Medical practice coordinator training with a federal diploma: experiences and tips from participant Emine Süzük- Obtain a tertiary-level diploma as a medical practice coordinator
In this interview, Emine Süzük answers questions about the Medical Practice Coordinator training program, her experiences, details about salary and the professional examination, as well as the daily challenges in everyday practice.
What is your name and what do you do for a living?
My name is Emine Süzük. I work as a senior medical practice coordinator in Zug in a large group practice with 35 people. I am responsible for the management and recruitment of staff, manage the staff and train apprentices. I have a certificate as a vocational trainer and have completed a course in personnel management at a management school. I am also responsible for quality management and have completed further training as an auditor. At FREI'S Schools, I have completed the "Medical Practice Coordinator Management" course and work as an expert for medical practice assistants.
What motivated you to train as a medical practice coordinator?
I completed the medical practice coordinator training in a managerial direction because I was looking for a new challenge and wanted to obtain a degree in the form of a federal certificate at tertiary level.
Why did you choose the FREI'S schools?
I chose FREI'S Schools because I also completed my basic training as a medical practice assistant there. So I already knew that I liked the school. The school is close to where I live and is therefore easy to get to. There is also a very good infrastructure. I also read online that it is the best school in Central Switzerland in this area. For all these reasons, I chose this school for my medical practice coordinator training.
To what extent does the Medical Practice Coordinator training support you in your professional activities?
The training as a medical practice coordinator in a managerial direction has supported me very well in my day-to-day work, as I was able to draw a lot of knowledge from the training. I benefited a lot in quality management in particular, as I manage quality management in our practice with a group. I was able to put a lot of the new knowledge in this area into practice on a one-to-one basis.
What were you able to benefit from in the area of quality management?
In the area of quality management, the medical practice coordinator training was a refresher for me and I was able to gain a few new practical insights. For example, the cantonal pharmacist came to explain things to us. We were also able to ask a lawyer our questions and benefit from practical information at the X-ray institute.
What did you like best about the course?
What I liked best about the Medical Practice Coordinator Management course was that we were able to exchange ideas with other MPAs. We learned more about each other's day-to-day practice and their goals. That was very informative. I also really enjoyed expanding my knowledge together with the lecturers.
Were there any difficult moments during your medical training?
There weren't too many difficult moments for me during my training as a medical practice coordinator and it was easy for me to manage. The basic training to become a medical practice assistant (MPA) helps participants to keep up better and to know what is being talked about. This is because the knowledge builds on the three-year MPA basic training and many years of practical experience is helpful.
What is the Medical Practice Coordinator salary like? Have you already received a pay rise?
My salary as a medical practice coordinator hasn't changed too much, as I was already working in this managerial position before. However, anyone who completes further training as a medical practice assistant to become a medical practice coordinator should receive 100 francs more per module and 400 francs more on completion. This is provided that the knowledge acquired as a medical practice coordinator can be used in everyday practice. These are the official recommendations. However, the employer can decide and set the salary level themselves.
Who would you recommend the Medical Practice Coordinator course to?
I would recommend the Medical Practice Coordinator course to all medical practice assistants. Training is also possible for dental assistants and healthcare assistants (FaGe), but they will have a more difficult time as they do not have the same prior knowledge as MPAs.
What is required in job advertisements for "Medical Practice Coordinator" positions?
For job advertisements for "Medical Practice Coordinator" (MPK) positions in a managerial role, you must fulfill the requirements as a manager in addition to being trained as an MPK. This is because the tasks of an MPK include team management, training of employees and the know-how for implementation in practice. You also need to be assertive and willing to take on management tasks.
What is the difference between being a medical practice coordinator and being an MPA?
One of my daily tasks as a Medical Practice Coordinator is to keep my team in a good mood. I lead them through collegiality and daily task coordination. My work also includes the entire monthly planning and all annual meetings. I'm also responsible for recruitment, including reviewing application documents, job interviews, recruitment interviews and the induction of new staff, including probationary period interviews. All of this is handled by me from joining to leaving, including exit interviews and preparing references - only the salary negotiations are handled by HR. This also makes my job as a Medical Practice Coordinator in a managerial role interesting, as I can exert influence and have a say. I act as a link between MPAs, doctors and management. I manage 35 MPAs who are in contact with a doctor. I manage the practice together with this doctor. The doctor takes care of the medical side and I take care of all the organizational aspects. It takes a huge team to organize and maintain the day-to-day running of the practice. And I have that team. We are all in the same boat and pull together. It's important for me to do this together. Because it works best together. If you give the team support as a Medical Practice Coordinator and receive it from the team, you can manage it well. Of course, it's also a challenge sometimes, because no two days are the same. But that's exactly why I enjoy it so much! And otherwise I wouldn't have been working in this practice for 23 years.
How did you prepare for the Federal Professional Examination for Medical Practice Coordinators?
I prepared for the federal examination as part of the professional examination for medical practice coordinators with good planning and appropriate time management. I first looked through all the documents from Odamed and then decided on the type of the two given tasks and dealt with their framework conditions and specifications. I then put the whole thing to one side again and let it rest for a week. I then drew up a concrete implementation plan for creating the case study, found the necessary documents and discussed them with people I knew. I then tackled this considerable task. To be honest, I hardly prepared for the multiple choice tasks - as I didn't think this was my strong point anyway. I just wanted to do as well as I could - using what I had learned in the Medical Practice Coordinator course. I concentrated more on the case study and presentation. I managed to do this well. The exam is doable. You just have to make time for it and stick to your time management. You can't do it at the last minute.
How exactly does the Odamed MPK professional examination work?
A case study based on two templates is required for the Odamed MPK professional examination. You can therefore choose one of them and write and submit the case study in advance. The findings from this are presented in a presentation during the federal examination for Medical Practice Coordinator. In addition, the learning content of all three compulsory modules Chronic Care Management one and two and Quality Management are tested in a multiple choice examination.
What was the mood like at the FREI'S schools?
The atmosphere at FREI'S schools during my medical practice coordinator training was always very collegial and informal. I felt very comfortable. If anything happened, the people in charge were always very helpful and committed to helping me. I would recommend FREI'S schools to anyone. Here you can attend and complete all six compulsory modules of the Medical Practice Coordinator training in a managerial direction.
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