SUMMER ENRICHMENT | PRIVATE TUTORING | CAREER SERVICES | CONTRIBUTIONS | ACT WORKSHOPS
21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER | HIGHLIGHTS | MEET THE STAFF | EMPLOYMENT | FIND US
Career Services
“It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education, so little stress
is laid on the pleasure of becoming an educated person, the enormous interest it adds to life.
To be able to be caught up into the world of thought — that is to be educated.” EDITH HAMILTON
Career Advantage at The Learning Curve is geared toward helping adults to acquire specific skills to be successful in the workforce. We are a Mississippi Licensed Proprietary School (#C-639) that offers courses in Medical Assisting, Office Systems Technology, Microsoft Certified Professional, Pharmacy Technician, Bookkeeping, and Medical Billing and Coding.
If you are ready for a career change, or you simply want to improve your marketable skills, call our Career Services Specialist for The Learning Curve at 601/352-5321.
The Learning Curve is licensed by the Mississippi Commission on Colleges and Proprietary Schools, and offers job training courses in the following areas:
BOOKKEEPING | MEDICAL ASSISTANT PROGRAM | MEDICAL BILLING & CODING
MICROSOFT CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM | OFFICE SYSTEM TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM | PHARMACY TECHNICIAN
Office Systems Technology provides Microsoft system technology curriculum that prepares students for administrative support careers within a computerized setting. These positions might be clerical, secretarial, accounting, insurance, desktop publishing, office management, word processing, or medical administration.
Medical Assisting teaches students clerical and clinical skills that they can bring to a health care team. Medical Assisting grooms students for administrative, laboratory, and patient care at clinics, hospitals, and surgical centers.
Microsoft Certified Professional offers performance-based certification examinations which job candidates can present to potential employers as proof of skill mastery in MS Word and Excel. Students can prepare for these examinations by attending preparatory courses at The Learning Curve.
Bookkeeping
The Bookkeeping course is to prepare individuals to become competent and knowledgeable expanded functions bookkeepers. This course teaches the student all the skills necessary to provide technical administrative support to professional accountants and other financial management personnel.
Program Goals:
Through completing this course, students will learn:
• How to create complete accounting and bookkeeping systems, through both manual and computer methods, including financial reports that contain balance sheets, profit/loss statements, and customer billings
• How to make original and final entries, posting to journals, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, general ledger, and customer statements
This career-focused and fast-track approach gives students the advantage of achieving these goals within 3 to 4 months. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
Admissions Process
• Application
• High School Diploma or GED
• Career Counseling Session
Prerequisites
Bookkeepers need to have an aptitude for mathematics and be able to use a 10-key adding machine. They must be careful, orderly and detail-oriented in order to avoid making errors and to recognize errors made by others. These worker also should be discreet and trustworthy because they frequently come in contact with confidential material. They should also have good communication skills because they increasingly work with customers. In addition, all bookkeepers should have a strong aptitude for numbers.
Bookkeeping Careers
This course prepares you for employment in the following occupations:
• Accounting Clerk
• Accounts Payable Clerk
• Accounts Receivable Clerk
• General Ledger Bookkeeper
• Officer Manager
• Payroll Clerk
Labor Statistics
According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings of bookkeeping, accounting, auditing clerks were $30,560. The middle half of the occupation earned between $24,540 and $37,780. The top 10 percent of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks earned more than $46,020, and the bottom 10 percent earned less than $19,760.
Job Outlook?
"Job growth is projected to be average through 2016, and job prospects should be good as a large number of bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are expected to retire or transfer to other occupations."
U. S. Dept. of Labor
Medical Assistant Program
Medical assistants serve an important role on the healthcare team by performing a wide variety of clerical and clinical skills. If you are looking for a career that features opportunities to work in the administrative, laboratory, and patient care areas of a physician's office or clinic, hospital, surgical center, or other healthcare setting, medical assisting may be just what you're looking for.
