Medical assistants are needed in every part of the country, as the healthcare field is growing and thriving. Job prospects for those who are seeking a medical assistant position are very good and expected to rise through 2018. You may receive on-the-job training, but most positions do require that you already have training in this area and have at least completed a one or two-year program.
What exactly is required of a medical assistant? You will be performing a number of different tasks, but much depends on whether you are an administrative medical assistant or a clinical medical assistant. If your work is administrative in nature, you will be handling all of the paperwork that is involved, as well as doing the bookkeeping. Your duties will also include keeping patients’ records current, taking care of insurance forms, and scheduling appointments for lab work and other medical tests.
If you are employed in a doctor’s office, where over 60% of medical assistant jobs take place, you may also be assisting the doctor in clinical tasks and acting as a clinical medical assistant. Your duties will depend on the applicable laws of the state where you are working. You may be compiling medical histories for patients, taking and charting vital signs, helping patients to prepare for various exams and tests, and assisting the physician during a patient’s examination.
Medical assistant jobs may require you to do a combination of administrative and clinical work. It is important for you to have the proper education for doing this type of work. At least a one or two-year program should be completed, and vocational schools will also offer degree programs in the medical assisting field. Your studies will include anatomy, medical terminology, and procedures of both a clinical and diagnostic nature, the techniques used in a laboratory, first aid, medical law, ethics and keeping records. With training in both the administrative and clinical areas, you will be able to find a position that combines both aspects of medical assisting.
You may also want to specialize in one particular branch of the medical field, such as ophthalmology or pediatrics. If you desire to have more specialized training, it may narrow your job opportunities somewhat, since you are focusing on one area rather than allowing your training to have a broader range. But you will be able to get a very good position in your chosen field since you do have specialized training. And if one area of medical assisting greatly appeals to you, then it would be wise for you to focus on that area. You will derive more satisfaction in working where your interests lie.
In 2008, there were over 483,000 medical assistant jobs, and this figure is expected to rise in the coming years. The medical assisting field is growing faster than other occupations. The reason for this may be due to the fact that there has been an increase in certain medical conditions, such as diabetes and obesity. This increase requires additional healthcare in order to handle patients’ needs. If doctors have more patients, they will need more assistance in meeting the requirements of this influx. As a result, medical assistant jobs are on the rise.
A great many medical assistants work in a physician’s office, but there are other healthcare facilities that also require this type of assistant. You may obtain work in a clinic, a hospital, a nursing home or an outpatient facility. There are many healthcare establishments requiring the services of a trained medical assistant, so you will not lack for job opportunities.
Salaries in an entry-level position may range around $20,000, but with job experience, you could see your yearly salary increase to $40,000. You will always have job security, as the healthcare field will never go out of business. And one of the perks of this type of position is your ability to help others who are in need of medical care and maybe a little bit of reassurance as well.
Medical assistant jobs can be rewarding, and with job prospects due to increase in the years to come, you will have many opportunities to get the type of medical assisting position that you will find challenging and fulfilling.