Benefits and Opportunities in Medical Assisting

If you are stuck in your career or have had difficulty finding work in today’s economy, you may consider a change. Medical assistants play an essential role in the healthcare industry, working on many different clinical and administrative tasks that keep healthcare facilities running smoothly.

Medical assistants work closely with both healthcare providers and patients to provide the care needed for a positive experience. Medical assistants are currently in high demand, with the need projected to continue in the coming years, so it is well worth looking into the benefits and opportunities medical assisting can provide.

You Can Become a Medical Assistant Quickly

One of the benefits of becoming a medical assistant is how quickly you can go from the classroom to the workplace. Many medical assisting training programs can be completed in as few as four months, allowing you to begin working and earning a living after only a short time investment. However, if you balance returning to school with other responsibilities, many medical assisting programs offer flexibility in class schedules that allow you to move through the program in a way that fits into your life. Medical assisting programs will balance classwork with clinical studies and will typically provide internships or externships where you can begin gaining on-the-job experience early in the program.  

The High Demand for Medical Assistants

As the population ages, the demand for medical assistants to join the growing healthcare field continues to increase. Medical assisting is an in-demand career with many job opportunities and a high degree of job security. In today’s difficult economy, working as a medical assistant can provide the necessary stability that many are seeking. Having an in-demand career will allow those who are trained and certified as medical assistants to have plenty of job opportunities no matter where they live.

Work in a Variety of Settings

Medical assistants are not confined to only one type of facility. There are many different places where medical assistants can find work, including doctors’ offices, medical clinics, and hospitals. Medical assistants can also find work at outpatient care or surgical centers, working for medical research facilities as a clinical assistant, working for medical insurance companies, working at institutions such as colleges, military bases, or prisons, as well as at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, or palliative care centers. As a medical assistant, you can be certified in any state. You can often find a job that fits your schedule, whether that is regular business hours at a doctor’s office or the night and weekend flexibility you can see in another healthcare facility.

The Perfect Beginning to a Long-Term Career

While working as a medical assistant can be a fulfilling career on its own, beginning your career in healthcare as a medical assistant can lead to many opportunities to advance or specialize in. You can further your career in healthcare by continuing your education, seeking a specialty certification, or even going on to obtain a 2 or 4 year degree in a related field like nursing, radiology, or even medical administration. Medical assisting is often used as a starting point, since it allows you to get hands-on experience in a variety of healthcare settings and develop the skills you will need to make yourself marketable when you are ready to advance. Many healthcare facilities have programs in place to invest in their medical assisting staff with further education, and working as a medical assistant allows you to take advantage of this mentorship.

How Can I Become a Medical Assistant? 

Making a career change is a big step. Before you commit to becoming a medical assistant, it’s essential to understand exactly what the career entails to make sure it’s a good fit for you. Once you have decided that a healthcare career is right for you, you can become a medical assistant in under a year, and sometimes that can be accelerated to be completed in only a few months. 

To begin, all you need is a high school diploma or the equivalent, and then you can begin to look for a program that fits your schedule. Many medical assisting programs are flexible and understand the demands on your time. Still, not every medical assisting program is the same, and not every medical assisting program is ready to give you the best start in your career. Look for an accredited medical assistant program. Accreditation ensures that the program meets specific standards and will provide you with a quality education that will prepare you to take the certification exam if you choose to do so. Once you begin, you will have both classes, clinical work, and intern or externships to develop the skills and knowledge needed to work as a medical assistant. Finishing your work in medical assistant training by taking the certification exam is the final step toward a fulfilling and successful career.

Medical assisting is an excellent way to begin a healthcare career quickly. Whether you make medical assisting a long-term career or a jumping-off point toward additional opportunities in healthcare, working as a medical assistant has numerous benefits that make it a great career to consider. If you like helping people and making a difference, contact Athena Career Academy to learn more about our comprehensive programs or for details on how to enroll.