Healthcare industry is ever-developing. The increase in aging population increases the demand for healthcare services. If you are looking for promising career options, you can consider a career as a medical assistant. Medical assistants can work in clinics, private offices, hospitals and use their experience to get into supervisory positions.
How to become a medical assistant?
The first step is enrolling in a nationally accredited healthcare program. Choose any associate degree program if you want access to more choices. The 2-year program coves clinical training. After completion of training, they must get certified. Certified graduates can start seeking opportunities in medical field.
Duties involved:
The duties vary depending on the employer. Medical assistants are responsible for the smooth operation of clinics and doctor offices. They either perform clinical and office tasks, or tasks delegated by physicians and help physicians in caring for patients. When they are employed in larger offices, medical assistants have more specialized functions.
Types of medical assistants:
Clinical medical assistant: Clinical medical assistants focus on clinical tasks, patient care and conducting assessments. They prepare patients for medical examination, document vitals and medical histories, explain home-care instructions to patients, perform minor treatments and assist physician during examination.
Administrative medical assistant: They perform administrative tasks like answering phones, scheduling appointments, maintaining reception areas, managing patient records and performing general accounting. They take care of the business-related operations and require decent communication skills, average computer skills and know the basic medical terminology.
Specialized medical assistant: They perform more specialized tasks and are more directly involved with patients. They either report to the administrative manager or physician. The specialized tasks depend on their area of specialization and size of the practice.
Benefits of being a medical assistant:
- Higher pay: Medical assistants who advance their work into more specialized fields earn more.
- Job security: This isn’t an entry level job. There is always more scope of advancing the career, which makes your designation a valuable asset.
- Broad skill set: Medical assistants get to work with both physicians and patients and acquire a broader skill set.
- Wide range of career options: Those who undergo advanced educational training can earn a place in challenging jobs.
This career option can be satisfying for those who want a challenging job. The average annual salary is around $34,500. If you are considering a career as a medical assistant find more information on each type of medical assistant and see which aspect of it you find appealing. Pursue your coursework depending on your interest.
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