Choosing a career in healthcare is a decision many people make every year. Many people choose to become medical assistants because the pros outweigh the cons and it is the best choice for their lifestyle for the short-term future. But some of you who are currently, or considering becoming medical assistants may wonder, “What will my future career opportunities look like? Can I advance into a position like healthcare administration? Even though I’m just starting out as a medical assistant?”
The good news is, yes, certified medical assistants have career growth opportunities, and there are many cases where medical assistants go on to management or administration roles. Let’s look at some career path scenarios where that can occur, so you can make future plans and reach your long-term career goals.
First Steps: Getting Experience
In the first phases of your career, after you initially become a medical assistant, you’ll work in medical offices, healthcare centers, or clinics, gaining valuable experience. You’ll learn not only the administrative and clinical duties of a medical assistant, but also the systems and processes that help a medical office run smoothly.
During these years, you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience, learning how to manage patient appointments and seeing how a medical office runs day-to-day. Medical assistants are largely responsible for making sure patient appointments run on time, even when the medical team is short-staffed or there are a large number of walk-in patients. Healthcare facilities run efficiently because medical assistants are tasked with being well-organized problem solvers. This is one big reason they can transition smoothly into medical administration with extra education.
Learn As Much As You Can
If your long-term goal is healthcare administration, the formative years of your medical assisting career should be spent learning as much about the various other disciplines in the healthcare field. Some of the processes you should study include medical billing and coding, health information management, and office administration. Ask your physicians questions about medical procedures to get a better understanding of the medical field. All of this knowledge will help you be a more helpful member of the medical team and earn the trust and respect of your healthcare colleagues.
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Preparing for the Next Step: Getting Health Administration Skills
Once you have a few years of experience, and you are being trusted with more responsibility, it’s time to follow your ambitions. In a private practice medical office, it is possible to be promoted from within, and become an office manager. This can be an invaluable hands-on experience. In larger healthcare facilities like a medical center or corporate healthcare network, having formal education can help prepare you to apply for a positon in healthcare administration. Many medical assistants enroll in Business Administration or Healthcare Administration programs to get a degree in preparation for moving into healthcare management.
Realize that any goal is possible if you know what steps to take, and you keep moving forward towards that goal. There are many such cases of healthcare administrators who started their healthcare career as a medical assistant. Evaluate the amount of work you will have to do to prepare for your long-term goals, and be diligent and you can achieve anything.
Become a Certified Medical Assistant at Campus Sacramento
If you’ve been thinking about becoming a medical assistant, there’s never been a better time to get started. Campus Sacramento has a Medical Assisting program with flexible class schedules to fit your busy life. We have day and night classes to make it easier for you to complete your training. If you want more information on start dates, curriculum, or financial aid, contact our friendly Admissions team or call 888-675-2460.