Student Success – Melissa Stevens Gets Ahead through Business Office Technology/Medical Option

MANCHESTER, Conn. (June 12, 2017) – Melissa Stevens, of East Hartford, entered MCC’s Business Office Technology-Medical Option program and found that it was a quicker stepping stone to employment than she anticipated. She is currently working at Intergrated Physicians Management as a medical billing clerk.

“Thanks to this program, which I learned about when I was a high-school student at Great Path Academy (GPA), I was able to land a good job even before I finished,” Stevens said, crediting her early success to Associate Professor Carla Adams, program coordinator, business office technology, as well as Stacey Bottone, BOT/medical instructor, who helped her find the job.

“Stacey Bottone has so much knowledge and experience about the medical aspect of my degree,” Stevens said. “It was soon after she helped me revise my resume to fit the medical aspect of my degree that I was able to get a job in my field.”

Stevens is now continuing part-time in pursuit of her degree. She graduated from GPA in Spring 2013, started at MCC the following fall and expects to complete her associate degree in December 2017. She hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree through Charter Oak State College and ultimately to land a job in a hospital.

“Introductory courses in keyboarding and computer software applications prepared Melissa for today’s increasingly technological workplace,” Adams said. “Other program-specific courses in medical terminology, coding, insurance, and electronic health records (EHR) gave her the targeted skills and knowledge necessary for entry-level employment in a healthcare environment.”

The program provides instruction in federal regulations, medical ethics, legal implications, and patient confidentiality when handling protected health information. “Employers are seeking graduates with training in these critical areas,” Adams noted.

For her part, Stevens has been working diligently to keep her grades up while balancing the full- time job. She has developed a successful time management schedule to stay organized.

“It’s hard to balance but I manage my time wisely so I complete all my homework during the week in between shifts at my job,” Stevens said. “I also make sure that on the weekends I give myself time to relax before the week ahead, which helps me stay focused.”

She added, “I am grateful to MCC for being able to receive a quality education in the medical field. I’m hoping to be able to pursue nursing, as well, but I’m happy that I started business office technology here at MCC.”

About the Business Office Technology-Medical Option Program – The Business Office Technology-Medical Option associate degree program prepares students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel and contribute as a positive team member in the medical office environment. Students become proficient in keyboarding/data-entry, word processing, medical terminology, computerized communication, and state-of-the-art medical software simulations integrating Practice Management/EHR, and medical administrative procedures. Medical administrative assistants, electronic health records specialists, health insurance specialists and transcriptionists are recruited for positions in all health care settings, as well as insurance companies, medical departments of private corporations and government agencies. MCC also offers business office technology certificate programs. Visit the website.