Health Careers

Become a Medical Assistant

If you are contemplating studying to how to become a medical assistant then you are looking at a career option with a great deal of potential! Medical assistants are in tremendous demand. In fact it is estimated that as many as 200,000 medical assistants will be needed throughout the United States by the year 2016. This is one of the fastest growing of all occupations across the country. In the next eight years the projected employment for workers in this field of the healthcare industry is predicted to be 565,000.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

A medical assistant (MA) is an individual who performs a variety of both administrative and clinical tasks for doctors and nurses. The tasks can vary depending upon the type of medical setting the MA is employed in, as well as the location, size and type of practice. The vast majority of medical assistants work in physicians’ offices while some are also employed in hospitals.

The medical assistant position is a versatile job choice as the individual can choose any number of medical environments which with to seek employment. This makes it a popular choice for those interested in pursuing a career in the medical sector.

Education for Medical Assistants

If you wish to study to become a medical assistant then you can enroll in an accredited school and complete a two year associate’s degree. Another option to consider is to find a school that offers a one year certificate program. Some of the courses that you will be required to complete in order to graduate include math, science, medical terminology, medical billing and first aid.

Once you have completed your schooling you then need to become certified in order to work as a medical assistant. MA’s can sign up to take their certification examination that will allow them to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). The American Association of Medical Assistants offers the course for certification three times a year. Once certification has been obtained it must be renewed every five years.

It is important to note that there are some employers who will hire medical assistants who do not have their certification. However in most instances, CMA’s have a better pick of jobs than do MA’s.

Medical Assistant Duties

As a medical assistant you could be asked to do any number of things in the run of a work day. The life of a medical assistant is anything but boring as you never know what task you will be asked to perform next! MA’s may be asked to check in patients, take vital signs or give shots to patients. Medical record keeping such as filing and updating charts is often a part of a medical assistant’s job as is doing medical billing and insurance coding.

Most medical assistants work approximately 40 hours a week. The work week is generally daytime hours, Monday through Friday. However some MA’s may find themselves employed in an office that is open one or two evening a week or on weekends.

The average salary for a medical assistant ranges from $22,000 a year, up to $30,000. There is not a great deal of upward mobility in this profession unless you are willing to continue your education and training further.

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