Amspar intermediate diploma in medical reception

...more. i started the AMSPAR course in September 2004 and will be finishing after my final exams in June of this year.

The course trains you in all aspects of medical reception. And although classified as a full-time course it only entails three days a week.Monday's,Tuesday's and Thursday's but these are full days.

you start off by learning the basics ie.communication and job roles and then you go on your first work placement ...
...case as I choose to be different at a private practice. in which it was a placement that i thoroughly enjoyed as I learnt all the aspects of medical reception from a hands on approach.

During the second term you go into more detail and depth and learn about payroll,banking,petty cash and patient registration etc. in january i went on a further work placement which was hospital based i participated in many duties and even done some ... more

i enrolled on this course as I wanted to make something of my life as after having my kids and leaving school with only GCSE's I wanted a bit more. i started the AMSPAR course in September 2004 and will be finishing after my final exams in June of this year.

The course trains you in all aspects of medical reception. And although classified as a full-time course it only entails three days a week.Monday's,Tuesday's and Thursday's but these are full days.

you start off by learning the basics ie.communication and job roles and then you go on your first work placement in November,this is at a GP surgery or in my case as I choose to be different at a private practice. in which it was a placement that i thoroughly enjoyed as I learnt all the aspects of medical reception from a hands on approach.

During the second term you go into more detail and depth and learn about payroll,banking,petty cash and patient registration etc. in january i went on a further work placement which was hospital based i participated in many duties and even done some secretarial work.

Mondays at college are based with our tutor in which we do various modules covering the different aspects of medical reception work. Which include:-

COMMUNICATION:
Recognising the importance of effective communication with visitors,colleagues and patients, recording messages,dealing with the public,effective communication skills and health promotion.

MAIL:
Dealing with incoming and outgoing mail and electronic mail systems

TELEPHONE TECHNIQUES:
Using a telephone efficiently, different telephone services available.

THE ROLE OF THE MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST:
Skills and qualities, receiving patients appropriately, using repeat prescriptions.

GENERAL DUTIES:
Patient registration and appointment systems, record keeping and the different methods and classifications and housing of them.

RECORD KEEPING AND RETRIEVAL
How to store items in correct order and the diffrent types of ordering available

OFFICE EQUIPMENT and how to use it.

DEALING WITH PETTY CASH

PAYROLL:
Learn how to calculate tax and NI manually and learn which forms need to be filled out for the inland revenue

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
What its used for,basic terms and concepts

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Such as medical dictionaries,first aid manuals,BNF,MIMS,drug tariffs and the statement of fees and allowances.
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Tuesdays at college consist of IT in the morning in which I have managed to obtain the following qualifications:
ECDL(european computer driving licence)
OCR WORD PROCESSING INTERMEDIATE
OCR AUDIO-TRANSCRIPTION IN TERMEDIATE
OCR TEXT PRODUCTION BOTH INTERMEDIATE AND BASIC
OCR MEDICAL WORD PROCESSING INTERMEDIATE
OCR MEDICAL AUDIO-TRANSCRIPTION INTERMEDIATE.

The is one or 2 more qualifiactions that I have got as well but at the moment i cant seem to remeber what i have and havent got.

in the afternoon i do lessons on the NHS such as structure, ethics,patients rights atc.This is quite a demanding subject as it goes into great depth.

after this lesson I am currently doing my health and safety certificate, before Health and safety started we done first aid in which i passed and obtained my full first aid certificate.

Thursdays lessons are much the same as Tuesdays except in the afternoon we do medical instead of NHS. This covers the various departments within the a hospital such as oncology and haematology and look at the various sources available.we also learn medical terminology,never in a million years would i thought Id learn to spell and know what a sphygmomanometer (bp machine) is. this is a lesson that I really enjoy as its really interesting learning new words such as oophorectomy(removal of an ovary) or orchitis(inflammation of a testicle).

Throughout the course you are set 4 assignments which go towards your final grade.they are based on GP work placement,hospital duties,NHS structure and drugs and prescriptions. the final exams are in June of which I am not looking foward to(dont do exams aarrrggghhh)
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FINAL NOTE
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The college I am at doesnt give the course full justice as it is in the process of being knocked down and rebuilt so we have had no heating since November and there doesnt seem to be any structure to the lessons. But all in all its a qualification that I have never had and im just glad to get as many as I can. The course is suitable for mature students. 

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