My official title is medical office associate. My responsibilities include register and schedule patients in an outpatient clinic for a medical center. You also have to answer phones and do general clerical duties(ie:filing,copies,ect)
If you have excellent customer service skills, enjoy being around people, can handle stressful or hectic days, then I would recommend this position. You would also need to have a basic understanding of health insurance, medical terminology and coding/billing. I also would like to add that most positions do not require weekend or late evening shifts.
This position is not for you if you can not handle change on a daily basis. If you do not like interacting with people or having to deal with patients that may not be so pleasant, then this is not the position for you.
Most employers may have a training class that prepares you for this position. My training class was 8 weeks long. The first 4 weeks were in the classroom. I learned the computer system in which to register/schedule patients, insurance and general medical terminology or coding. The second 4 weeks you were placed in clinics to apply what you learned in the classroom. I would also like to add that this was a paid training.
If I had to do it over again, I would in an instant.