If you’ve already started working as a medical assistant (MA), or if you’re just entering medical assistant school, you might not have given extensive thought to where you want to be a few years from now. Though demand for medical assistants has rarely been higher than it is right now, that doesn’t mean you have to stay at the same job forever. This article is here to give you some ideas of the types of career paths you can pursue from regular medical assisting. It’s never too early to start planning the next steps in your career. So let’s dive in and look at just a few of your future options.
Data: Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
As of May 2024, according to research by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistants worked primarily in physicians offices (56%), hospitals, public and private (16%), outpatient care centers and clinics (9%), and offices of other health practitioners (8%). Eleven percent worked in other types of workplaces.
Medical assisting is a good entry point into a long-term healthcare career. Demand is heavy for certified medical assistants, and you can continue into different specialized fields as a medical assistant. One of the biggest advantages is you can get certified and start working in a matter of months, as opposed to years (nursing school) or several years (physicians).
Once you get started, your personal network of medical professionals can help open doors to more jobs within the industry. These are some of the most rewarding specializations for medical assistants in healthcare today.
Working in specific medical fields can sometimes lead to a higher annual salary, because many require specialized training, education, or experience.
Cardiology Medical Assistant
A cardiology medical assistant helps physicians with cardiovascular patients, performing mostly clinical and some administrative tasks. Some of the main things you’ll do in a cardiology office include performing EKGs (electrocardiogram tests), taking vital signs, measuring blood pressure, and helping administer and record the results of cardiac stress tests. You may also be tasked with setting up Holter monitoring, updating medical records, and collecting patient samples. This is a decent paying job for medical assistants, and many cardiologists are seeking reliable, qualified MAs.
Ophthmology Medical Assistant
An ophthalmologist doctor helps patients with vision and eye conditions. Though this specialization may require medical assistants to get some additional training, this is a good field in which to specialize. As an ophthalmology medical assistant, you’ll help administer eye exams, give vision tests, record the results of tests, record patient symptoms, help relay information from the physician about glasses and contact lenses, testing for cataracts or glaucoma, and assist the ophthalmologist with ultrasound imaging in some states. Not every medical assistant has the training for this field, and it pays well, so consider this as a career path.
Dermatology Medical Assistant
Dermatologists help patients with skin conditions, and dermatology medical assistants help with numerous clinical and administrative tasks. Some of the things you may end up doing include: non-invasive skin treatments, administering medication after review by physician, preparing patients for exams and surgical procedures, cleaning exam rooms, scheduling follow-up appointments, and under the direct supervision of a physician calling in refills for prescriptions. Dermatology offices are often good places to work, so research the medical offices in your city.
Orthopedic Medical Assistant
Orthopedics is the medical field that deals with the musculoskeletal system. Solutions in orthopedics can be surgical, but the surgeons also use non-surgical treatments. Medical assistants in orthopedics may work for sports medicine doctors, physical therapist physicians, orthopedic surgeons, and occupational health physicians. Medical assistants in this field help people recover from long term injuries, surgery for tumors or degenerative diseases, and with ongoing physical rehabilitation. An orthopedic medical assistant can help with more administrative tasks and some clinical tasks, including, interviewing patients and recording symptoms, preparing exam rooms, contacting insurance providers, and assisting physicians with exams and procedures.
Leadership and Management
Some medical assistants have an aptitude for office management which is essentially all administrative tasks. If you want to get promoted to a medical office manager, you’ll be responsible for running the business end of healthcare. In most cases, this is a position that is promoted from within. You’ll be responsible for staffing and training, supply management, patient records management, and in some cases medical billing.
Medical Billing and Coding
You can also go into medical billing and coding, though you might have to go through additional training. Medical coders take the details of a patient visit and transcribe them into universally understood codes. These are used for medical records, and also for insurance claims. Accuracy is extremely important so the claims are accepted for reimbursement by the insurance payers. The medical claims are submitted by a medical biller, who “scrubs” the claim before submission. Correspondence between the medical office and insurance companies continues through the medical biller. It is not uncommon for medical assistants to transition into medical billing and coding. The biggest hurdle is learning the nuances and intricacies of the ICD-10-CM and CPT codes, which are commonly used for medical coding.
Nursing
Becoming an LVN or RN requires extra schooling and may take a couple of years to complete. Some of the advantages you have as a medical assistant is you are already familiar with medical terminology and clinical procedures. Office workflows, patient care, and medical insurance billing are concepts you will also be familiar with if you choose to go to nursing school later on.
Other Medical Assistant Roles
A small number of medical assistants work in medical research, in clinical laboratories. This is not a common job, but it can be interesting. There are also some medical assistants who work for the government, some working for infirmary teams in state or federal prisons. A handful of medical assistants also work for the state in civil service clinics.
Other Specialty Healthcare Positions
Some medical assistants get familiar with medical centers and healthcare clinics and want to branch out into different fields. These usually require additional training or certification.
Radiology Tech
This is a healthcare professional who uses imaging such as X-rays or ultrasound to get imaging of internal organs or structures.
Medical Lab Technician
A medical lab technician conducts tests on patient samples in the pursuit of research to diagnose, treat, and prevent diseases.
Respiratory Therapist
A respiratory therapist helps patients who have respiratory or lung problems. They are trained in critical care and treatment of cardio-pulmonary conditions. Their job is to help diagnose, treat, and prevent respiratory and cardio-pulmonary issues. Their patients usually have acute conditions of the respiratory or pulmonary system.
No matter what career path you choose as a medical assistant, there are many ways to earn a living in the healthcare industry that you can pursue.
Ready to Take the First Step to Becoming a Medical Assistant?
If you’re ready to start your healthcare career, Campus Sacramento has a Medical Assisting program that will help you become a certified medical assistant. You’ll learn the clinical and administrative skills you need to earn your certification, and begin your career. We offer flexible schedules and some of the coursework can be done online (there are some required in-classroom days). For more information on start dates, curriculum, schedules, and financial aid, contact our friendly Admissions team or call 888-675-2460.