Kacey Eagle, Our Medical Office Administration Program Director, Answers Questions About Our Externships
Here at WVJC Online, we’re proud to offer a wide range of online programs for students looking to advance their educations and prepare themselves for careers that they’re passionate about.
It’s our goal to take the skills our students have acquired and provide opportunities to apply them to settings beyond the classroom. Specifically speaking, these efforts have been incorporated into our Medical Office Administration Program in the form of local externships, thanks to contributions from our Program Director Kacey Eagle.
With years of experience within the healthcare industry, Eagle brought her expertise to WVJC Online starting in 2015. She has generously agreed to answer questions about the program, as well as its externship options, in the following Q&A.
- As the Medical Office Administration Program Director, what does your role entail on a daily basis?Typically, every day I get to the office early to start checking in on my students’ progress online from the prior day. I go through each class to ensure movement with discussions, assignments, etc.
Then, depending on my class load, I am either teaching in class residentially, or I am in the classrooms responding to questions promoting discussions, grading assignments, or preparing for a new week. Priority for me is my students and part of being a program director is the responsibility of retaining the student within the program. I do this by contacting students on a daily basis via various methods to check in on how they are doing, and how they’re balancing their families, work, and schoolwork, etc.
It is extremely important to achieve and maintain a relationship with the student throughout their time at WVJC and beyond. I also have other commitments, such as various meetings throughout the week, student counseling, mentoring, and curriculum review and development.
- What are some of the key benefits for a student to consider when comparing an online school to a school that’s more traditional?Online courses give students the opportunity to plan their study time around the rest of their day, instead of the other way around. Students can take online courses and even complete entire degrees while working, while in-between jobs, or while taking time to raise a family.
Online classes can offer a more comfortable learning environment as well as offering a variety of programs, courses, and degree options.
- What sets the WVJC Ohio Online program apart from other online schools? Why should a prospective student choose your school?West Virginia Junior College maintains the philosophy that the “student comes first” and practices an “open door” policy allowing students accessibility to all faculty and administrative staff. A cohesive bond between the student and the school is developed as a result of this open communication and is fundamental in the development of the skills and knowledge necessary to prepare for entry into a career field.
- What are some of the key advantages to students utilizing WVJC Ohio Online’s Ohio externship options?The student will directly engage with other health care employees as well as patients. The students can fine-tune their hands-on skills by managing the office phone system, entering patient information into the computer, filing, copying, faxing, and other duties that Medical Office Administration entails.
The student will also be able to work on their soft skills, such as:
- Verbal/written forms of communication
- Critical thinking
- Team building
- Time management
- Organization
- What advice would you give a student who is debating enrolling in an online school that provides externship programs?I would encourage students to enroll in an online program that provides an externship because this will give them hands-on training in an actual office setting, similar to what they will experience once they graduate and obtain a job in-field. As mentioned previously, externships also help students refine their soft skills, such as communication, accountability, critical thinking, and time management.
Learn About Our Medical Office Administration Program by Contacting Us Today!
If you have any questions about our online Medical Office Administration program offered in Ohio, all you have to do is reach out to our team today. We can provide more information on aspects of the program such as our coursework and faculty.
We look forward to hearing from you today!
For important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program CLICK HERE.