What’s Next for New Medical Assistants?

Becoming a medical assistant is a true accomplishment. During the medical assistant program, you will learn a wide range of skills and gain a vast amount of knowledge and experience for your new career. After finishing the program and taking your certification test, you will likely begin your first position and begin working as a medical assistant, but that doesn’t mean you’ve reached the end of your journey. There are many opportunities for medical assistants to continue to grow in the healthcare field.

Becoming a Medical Assistant

Becoming a medical assistant is a program that can be completed in about a year and involves approximately 800 hours of instruction. Medical assistants will spend about 640 of those hours in the classroom and lab and 160 gaining experience in the field. During the education process, medical assistants will have instruction in basic healthcare skills, first aid and CPR, anatomy and physiology, and clinical skills. Becoming a medical assistant will provide you with both the classroom and lab experience necessary as well as plenty of time working with professionals in the field, putting your knowledge and skills into practice. Medical assistants finish their program with an externship before taking their exam and will graduate from the program confident in their abilities to begin working as a medical assistant in a variety of locations.

Career Opportunities After Becoming a Medical Assistant

After becoming a medical assistant, you will have many opportunities in your career, both as a medical assistant and beyond. Medical assistants can work in physician’s offices, hospitals, outpatient care facilities, retirement facilities, insurance companies, and other healthcare settings. After working as a medical assistant, you can further your career with more education and training and take a path toward healthcare management, health information management, health sciences, or even nursing. The experience you will have as a medical assistant can make you a strong candidate for these programs, and advancing your career is a real possibility with the skills you will develop. These positions in healthcare offer increased job stability and earning potential, as well as the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of your patients.

How to Position Yourself for a Strong Career Path

After becoming a medical assistant, you can still put the effort into positioning yourself for a strong career path. As a new medical assistant, you will first want to focus on honing both your clinical and non-clinical skills. A good medical assistant will have strong skills in both if they want to be in the best position for advancement. In addition to honing your skills, focus on aligning yourself with the best professionals through networking and joining medical assisting professional organizations. While skills are important, the network connections you make will help advance your career and can provide invaluable guidance.

When you become a medical assistant, you open many opportunities for yourself and your career, both in the near and far-reaching future. As you network, develop your skills, and gain experience, you will discover the best path for your future in a career in healthcare. We’re here to help. Our accredited medical assistant program will prepare you for a successful career in the healthcare industry. Contact us today for a campus tour and to learn more about enrolling.