which means that after graduation, the students can both work in medical and dental offices. Medical Office Administrator courses are also equally balanced in this, along with the courses related to dental office administration. This diploma also has courses related to health care terminology, medical billing, bookkeeping procedures, medical and dental insurance, and introductory medical transcription. Besides these technical courses, this diploma also covers courses like effective communication strategies and the latest computer applications, etc. so that the graduates can get better opportunities. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact us today to learn more about this program. 

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