The Healthcare Industry Would Be Lost Without Medical Assistants

Several jobs come to mind when someone thinks of a career in healthcare. While becoming a medical assistant may not top the list, it's a career that deserves a second look. Medical assisting is an extremely important and rewarding job. 

MA's are the backbone of physicians' offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. They keep everything on track and running like a well-oiled machine. The healthcare industry would truly be lost without medical assistants.

What is a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants are nearly everywhere medical care is performed. Most medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities. They primarily perform administrative and clinical tasks in these offices and facilities. Their duties vary with the location, specialty, and size of the practice.

An MA moves around and performs duties wherever they are needed. They are a flexible member of a big team, which makes their role so critical. A great MA can make a big difference in how the medical staff works together as a whole.

Duties and Skills

Medical assistant duties can vary on a day to day basis. They can become even more diverse depending on the location and work environment. The skills required typically fall into two categories; administrative and clinical. Administrative medical assistants focus on paperwork and keeping the front office running. This includes scheduling patients, checking patients in, taking medical histories, answering the phone, processing insurance payments, and maintaining supplies for the office.

Clinical medical assistants are valuable to completing routine tasks involved in patient care. They work directly with doctors and nurses. They do things like sterilize equipment, take vital signs, change wound dressings and remove sutures. They also instruct patients about procedures for medication and special diets. They pick up the slack so physicians can move on to treat the next patient. Medical assistants keep everything running smoothly, and most MAs perform duties on both sides of the clinic.

Job Outlook

It is a great time to consider becoming a medical assistant. MA's are in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is experiencing an extremely high growth rate of 29% through 2022. And additionally, the average annual salary for medical assistants is a lucrative $38,000.

How to Become a Medical Assistant

Training to become a medical assistant is easier than you may expect. Some become an MA with as little as a high school diploma and learn through on-the-job training. However, more and more employers are looking for medical assistants who have earned a certificate by completing a training program. Some educational programs allow you to enter the industry in less than a year.

Athena Career Academy's Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) Program is designed to teach students the skills necessary for employment in the modern medical facility. The program consists of 800 hours of training. It can be completed in as little as 7 1/2 months, plus a six-week externship. Once finished, students will receive a certificate of completion and will be eligible to take the National Certification Exam.

If medical assisting sound like the job for you, contact Athena Career Academy today.