What Are Some Medical Field Career Options I Can Train for in Two Years?

If you’re considering a career in the medical field but are worried it will consume too much of your time and resources to go to school, think again. It may surprise you to learn that you don’t need to spend several years in school in order to earn a great salary and obtain an exciting and rewarding healthcare career that you can be proud of.

One great option is to become a certified medical assistant (CMA). Certified medical assistants play an essential role in the medical industry as they are trained to perform a variety of different skills, making them a versatile and vital employee to any healthcare team.

As a medical assistant you may provide clinical care to patients in addition to completing administrative tasks. Clinical tasks may include taking patient vital signs, preparing patient rooms, interviewing patients and documenting medical histories, collecting lab specimens and performing lab testing, administering injections, assisting with patient examinations and medical procedures, just to name a few.

Administrative tasks may include answering phones and scheduling patient appointments, compiling medical records and charts, processing insurance payments, operating computer software and office equipment and other office duties as assigned.

How Long do Medical Assistant Training Programs Take?

Medical assisting programs typically take about a year to complete, but the total length of time can vary depending on the school and program you select. For example, Athena Career Academy’s CMA program is taught in a little under 8 months, plus an additional 6-week externship. Good CMA programs include classroom and lab participation along with additional hands-on experience through an externship where students are able to apply their skills to a real-life working environment while closely supervised.

Upon successful completion of the CMA program at Athena, students receive a certificate of completion and are eligible to take the National Certification Exam, which greatly increases their career opportunities.

Where Can You Work as a Medical Assistant?

The majority of certified medical assistants work in physicians’ offices and outpatient care centers. However, there are plenty of other career opportunities and various work settings available to qualified medical assistants.

Medical assistants may also find employment opportunities in chiropractic offices, hospitals or emergency departments, specialty clinics or offices, retirement homes or long term care facilities, psychiatric and behavioral facilities, hospice care, weight loss clinics, diagnostic laboratories, colleges and universities, medical research centers, insurance companies, and even in prisons or jails.

One of the many benefits of deciding to become a certified medical assistant is the ability to choose from such a wide variety of work settings. For example, a medical assistant working in a dermatology clinic is going to learn a different set of skills than those working in cardiology or pediatrics, making it an excellent career option for those individuals who wish to obtain a vast skill set or explore many different aspects of medical assisting throughout their career.

Ready to Start Your New Medical Career?

If the idea of being able to choose a program and graduate into a whole new career path all in less than two years inspires you, then our admissions team at Athena Career Academy would love to tell you more about our Clinical Medical Assistant program. Our accredited MA Program is designed to teach students the skills necessary for employment in a modern medical facility. Please contact us today for more details.