Medical Assistant Career Guide
If you want a career in the healthcare industry but would not want to spend years studying, one of your options is to work as a medical assistant. Learning how to become a medical assistant is rewarding. You will be working with physicians and other medical professionals in a variety of healthcare settings.
In general, your job is to provide administrative and clinical support in outpatient, ambulatory care facilities, and other settings where medical assistance is required.
Once you receive additional training and a certification, you can get a career in specialty care. From a medical assistant in a physician’s office, for example, you can specialize in wound care after completing the required training.
Medical assistants are highly in demand these days, what with the growing number of elderly Americans who need medical treatment, due to technological advancements, and the predicted surge of outpatient care facilities and physicians’ offices in the coming years.
In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a rise in the job outlook by 29% from 2016 to 2026. Compared to the growth of other occupations, the increase in demand for medical assistants is much faster than the average.
This is why medical assistance is one of the fastest growing careers in the nation. It offers tremendous employment potential, fantastic employment benefits, job security, and a lucrative salary. How lucrative, however, will depend on several factors.
Location, for example, will have an influence on the salary you earn. If you work as a medical assistant in Eau Claire, Wisconsin you will have an annual income of $49,540 but only $43,180 in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Medical assistants in Alaska, however, has the highest mean salaries than those in Minnesota.
There is also a salary difference between a certified and non-certified medical assistant. A Certified Medical Assistant has a median salary of $31,273 while a Medical Assistant earns $1,000 less.
Work Environment
What is great about being a medical assistant is that your career options are not limited to healthcare settings. While most medical assistants work in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physicians’ offices, and other healthcare facilities, they can also work in junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools. They’re also paid more in such facilities than in hospitals and physicians’ offices.
Interested to become a medical assistant?
Before you can become one and enjoy the benefits that medical assisting has to offer, you must know what is required to become a medical assistant.
How to Become a Medical Assistant
The minimum requirement of medical assisting is a high school diploma or a GED.
Unfortunately, being hired without a formal degree or certification would mean a wage lower than those with post-secondary education and on-the-job training to go with the high school diploma.
Just to give you an idea, a Certified Medical Assistant could earn up to $17 per hour. If you have a Bachelor of Science degree, you can earn up to $18 per hour.
So it pays to put in more effort to become a medical assistant after graduating high school.
Paths to Become a Medical Assistant
There are several paths that you can take to become a medical assistant—on-the-job training and education, on-campus training, online training, and hybrid programs.
Different states offer different accredited programs and medical assistant training and certification. Make sure to check with your local agency for specific information.
On-the-job training and education
This is the fastest way to enter the field. While you learn the ropes of medical assisting, you will start earning. The only downside is that it will be difficult to find a physician or facility that will hire an untrained applicant. Still, this is one option you should explore.
What you need is a high school diploma or GED. Then, find a doctor or clinic that is willing to provide you with on-site training.
On-campus training
This is one option to get formal training through accredited programs. Many colleges, technical schools, and universities offer training programs for medical assistants.
The programs can last between 9 and 12 months or 18 and 24 months, depending on what you wish to earn at the end of the course. The former will help you earn a certificate or diploma, while the latter will help you earn an associate’s degree.
On-campus training involves attending classes and laboratory sessions in a traditional campus setting.
A few advantages of this path is that you have face-to-face interaction with instructors, your learning environment is highly structured, you have access to resources and assistance on campus, and you have opportunities to collaborate with other students studying medical assistance.
Unfortunately, it requires time and money, it lacks flexibility in schedule, and may not accommodate your work and family life.
Online training
Online training programs allow you to complete your coursework even when you’re working full time or taking care of your family. You can also study from the comfort of your home, saving you from the commute and the associated expenses. Before graduation, however, you still need to complete an externship in a clinical setting.
Hybrid programs
Hybrid training programs combine on-campus and online training programs where a part of the classwork is done online while the others are dedicated to lab work or other on-campus training.
What is great about this type of training program is that you can combine interaction and flexibility with other students and teachers and, although you commute, your expenses are reduced. You also have access to both online and on-site resources and services.
The challenge of hybrid training programs, however, is the high level of organization and motivation required. The schedules of online programs are also less flexible.
Which path do you want to take?
Medical Assistant Training Cost
The cost of training for medical assistants will depend on the certificate program you want to pursue. A certificate program is a lot cheaper than earning a diploma or an associate’s degree.
Training to get certified will set you back somewhere between $1200 and $4500, including miscellaneous costs. Some schools offer training programs as low as $1700 and as high as $10,000.
A diploma with the basic program will cost under $1000 in many cases. Associate degrees will cost a few thousand dollars or more.
In addition to these, you need to take into account fees to take the exam for certification.