Program Goals:
Students in this program will learn to:
• Perform clerical procedures
• Provide patient care
• Communicate effectively
• Instruct patients
• Perform medical office operational functions
• Demonstrate professionalism in a healthcare setting
This career-focused and fast-track approach gives students the advantage of achieving these goals within 4 to 6 months. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
Admissions Process
• Application
• High School Diploma or GED
• Career Counseling Session
Job Responsibilities
The duties of medical assistants vary from setting to setting. Medical assistants perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients' medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, and scheduling appointments.
They may also perform some clinical procedures that involve collecting lab specimens, sterilizing lab equipment, or drawing blood. Clinical medical assistants may instruct patients about medications, authorize drug refills as directed, and prepare patients for x-rays.
Medical Assistant Careers
• Medical Receptionist
• Medical Secretary
• Patient Coordinator
• Medical Insurance Clerk
• Medical Lab Assistant
• Admissions Clerk
• Phlebotomist
Labor Statistics
According to the latest research, about 6 out of 10 graduates work in physician offices; 14 percent work in public and private hospitals; and 11 percent work in other healthcare offices, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The rest work in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities.
Job Outlook?
"Medical assistant is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations between 2004 to 2014."
U. S. Dept. of Labor
Medical Billing & Coding
The Medical Billing & Coding Program prepares individuals for employment in a medical insurance billing or other medical-clerical position in a doctor’s office or clinic, or to start their own home-based billing service.
For those individuals wishing to further their education in the medical field, this program provides a firm foundation. They will understand the importance of accurate, complete, and consistent coding practice for the production of quality healthcare data.
Program Goals:
Students in this program will learn to:
• Perform the day-to-day tasks associated with medical billing, medical coding and completing insurance forms
• Analyze medical records and assign codes to diagnoses and procedures
• Organize records to be used for patient billing, insurance claims and account management
• Communicate with other healthcare personnel to clarify diagnoses or obtain additional information, if needed
This career-focused and fast track approach gives students the advantage of achieving these goals within 4 to 6 months. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
Admissions Process
• Application
• High School Diploma or GED
• Career Counseling Session
Job Responsibilities
Some typical tasks for the Medical Billing & Coding professional may include:
• Registering of patient information
• Performing insurance verification, pre-authorization and referral tasks
• Preparing and posting transactions on day sheets, charge tickets and patient accounts
• Coding and billing insurance claims
• Collecting patient payments and performing collection activities
Medical Billing & Coding Careers
Upon successful completion of this program students may choose the following occupations:
• Coding Specialist
• Medical Office Receptionist
• Insurance Secretary
• Medical Information Secretary
• Medical Records Clerk
Labor Statistics
According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings medical billing & coding personnel were $28,850 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $24,080 and $34,970. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,140, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $41,750.
Job Outlook?
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Medical Billing & Coding field is growing “much faster than average,” and thousand of new jobs are created each year.
There are many employment opportunities for knowledgeable billing & coding personnel in medical offices, hospitals and clinics around the country. Skilled billing & coding personnel are in high demand. In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers.
U. S. Dept. of Labor
Microsoft Certified Professional Program
Program Overview
This performance-based certification examination can improve productivity for business, industry, staffing agencies, and individuals alike.
We are facing a rapidly changing workplace and marketplace. Certification can become a standard for documenting skills and competencies. We need to focus on performance and work knowledge, to increase productivity.
What Are Our Clients Saying?
"Testing and receiving Microsoft Specialist Certification in MS Word and Excel has served as a validation of my software knowledge both personally and professionally. I would recommend this certification to anyone interested in career growth." Joanne C. – Secretary
Just Do It! Get Certified!
Got Skills? Prove IT!
Talent has taken you this far. The Microsoft Specialist Program can take you even farther with testing that adds something unique to your talent: the ability to PROVE IT.
Prepare for the Microsoft Exams by attending Prep courses offered at The Learning Curve.
About The Exam
Based on the way YOU actually use your computer.
Measures your hands-on skills of the software.
Not a multiple choice or guess exam of memorization ability.
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
Certification?
