Opportunities for Certified Medical Assistants

A career as a certified medical assistant (CMA) offers many incredible benefits and rewards, including a foot in the door to a wide range of possible careers in healthcare. If you’re a recent graduate of an accredited medical assisting training program, then it’s likely you started working somewhere as an entry level CMA. By gaining valuable experience on the job and sharpening your skills, it won’t be long before you’re able to move on to a better opportunity.

Choose a Specialty

After gaining some general experience, many CMA’s decide to specialize in one area of medicine such as pediatrics, cardiology, podiatry, ob-gyn, chiropractic care, or something similar. Having specialized training certificates will strengthen your resume. The vast array of medical niches provides a certified medical assistant with nearly limitless employment opportunities. In addition to more job opportunities, choosing a specialization allows you to enter a field of medicine you find fascinating, increasing personal job satisfaction.

Become an Instructor  

After a a few years of medical assisting experience under their belt, becoming a medical assisting instructor is a rewarding and exciting career advancement option. A medical assistant instructor is responsible for training and mentoring medical assisting students with the goal of preparing them for the real world of medical assisting.

Use Your Skills to Transition 

Those who wish to spread their wings and move into other jobs in the medical field can often do so fairly easily thanks to the solid foundation that medical assisting provides. Here are some other medical careers that many CMA’s already have a lot of the qualifications, skills, and experience needed to perform:

·  Medical Coding and Billing Specialist

Many CMA’s receive some training in medical billing and coding, and receive some on the job training as well, making medical billing and coding specialist a possible career opportunity.

·  Office Manager

CMA’s often possess both administrative and clinical experience, so becoming an office manager or administrative assistant isn't uncommon for CMA’s seeking career advancement opportunities.

·  Phlebotomist  

CMA’s typically receive training in phlebotomy while in school or on the job leading some to decide to transition from a CMA to a phlebotomy technician. A phlebotomy technician’s primary responsibility is to safely draw blood samples from patients and blood donors.

·  EKG/Cardiology Technician

For those with an interest in diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system, specializing as an EKG technician is an excellent advancement opportunity. Some additional coursework may be required, but many CMA’s can receive on the job training from their employer.

Continue Your Education

After working as a CMA and gaining valuable experience, many certified medical assistants decide to return to school to complete their education in another healthcare related career, like nursing for example. Many CMA’s successfully transition into careers as a Registered Nurse (RN) or LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) because they find that the coursework and clinicals are easier to perform because of their medical background.

Are You Interested in a Medical Assisting Career?

Medical assisting is a versatile and rewarding career with nearly limitless opportunities for advancement. If you’re interested in seeing where a medical assisting career can take you, start your career path on the right foot with the best training from Athena Career Academy. Contact our admissions team today!