If you have a passion for helping others, then pursuing a career as a medical assistant may be the right fit for you. As a medical assistant, you can feel good about the work you do, as it makes a difference in the lives of both yourself and others. Although finding a career that has your desired salary, benefits, and work conditions is important, the vast majority of people claim that they would rather chase a career that aligns with their passions and goals, which is the predominant reason people pursue a career as a medical assistant.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
On a day-to-day basis, medical assistants perform routine clinical and administrative tasks in order to help keep doctors running on schedule. The medical field is relatively fast-growing. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Statistics, medical assistants’ employment opportunities are projected to grow over 18% between 2020 and 2030. This is extremely higher than the average increase rate.
As stated previously, medical assistants complete a multitude of different duties in their role. They are cross trained to perform administrative and clinical duties, as stated by the Occupational Analysis of Medical Assistants. On a day to-day basis, the responsibilities of a medical assistant could entail tasks such as registering patients, administering vaccines, preparing patients for x-rays, recording patient vitals, phlebotomy, maintaining patient records, prepping lab samples, reviewing treatment plans for patients, and so much more. However, typical tasks of a medical assistant vary dependent on the office environment you find yourself working in. An example of varying tasks could be that you wouldn’t expect to do phlebotomy as a medical assistant in a chiropractor’s office. While working as a medical assistant, you will quickly learn that workers are constantly being kept on their feet, but it’s a job you can expect to always be prevalent and needed within the medical field.
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
Most medical assistants work in a doctor’s office or a clinic. However, they may also work in other settings such as a hospital, nursing home, outpatient care facilities, OB-GYN offices, medical research centers, chiropractor offices, psychiatric care, and behavior health centers, as well as a plethora of other healthcare facilities.
A typical work schedule for medical assistants would be the average 9-5 day-shift Monday through Friday. However, you may have to work extended evenings or hours if you’re in a clinical setting.
What Education is Required to be a Medical Assistant?
In order to become a medical assistant, most employers prefer workers who graduated from a formal program in medical assisting. These programs are typically offered in vocational-technical high schools, post-secondary vocational schools, community colleges, and other colleges and universities.
In most scenarios, you can receive your post-secondary education in either a one-year or two-year time period. This is dependent upon what type of certification you’re working towards. For a one-year program, it usually results in a diploma or certificate being awarded. However, a two-year medical assistant program would result in you obtaining an associate degree.
Regardless of the program you decide to pursue, you can expect to learn about the same overarching topics, which are: medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical protocols and procedures, pharmacology, patient relations, phlebotomy, medical ethics and law, and front-office practices such as the typical coding and billing procedures.
Hands-on training is vital in information retention and learning. This is partially why most programs have students complete a supervised on-site work experience in the health care setting, otherwise known as a practicum. Through the on-site work, students are provided the opportunity to work alongside doctors and other medical professionals, ask questions, and learn from real-world experience. Although learning in the classroom is important, it is equally important to gain actual industry knowledge first-hand. The best way to do this is through some sort of internship experience, whether it be paid or unpaid. Typically, most of these internships, practicums, or externships are unpaid, but the experience you will gain is far more valuable in the long run.
If you are interested in beginning a medical assistant program, the first step is to find the right school for you. For example, at Genesis Career College, a medical assistant school in Tennessee, they offer a program that provides students with the skills they need through classroom instruction and extensive hands-on learning. Genesis uses state-of-the-art equipment and computers, as well as externships to help their students learn with real-world experiences. Their medical assistant program helps students get the experience they need in order to be successful in their future roles. The externship allows students to gain experience in the industry while working alongside other doctors and nurses within their field of interest.
What Skills Do I Need to be a Medical Assistant?
If you are considering pursuing a career as a medical assistant, ensuring that your personal qualities align with the position is equally as important as the actual education you receive. You must have a solid framework and be passionate about the job in order to be in the field.
Medical assistants must be detail-oriented, and able to retain a lot of information in a small amount of time. They must be committed to accuracy in every way possible to ensure that patients are receiving the best, and most effective care possible.
Medical assistants must also be adaptable and able to multi-task, as the demands of this job are oftentimes more prevalent. However, the most important skill of all is their ability to communicate and their interpersonal skills. You must be able to effectively communicate with patients and understand their needs and concerns that they are expressing.
It takes a special kind of person to work in the medical field, but if you are extremely passionate about your job and helping others, then a medical assistant program may be the right fit for you. Get started by identifying the right school and program for you!