To get a CMA or Certified Medical Assistant, you have to pay:
- $125 to get a Category 1 certificate. Applicable to recent graduates of CAAHEP or ABHES medical assistant college program.
- $125 (for members) and $250 (for non-members) to get a Category 2 certificate. This is applicable to non-recent graduates of CAAHEP or ABHES program.
- $125 (for members) and $250 (for non-members) to get a Category 3 CMA recertification.
The application fees to take the exam for Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) are $155 and $115, respectively.
Medical Assistant Job Duties
According to the American Association of Medical Assistants, the job responsibilities of a medical assistant is divided into administrative and clinical. This is why they are cross-trained to perform both duties.
Administrative Duties
Administrative duties may include, but not limited to answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, using computer applications, coding and filling out insurance forms, updating and filing patient medical records, arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services, and handling correspondence bookkeeping and billing.
Clinical Duties
Clinical duties may include, but not limited to explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, assisting physicians during exams, taking patients’ medical histories, performing basic laboratory tests, collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, drawing blood, transmitting prescription refills as directed, taking electrocardiogram, removing sutures and changing dressings, and instructing patients about medication and special tests. You will also be taught phlebotomy procedures and the order of draw.
The duties of a medical assistant will vary based on specialty, location, and size of the practice.
If they work as a pharmacy technician, for example, their job is to help pharmacists dispense prescription medications according to the requests of a customer or a health professional.
If they work as a psychiatric technician and aide, their duty includes providing therapeutic care, monitoring patient conditions, and helping in a patient’s daily activities.
Online Medical Assistant Programs
As previously mentioned, medical assistant classes are offered online. These are available for free, with financial aid, or for a fee.
Some of the accredited online medical assistant programs you can choose from include:
Medical Administrative Secretary A.A.S
This program prepares students for clerical and administrative positions in medical offices and other healthcare settings. Training covers answering telephones, appointment scheduling, bookkeeping, and other general administrative duties.
Medical Office Assistant Associate Degree
This prepares graduates to become a medical office assistant, a transcriptionist, and a receptionist. Apart from administrative and communications courses, the training program includes anatomy, clinical processes, and other medical topics.
Medical Assistant Online Degree Program
This will provide graduates with the skills to work directly with physicians. They will obtain the skills needed to perform a range of medical duties, including assisting in surgical procedures and administering injections.
Medical Administrative Technology
The focus of this training program is the use of medical computer programs for accounting, record keeping, customer service and more. This doesn’t provide training for patient care and interaction.
Medical Lab Technicians
In this training program, the students will learn to perform a variety of medical lab tests, including bacteria identification and blood examinations.
Medical Administrative Assistant
This focuses on coordinating medical office functions, such as billing, medical transcription, patient scheduling, and record keeping. Degree program for administrative assistant also includes liberal arts credits and training for leadership roles.
Medical Office Assistant
Under this program, students will have a similar training as a medical administrative assistant. They will gain knowledge about legal and ethical practices and medical terminology in the healthcare field.
Medical Office Administration
Students in this training program will gain support and administrative skills necessary in medical offices and similar organizations. After completion of the training, graduates will be able to effectively communicate with patients, use medical terminologies properly, perform financial and clerical tasks with accuracy, and use relevant software appropriately.
Associate of Science in Allied Health
This training program is intended for students with prior training in the field of allied health, such as medical lab technology, medical assisting, paramedic technology, and ultrasonography. Following a graduation, students can pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Health Information Technology
This online degree program will train students to deal properly and effectively with health information. They will learn to maintain medical records, input various types of clerical and medical data, and perform billing and coding tasks. The emphasis of this degree program is information technology in the context of legal, administrative, medical ethics, and regulations.
Medical Assistant Certification
Most states do not require medical assistants to be certified but employers prefer to hire medical assistants who are certified. Therefore, if you want to increase your chances to be hired, you must obtain certification.
Certifications are offered by several organizations. Whether or not you are eligible for certification will depend on specific requirements. In most cases, however, you must be at least 18 years old when you apply.
As part of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies accredited 5 certifications for medical assistants.
- Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) from the National Healthcareer Association
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) from the National Center for Competency Testing
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists
The most common certification among these 5 options is the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA).
The CMA is offered through the American Association of Medical Assistants and anyone with a high school education can apply for this certification. The AAMA is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and works with industry leaders and policymakers to ensure that the curriculum meets the standards for high-quality patient care.
To earn this certification, you need to take and pass the required exam.
Some of the topics covered are accounting and record keeping, computer skills, coding and insurance processing, customer service and patient relations, first aid, human anatomy and physiology, healthcare-related law & ethics, medical terminology, and pharmacology.
