Is a Medical Assistant Career Right for You?
If you're looking to get involved with the medical field and have interaction with its patients, but you don't want to go through an abundance of medical training, then consider medical assisting schools. Without medical assistants, a doctor's office would certainly be chaotic. Medical assistants complete the administrative and clerical work of an office to keep it running efficiently. Medical assistants answer phones, work with patient records, schedule appointments, and handle correspondence, among other various tasks. For this reason, it is valuable to review key concepts and skills associated with biology, computers, typing, and other office tasks upon entering medical assisting schools. Medical assistants need medical assisting schools, just as doctor's offices need medical assistants. With proper training and certification, aspiring medical assistants can get the skills and support they need to break into a field that promises a lucrative medical career. Various community colleges, technical schools and online training programs offer classes in medical assisting. Programs may last anywhere from a couple months to two years, resulting in a certificate, dipolma or associate degree. Medical assisting students take classes that cover anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and other courses that teach clerical skills. Students also learn first aid, clinical and laboratory techniques, and pharmaceutical fundamentals. Since medical assistants interact with patients often, they also study office practices, as well as patient relations and medical law. There is no official licensing requirement to be a medical assistant, however some students require medical assistants to pass an exam before they begin work with certain tasks, like taking x-rays. In 2004, medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs, according to the BLS. And that number is expected to grow much faster than the average through the year 2014 because of the number of baby boomers that will eventually seek medical care. In addition, medical assistants are becoming more in demand, specifically where increasing technology is concerned. So those who understand the latest technologies and have attended medical assisting schools are most likely to find jobs. The average yearly salary of medical assistants in 2004 was $24,610, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $34,650. These statistics are for medical assisting jobs at hospitals, private offices, outpatient care facilities, and college and universities.Medical assisting is definitely a promising field that promises exposure to the medical field. Dealing with people on a daily basis and getting to work within the medical profession without having to go through the grueling years of medical school are just some of the perks of medical assisting. Not to mention, you'll be gaining hands-on experience should you ever with to pursue other health related careers. And attending medical assisting schools will almost ensure your place within the medical assisting workforce. Be sure to research a medical assistant school today!
