Module 3: Introduction to Microsoft Access
Get started with Microsoft Access — understand what makes it different from Excel, build your first database tables, and enter and edit records in a structured environment.
What You'll Learn
- What Microsoft Access is and how it differs from Excel for data management
- How to create database tables and define field types correctly
- How to enter, edit, and navigate records in an Access table
- How to define relationships between tables using primary and foreign keys
Real-World Scenario
The practice manager at Lakeside Medical Associates decides that patient and billing data has grown too complex for spreadsheets and needs to move to a proper database. You are asked to help set up the initial tables in Microsoft Access for patient records and appointment tracking, and to link them together so that each appointment record automatically connects to the correct patient.
Lessons
Complete each lesson in order. Watch the video, review the notes, and finish the challenge.
Welcome to Microsoft Access
Get oriented in the Microsoft Access environment, understand its core components, and learn how it differs from Excel for professional data management.
Building Tables and Defining Fields
Design database tables in Access Design View — choose correct data types, set field properties, and configure the primary key for reliable, well-structured data storage.
Entering and Editing Records in Access
Enter, navigate, update, and delete records in Access tables efficiently and accurately — with the same attention to data quality that clinical records demand.
Linking Tables with Relationships
Define relationships between tables in Access using primary and foreign keys — connecting your data so that appointments always link to real patients and providers.