After working in the field for several years, some choose to move into academia, teaching at a vocational school or community college in a medical assisting program. Explore these resources to help you make informed decisions and prepare for whatever is thrown your way. Other directions may be in areas such as health promotion, management, human resources, personal care, or care coordination support. Medical Assistant – A medical assistant can work anywhere from a physician’s office to an emergency room, giving this career a lot of variety. It’s also one of the few careers in the medical field that can give you traditional 9-5 hours or the flexibility to work around your other obligations in life. Assists all nurses with performing activities commensurate with his/her education and demonstrated competencies. Some people may have a misconception of exactly what a medical assistant does and just how strong the job growth is for this career. As a result, your training as a medical assistant may be able to set you apart from competitors who have no distinct educational background related to patient care. You’ll likely engage in charting, recordkeeping, and other work that can involve both paper and computerized records and notation. Learn about different types of medical assistant positions! The following steps can help make it all a reality. Job requirements:Employers prefer those who have earned their postsecondary award or associate degree; some are required to earn certifications, such as the Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) or Tech in Surgery – Certified (NCCT). Important Qualities. If so, you might consider becoming an administrative medical assistant. You can go anywhere. Important Qualities. Medical assistants may find career advancement opportunities in many areas: 1. Seek opportunities that are available in your organization and find out what requirements you need to apply. More importantly, 154,900 jobs are expected to be added to this profession by 2028, meaning that there will be plenty of open positions in the next decade. Perhaps you enjoy keeping up with records more than actually working one on one with patients. You've already decided on a career? You’ll get to experience the incredible sense of accomplishment that comes with helping patients feel better and overcome an illness or chronic problem, and you’ll round out your workday with the knowledge that you’re helping people each and every step of the way. And in order to do so, you’ll need the right medical assistant study guide. If the… Another 14 percent work in public and/or private hospitals. Popular careers include medical assistant, medical billing, medical coding, phlebotomy, and surgical technician. Click here to learn more about our affordable pricing! As you can imagine, arguably the most qualified person to teach medical assistants is — you guessed it — someone who’s been through medical assisting school themselves. That’s a lot of opportunity! Excelling as an extern can greatly improve your chances of finding a job after graduation. Education: Today’s nurses are also technically adept; they use computers, cell phones, tablets and other digital devices often. Once you’ve studied for and passed one of the exams mentioned above with the help of a high quality medical assistant study guide, you’ll have to decide which career path you want to take as a medical assistant. Medical assisting is a career field that can offer many opportunities. In states or facilities where licensure is required, a graduation from a formal education program and the CTR registration is often required. As a medical lab assistant, you’ll spend much of your time working with patient lab specimens rather than interfacing with patients one on one. It has a statewide licensing program for medical assistants. They can choose to specialize in almost any area of medicine, assisting physicians and other healthcare personnel in clinics, hospitals, private offices and more. I would encourage those who are practicing now and have affirmed that they have hearts for people and passion for helping others and enjoy working hard to look for opportunities to keep learning and expanding their horizons in the health care field. Medical records manager 7. Medical Assistant Programs and Certification in Washington State When it comes to medical assisting, Washington is an unusual state. Each of these challenges can be seen as positive because they will help prepare you for your next step on the medical assistant career path. The NCCT provides for the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) certification. Are you a new medical assistant (MA) who's ready to dive into the working world but can't seem to get off the starting block? Below, we’ll cover each of the following: As a medical assistant, it’s typical to be given responsibility for a range of administrative tasks. You may not know this, but a professional Medical Assistants are trained in a wide-variety of areas; this includes: medicine, medical insurance, patient care, laboratory procedures, bookkeeping, and bacteriology. Medical assistants are often the first line of contact between the patient and the physician, and they work in a variety of medical environments, including hospitals and private clinics. Below is a list of various medical assistant jobs. A nurse will also examine a patient’s coping skills and emotional and spiritual needs, and provide support – or referrals to support – if deemed necessary. Some people find lifelong careers as medical assistants, and others use the certification as a step in a longer career path. If you’re not able to specialize in phlebotomy right away, you may be able to pursue further certification in your state in order to go down this career path. If you enjoy helping people and your personality traits include integrity, dependability and attention to detail, you might want to consider a career as a medical assistant. Discover the steps and the career path to progress in your career as a Float Medical Assistant Having an associate degree can be an asset, having a bachelor’s, an even greater one. Performing clinical as well as administrative duties, these assistants are an integral part of any medical facility. Many jobs don’t provide an opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives, but medical assistants can go home at the end of the day knowing they did. National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)The NCCT is one of several certifying organizations for medical assistants. Medical Biller Medical Coder Medical Director. Medical Administration Career Path Medical administration jobs are available at all levels of responsibility, and offer plenty of opportunity for advancement. Some medical assistants with an administrative focus will also engage in other administrative work, including processing payments and managing bookkeeping. It’s meaningful work! 5. Advancing the Business of Healthcare (AAPC)The AAPC provides training and certification for medical professionals who work in the business realm of healthcare, such as billing, auditing and coding. You have the opportunity to interact with a variety of patients from day to day, and you can choose from a wide range of work environments. For MA’s with drive, nursing is a great next step. American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)The AAMA issues the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) certification, which is one of the most accepted medical assistant certifications. Duties include preparing operating rooms, sterilizing equipment, preparing patients for surgery, assisting during surgery, keeping count of supplies, and maintaining a sterile environment. Give medical assistants a list of jobs/careers that they can transfer into, should major changes (possibly involving the removal of the position of MA altogether) come about in the field. Some highly successful home health aide businesses involve a number of medical assistants working together to provide in-home care to clients across a large geographical area. Training, education or experience requirements:Graduation from an approved nursing program is required, as well as passing the NCLEX-PN. Transcription supervisor Be open with your employer about your desire to advance in your career. It’s meaningful work! Some jobs also require certification in basic life support and CPR. Medical assistants can work in numerous settings including medical offices, medical billing and coding departments, hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes and laboratories. Allied health professionals are those workers who support the work of physicians and nurses. How to become a Medical Assistant. Maybe you love the classroom environment. As a result, you might find yourself finishing up school faster than you think. 11 Exciting Career Paths For Professional Medical Assistants. While medical assistants don't make nearly as much as other professionals in the health care field, it is easy to see that being a medical assistant would make a very fulfilling career. Amongst the clinical duties that you might be tasked with, you might be expected to: In some states, clinical medical assistants can also be tasked with more in depth, hands on procedures. 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