Career Opportunities Available to Medical Assistants

A career in medical assisting can be rewarding, lucrative, and easier to achieve than you might think. There is an abundance of work available in clinics and other healthcare settings, creating plenty of options for individuals thinking of becoming a medical assistant. Entering the field as a medical assistant is a smart move as there are many different career paths to explore after gaining some experience. 

Here is a look at some of the flexible career options available for medical assistants:

Career Advancement Opportunities 

Many medical assistants wonder how they can advance their career while working as a medical assistant. The good news is, there are plenty of advancement opportunities within the profession. After gaining a few years of experience, you might be looking for ways to move your career forward and into a better position. 

One option for advancement includes specialized medical assistant roles. There are many specialized fields you can go into after becoming a medical assistant. Each of these fields has their own certifications, stating an MA is certified to work in that specialty. Some of these specialties include pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, oncology, dermatology, and many more. The options are nearly endless in terms of specialization, giving you an opportunity to choose a specialty that interests you most. 

Continuing Education Opportunities

Most high paying medical assistant positions require national Medical Assistant certification. After completing your education as a medical assistant and qualifying for national certification as a medical assistant, the certifying organizations require successful completion of continuing education credits within a certain time frame to maintain active Medical Assistant certification. 

Flexible Schedules 

Another benefit of working as a medical assistant is choosing between part-time or full-time work. For those who thrive on having a stable schedule with predictable hours, many MAs work in clinics that operate during standard business hours. This can be a big plus for working parents with kids in school or childcare. A predictable daytime schedule has perks, like not being called to work in the middle of the night or getting pulled away from your child’s weekend soccer game to cover a shift.

Pathway to Other Healthcare Careers 

Working as a medical assistant can serve as a stepping stone to other healthcare professions. Medical assistants are unique as they learn a diverse set of administrative and clinical skills, making them an asset to any healthcare organization. Many medical assistants utilize their clinical skills to transition to phlebotomy working in laboratory settings. Other MAs may decide they wish to work in the administrative side of healthcare and may transition to office management positions or medical billing and coding specialists.

Job Security

Becoming a medical assistant is a great career choice because it’s an in-demand profession with many opportunities. The job outlook for MAs is expected to grow by 16 percent from 2021 to 2031, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. Approximately 123,000 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average, over the next 10 years. Medical assisting is a stable profession with excellent job security. 

Are You Ready to Get Started? 

Becoming a medical assistant is an excellent way to jumpstart your career in the medical field quickly as many programs are designed to be completed in less than a year. There are many ways to advance your career, but the first step is getting the proper training. Athena Career Academy can help. Contact us today to learn more about how to enroll or to schedule a campus tour!