If you’re considering starting a new career and you’re looking at becoming a medical assistant, now is a great time to get started. Demand has never been higher for certified medical assistants, and this is a way you can start your healthcare career.
But, before you enroll in a medical assistant training program, there are some things you need to know about this career path.
1. Communication is Essential
You need to be able to communicate with patients and the medical team. Medical assistants are the first to greet patients and assist physicians with examination rooms and clinical tasks. In many ways, medical assistants are the glue that hold medical offices together. Clear effective communication is one of the skills you will need most as a medical assistant.
2. Time Management is Crucial
In some clinics, you’ll be the one opening the medical clinic and preparing examination rooms for the doctor. Medical assistants are also responsible for keeping scheduled appointments running on time. Time management is an integral part of this job.
3. You’ll Use Clinical Skills
One of the main responsibilities of medical assistants is clinical duties in the back end of the facility. These can include preparing patients for examination, taking vital signs, collecting patient samples, giving vaccines (in most states), and do other specific non-invasive tasks which are not regulated by state laws.
4. Administrative Skills are Useful
Many clinics and medical offices hire medical assistants to work the front end, doing patient intake. Medical assistants can also do administrative tasks in healthcare facilities such as schedule appointments, manage electronic health records, call insurance companies, order medical supplies, answer phones, and input patient information.
5. You Can Work in All Types of Workplaces
When you’re a medical assistant, you can work in every different type of medical facility, including medical offices, hospitals, urgent care facilities, pediatrics offices, long-term care facilities, and outpatient clinics. You’re never limited to one type of workplace.
6. This Job Requires Empathy
Medical assistants may occasionally interact with patients who are anxious about procedures, test results or their diagnosis. Listening to them with empathy and patience and having a calm demeanor can help put them at ease.
7. It Can Be Stressful at Times
Dealing with patients can be a bit stressful on some days, especially if your medical office is shorthanded that day. Some offices work with a medical assisting team, but there may be days where you are the only MA on staff. You must have good organizational and problem-solving skills to keep patient appointments on schedule.
8. Pay Range Varies State to State
Medical assistants earn different amounts depending on what state or metro area they live in. As of May 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that medical assistants nationwide earned a median annual salary of $42,000 and hourly median wage of $20.19 per hour. In California for the same period, medical assistants earned a mean annual salary of $59,200 and a mean hourly wage of $24.47 per hour.
9. Combined Programs with a Phlebotomy Certification
Some medical assistant schools have a combined program for both medical assisting and phlebotomy. In states like California, which is one of the few where you must have a phlebotomy certification to draw blood in a lab setting. Having a CPT I certification can help you get a job in medical facilities where blood draws are done often. Campus Sacramento offers a combined Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy program for students who want to earn both certificates.
10. It’s a Relatively Quick Path to a New Career
You still need to work hard to learn skills and medical terminology and get your certification. But the good news is most training programs can be finished in less than a year. That means you can start working in a new medical career fairly quickly.
11. Externship is Needed for Taking the Certification Exam
Some schools may offer a medical assistant training program without an externship. While this may be more economical, the responsibility for arranging the externship then falls to the student. All students taking the certification exam in California must have a certain amount of hands-on training clock hours beforehand. Look for a training program with an externship in a local medical facility.
Become a Medical Assistant in 36 Weeks
If you’re interested in becoming a certified medical assistant, Campus Sacramento, formerly MTI College, offers a medical assistant training program. You’ll learn all the clinical and administrative skills you need to earn your NCMA certification and start your career as a medical assistant. For more information on start dates, curriculum, financial aid, and more, contact our Admissions team or call 888-675-2460.