Human Resource Department can use the certification for:
• Pre-employment Screening
• Requirement as part of Job
• Descriptions or Specifications
• Performance Target for Employee
• Development
• Ordering Temporary Staffing Contracts
• Measuring User Competency
• Measuring Support Need
Taking the MOS Exams
TESTS CAN BE SCHEDULED FROM 8:00 A.M. UNTIL 8:00 P.M. ON SELECT TEST DATES
ALLOW ONE HOUR FOR EACH EXAM
Call to schedule an appointment today!
Just Do It! Get Certified!
Office System Technology Program
Program Overview
The Office Systems Technology Curriculum prepares individuals for positions in administrative support careers. It equips office professionals to respond to the demands of a dynamic computerized workplace.
Students will complete courses designed to develop proficiency in the use of integrated software, oral and written communication, analysis and coordination of office duties and systems, and other support topics. Emphasis is placed on non-technical as well as technical skills.
Graduates should qualify for employment in a variety of positions in business, government, and industry. Job classifications range from entry-level to supervisor to middle management.
Typical job opportunities:
• Administrative Assistant/Secretary
• Clerk/Receptionist
• Coding, Billing & Insurance Specialist
• Computer Applications Specialist
• Desktop Publishing Specialist
• Medical Office Administrator
• Medical Transcriptionst
• Office Manager
• Word/Information Processing
• Supervisor
Technology is all around us and more business offices are becoming automated and computer centered. Prepare yourself for a new and challenging career through our Office System Tech Program!
Microsoft Office Skills
Emphasis will be placed on developing fundamental knowledge
and skills in Microsoft Office applications.
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
Program Topics:
• Understanding functions and parts of a computer
• Use of Windows XP
• Creating and editing Word documents
• Using Excel to create worksheets
• Use of formulas, functions, and formatting of worksheets
• Database development
• Creating slide presentations
• Use of email and contact management software
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY FROM 9:00 P.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M. AND FRIDAY FROM 9:00 A.M. UNTIL 2:00 P.M.
Call to schedule an appointment today!
Pharmacy Technician
About the Program
The Pharmacy Technician Program prepares individuals to assist the pharmacist in providing pharmaceutical services and care to patients in hospitals, retail settings, home health care, nursing homes, clinics, nuclear medicine settings, and mail order prescription companies. The pharmacy technician curriculum provides practical and technical pharmaceutical knowledge.
Program Goals:
Students in this program will learn to:
• Understand the laws that govern pharmacy, whether federal or state mandated
• Define medical and pharmaceutical terms, and common abbreviations
• Understand the pharmacology of medications in relation to the anatomy affected
• Perform pharmaceutical calculations
• Understand the importance of confidentiality of all patient information
This career-focused and fast-track approach gives students the advantage of achieving these goals within 4 to 6 months. A certificate is awarded upon completion.
Admissions Process
• Application
• High School Diploma or GED
• Career Counseling Session
Job Responsibilities
A pharmacy technician’s duties may include:
• Verifying prescriptions from doctors
• Assisting with prescriptions by counting pills and measuring medications
• Labeling products
• Establishing and maintaining patient records
• Communicate effectively with patients and medical professionals
• Processing insurance information and collecting payments
• Tracking insurance information
• Assisting patients with insurance forms
• Stocking and inventory of medications
Careers Outlook
The need for pharmacy technicians is increasing. As retailers expand their pharmaceutical services and scientific advancements continue, the role of the pharmacy technician will grow.
The National Pharmacy Technician Association reports that there are over 39,000 pharmacy technician job opening per year. They also report that pharmacy technician job growth is expected to be over 28 percent in the next decade.
Labor Statistics
According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median annual earnings of pharmacy technicians were $26,510 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $21,010 and $31,030. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,800, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $31,030. Certification, evening or weekend hours, and union membership typically contribute to increased pay.
Job Outlook?
With and aging population, advances in science and an ever increasing array of medications, employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.
U. S. Dept. of Labor
COPYRIGHT © 2008 - 2010 THE LEARNING CURVE | AUGUST 16, 2010 | SITE BY NEW SOUTHERN VIEW CREATIVE SERVICES