Medical Assisting - The Road to Success in Healthcare

One of the fastest growing fields in the healthcare industry is medical assisting. It falls under the umbrella of the so-called allied health professions, a group of occupations that are distinct from the medical and nursing professions and deliver healthcare services. Medical assisting / Medical assistant A healthcare personnel practicing medical assisting is called a medical assistant (MA). Almost everyone who has been to a doctor's office or a hospital must have come in contact with a medical assistant. A medical assistant is a multi-skilled healthcare worker who performs a wide range of duties: clinical, analytical, as well as clerical duties. Unlike nurses and doctors, medical assistants are not licensed personnel. They need to work under the supervision of a licensed medical professional. They do not diagnose diseases or prescribe medication. The duties of medical assistants will depend on their training and can vary according to the sector of the healthcare industry they are in. Medical assistants working in a small practice may take on clinical, administrative and sometimes laboratory duties. They take a patient's medical history, measure vital signs, and prepare the patient for the examination. They can also assist during the examination and administer treatments according to doctor's instructions. Administrative work includes filling out forms, taking appointments, record keeping, and bookkeeping.

In larger clinics and hospitals, medical assistants are somewhat more specialized to perform certain tasks. They may dress wounds, and remove sutures as well as assist in specialized procedures such as X rays, ECG, or MRI. Although traditionally medical assistants work under an administrator; nowadays, well-trained and experienced assistants can also hold administrative positions.

Job market for medical assistants

As mentioned before, medical assisting is among the fastest growing occupations in the industry. Rapid development and specialization in the field of medicine have created a demand for highly trained medical assistants. The majority of medical assistants work in a doctor's office, assisting a medical practitioner. Recently, employment has expanded to public and private hospitals, emergency and ambulatory care facilities as well as specialized fields in dentistry or psychiatry. Medical assistants can earn between $19,000 and $40,000 annually, working 40 hours a week full-time. There are also part time positions available and salaries tend to be higher in doctors' offices than in hospitals. On-the-job training can lead to a medical assisting job. However, a formal education is highly preferred by employers. Furthermore, a medical assisting job is a good entry point into the healthcare industry. Many assistants pursue further education to become registered or even licensed nurses and medical technologists. Others advance towards medical office management and hospital administration.

Education and training for medical assistants

Formal education in medical assisting does not have to be a college degree program. Training programs are usually offered by technical institutes, vocational schools, colleges, and schools specialized in healthcare education. These programs usually take 1 to 2 years to complete, leading to a certificate or associates. Most curricula consist of medical training and office training, plus internships in hospitals and clinics. Coursework covers medical terminology, clinical and laboratory procedures as well as medical and insurance law, ethics, record and bookkeeping.

A medical assistant may choose to be certified or registered and become a certified medical assistant (CMA) or a registered medical assistant (RMA). Both credentials are not compulsory to practice the profession but can be important in the job market.

To be an RMA, the assistant must have completed a medical assisting program at an accredited school or must have at least 5 years experience in the field. To be a CMA, the assistant must pass a certification exam. It is therefore important that prospective students should make sure that the medical assisting program they are enrolling in is accredited. Accreditation is either by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Below are some of the top colleges and universities offering education in medical assisting online. Feel free to request FREE information from any of these schools that interest you!

	Kaplan University is one of the nations leading providers of high quality online education in healthcare. A.A.S. in Medical Assisting A.A.S. in Medical Transcription A.A.S. in Medical Office Management
	Keiser College has a long standing history of providing quality healthcare education. AS in Medical Assisting Nursing, RN to BSN
	Herzing College offers programs in healthcare online that can give students entry level positions, such as medical assistant. A.A.S. in Health Care/Concentration in Medical Billing and Insurance Coding. Medical Office Administration Medical Billing & Insurance Coding