Medical Assistant Careers on the Rise
With the holiday season comes people trying to eat healthy, but with that often come people who overeat. Eating portions sizes larger than you should will leave you feeling bloated and full for a majority of the day. Medical assistants are in constant demand right now and are needed to help patients who need assistance after an overindulgent day or night.
If this sounds like something you might want to get into, then keep reading! We'll discuss how medical assisting is a rewarding field, how graduates earn an average salary of $34,000, what training is required and where it can be obtained; as well as brief tips on how to ace your interview.
Why Become a Medical Assistant?
The average salary for a medical assistant is $34,000. Research health care careers online, ask your friends and family, or look into schools that offer training in medical assisting. This career has the potential to change lives, one patient at a time. There are many individual factors that go into deciding which field you decide to pursue; however it doesn't hurt to look at the big picture! Being a medical assistant can lead you to a variety of job opportunities and has been seen as an important component in helping people stay healthy.
As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to going into the medical field. Not only is it stressful to watch someone you love struggle with physical or emotional pain, it can be trying even on the closest friend. Medical assistants are trained to put aside their personal feelings and focus on helping the patient; learning how to attune yourself to another human being is a valuable skill that can be used throughout your life. Think about how many times you have had a friend or family member tell you about an ailment or medical problem they were dealing with and how little insight you were able to give because you didn't know much about the condition. Through training and actually working in the medical field, people are able to gain a greater understanding of what those around them are going through.
Medical assistants are in great demand and are crucial to the medical community. They often work alongside doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, assisting with tasks such as keeping track of patient's files, taking vitals and temperatures (as well as other important information), preparing supplies for surgeries or treatments, administering medication when prescribed by a doctor, and all sorts of general clerical work.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
Medical assistants perform duties directly related to patient care. Duties include obtaining patients' medical histories, taking and recording vital signs, preparing patients for examination and surgery, handling lab specimens, assisting in surgery recovery or treatment areas, performing administrative duties such as scheduling appointments and typing reports.
Duties vary from site to site. You may be required to perform basic lab tests like phlebotomy on random people who apply for healthcare insurance. You can have your choice of different jobs based on the nature of the facility you'll be working at. Hospitals come with its own specific duties that you'll need to learn about before applying for a position.
You can learn more about medical assisting here: http://medicalassistantcareers.about.com/od/frequentlyaskedquestions/a/whatisdiagnosticmedicalassistant.htm
Medical Assistant Training & Certification Requirements
As a medical assistant, you'll use both observation skills and communication skills to collect vital information about patients. You will work in offices or health-care facilities to help patients with administrative tasks and clinical duties such as recording patient medical histories or preparing them for examination. They are often the first person a doctor sees when visiting a new patient, so it's important to give off a good impression from the start!
You can obtain your certification through certification exams through the NCCT (National Healthcareer Association) website. This organization offers certificate programs in health care administration, including medical assisting. These exams will be available at a local testing facility and portable examination sites.
Typically, certification can be attained in a few months but you may have to spend time studying for the tests. Test centers will provide you with study materials, so don't worry too much if you aren't able to complete all of them on your own! You won't know until your take the exam so go out and get it over with so you can start working!
There are also online certification courses that are offered and it's up to you whether or not to take them (there is no charge). You'll either pay for the class or complete the coursework for free. Online training is a great way to go if you don't want to waste your time with classes, but it would be best to take one of these courses in conjunction with classroom training with an accredited school.
Where to Find Medical Assistant Jobs:
Local hospitals are difficult, competitive places to get a job at. Many of the people who work as medical assistants or PA's at hospitals have connections within the hospital, so it's important that you do not neglect your network in pursuing jobs. It is unlikely you will find a job through one specific avenue, so it is best to go all out and follow up on every lead. Many sources of jobs do overlap so be sure to follow all potential leads.
Networking in the medical field can be difficult due to the fact that everyone is so concerned with their own job. People generally don't want to share information on a particular employer because they don't want other people stealing their job from them, but you may be able to find an "insider" who is looking for someone to hire at their workplace. However, always remember that an insider's perspective about a place of employment means nothing if he or she doesn't know how to run an efficient office. It will still come down to your ability and work ethic.
Local hospitals are difficult, competitive places to get a job at. Many of the people who work as medical assistants or PA's at hospitals have connections within the hospital, so it's important that you do not neglect your network in pursuing jobs. It is unlikely you will find a job through one specific avenue, so it is best to go all out and follow up on every lead. Many sources of jobs do overlap so be sure to follow all potential leads.
Networking in the medical field can be difficult due to the fact that everyone is so concerned with their own job.
Conclusion
Medical assisting is a great way to get your foot in the door of the medical industry. Prepare yourself by learning medical terminology and study as much information as possible! Practice your typing skills and ability to work with people even if it's over the phone, because most likely you will have to deal with all sorts of different people in your job.
Visit Susan's personal blog http://www.susansblog.net/ for more advice on how to get into medical assisting!
Medical Assistant Schools You Can Choose From:
If you want to become a medical assistant, you can visit a few different schools in order to learn how to do so.