This handbook is intended both as a text for use in medical office assistant (MOA) training programs in colleges and as a handbook for people working in medical offices. Addressed in the individual sections of the manual are the following topics: responsibilities of the medical office assistant, office organization, appointments and the waiting room, telephone usage, records, filing, correspondence, referrals, general practice, specialists, allied professions, the law and medicine, public health, medical-related services available to the public, hospitals, mental health, drugs, abbreviations, bookkeeping, fee schedules, billing, medical insurance, Workers' Compensation Board patients, medical emergencies, guidelines for assisting a doctor, office housekeeping, procedures for ordering supplies, disposable items, human anatomy, and medical terminology. Appended to the handbook is an MOA skill profile chart. (MN)