Medical Assistant Training & Certification Resources
Are you looking for medical assistant training in your area? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
Here you will find in-depth reviews of local schools, training programs and career colleges, and you will learn about the educational requirements and job opportunities within this growing health care specialty.
In recent years, the need for certified medical assistants has grown considerably. Many people are interested in a career in the health care field because allied health positions tend to pay well and are relatively secure. Read on to learn more about how you can become an indispensable part of a medical team.
What is a Medical Assistant?
Medical assistants are the backbone of every medical practice. They serve as a liaison between the doctor and the patient and perform a variety of tasks that are crucial to the functioning of a medical office.
The job description for medical assistants has expanded over the past few years to include responsibilities that were once allocated only to doctors and nurses. Some medical assistants specialize in either administrative or clinical procedures, but most medical assistants are educated in both so that they can fill a variety of positions. Let’s take a look at these two aspects of the medical assistant profession.
Administrative Medical Assistant
Administrative medical assistants focus more on the clerical functions of a medical office. They handle such duties as answering phones, scheduling appointments, checking in patients, managing medical records and dealing with insurance companies. These are the people that you usually see sitting behind the desk at the doctors office.
Administrative medical assistants may go on to become office managers or may decide to specialize in medical billing, medical records or medical transcription.
Clinical Medical Assistant
Clinical medical assistants are often the patients first line of contact before meeting with the doctor. Clinical assistants lead patients to the exam room, take vital signs (weight, temperature, blood pressure and pulse), and make other necessary preparations before the doctor arrives. Clinical medical assistants are sometimes confused with nurses since they wear scrubs and have direct contact with patients, however unlike nurses they do not examine, diagnose or treat patients.
Many clinical medical assistants go on to become certified nursing assistants (CNA) or choose to advance their career in another healthcare specialty.
Career counselors recommend that you obtain training in BOTH clinical and administrative medical assisting in order the maximize your skills. So make sure to find a well-rounded training program that will educate you in all aspects of medical assisting.
How Do You Become a Medical Assistant?
Because of the routine nature of the job, medical assistants do not require extensive training. Some are trained on the job, but most take a one or two year training course to earn a Diploma, a Certificate or an Associate’s Degree.
Medical assistants who get training through an accredited program and who are certified have the best chances for employment.
After completing a medical assistant training program, you can become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) by passing a special exam. Medical assistants do not need state licensing to perform general duties.
What is a Medical Assistant Certification?
The Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential identifies that you have been certified by a nationally recognized agency. Once you have completed your medical assistant training you will need to pass an examination issued by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA).
In the past, a high school diploma was enough to get you hired, but employers now look for those with medical assistant certification. Becoming certified will open more doors for you and earn you the respect that you deserve as a professionally trained medical assistant.
To learn more about CMA credentialing please visit our Medical Assistant Credentialing page.
The Medical Assistant Training Process
Medical assistant training usually takes 1 to 2 years. One year programs issue a certificate or diploma, while two year programs typically result in an Associate’s Degree. Medical assistants have the option of specializing in administrative or clinical assisting, and can further specialize in areas such as internal medicine, podiatry, ophthalmology, optometry, chiropractic, cardiology and pediatrics.
When looking for a training program, it’s a good idea to find classes that offer basic medical training in subjects such as:
- Human anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology
- Pharmacology
- Medication administration
- Clinical and diagnostic procedures
- Phlebotomy
- First aid and CPR
You should also look for administrative training in areas such as:
- Keyboarding and computer applications
- Record keeping and accounting
- Coding and insurance processing
- Medical laws and ethics
- Office practices
Medical Assistant Job Description
Medical assistants can work in just about every area of the health care industry. According to the US Department of Labor, over 60% of medical assistants work in doctor’s offices. Others gain employment in clinics, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals or urgent care centers.
Medical assistant job duties vary depending on where they work and the size of the medical staff. Administrative duties can include answering phones, scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, completing insurance forms, and scheduling hospital and lab services.
Clinical duties can include taking vital signs, preparing patients for physical exams, assisting with exams, conducting simple lab tests, preparing lab specimens, sanitizing medical supplies, and cleaning the exam rooms.
Medical assistants who have extra training may assist with more technical duties such as drawing blood and performing EKGs.
Overall, medical assistants should be flexible enough to aid the physician with both clerical and clinical duties.
Medical Assistant Job Outlook & Salary Ranges
Medical assistants can earn anywhere from $23,000 – $39,000 per year. As with most professions, a medical assistant’s salary can vary greatly depending on their level of training, years of experience and employer. If you have received medical assistant training and certification you are more likely to get a higher salary.
The job outlook is excellent for medical assistants, especially those who have gone through the medical assistant training process to get certification. Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow by 34% over the next few years, that’s three times faster than the average for all occupations!
As the number of clinics and small group practices continue to increase, so does the need for qualified support personnel, especially medical assistants who are flexible enough to perform both administrative and clinical duties.
Now is a great time to become a certified medical assistant!
Next steps for medical assistant training…
MedicalAssistantTraining101.com is dedicated to helping you along the way. So, please browse our site for more helpful information about medical assistant training & certification programs in your area.
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