How to become a medical assistant; in this post, we’ll look at the steps involved in becoming a medical assistant in any country. If you have always been the kind of person that provides a helping hand to others.
Whether you’ve always been the friend with tissues and ibuprofen on hand or the one binge-watching medical dramas in your spare time, everyone knows you’ve been destined for a career in medicine since childhood.
If you want to enter into the healthcare field quickly, a career as a medical assistant is a great option. As a medical assistant, you’ll be responsible for performing routine diagnostic tests, charting vital signs, and giving medications and first aid to patients.
If this sounds appealing to you, stay reading to learn more about what it takes to become a medical assistant and the actions you’ll need to take to get there.
- Read also; Free Online Government Certifications
How to Become a Medical Assistant
To become a medical assistant, you must take a few key steps. Learn more about the key milestones to remember as you progress through the process.
Get The Required Education
You must first earn an education that qualifies you as a medical assistant before pursuing an entry-level position in this field. That is, you must enroll in a recognized university’s medical assistant degree program. You’ll get the majority of your medical assistant training here, with internships and entry-level positions to help you hone your abilities.
Before you can enroll in a medical assistant program, however, you must meet a number of conditions.
You must have received a high school diploma or a GED in order to apply. Biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, algebra, and related electives, as well as any science and math courses that can help you better prepare for a career as a certified medical assistant, must all be included in your high school diploma or GED.
After that, seek admission to a community college or vocational school that offers a medical assisting program. Check to see if the school you’re applying to is accredited by a regional or national organization, and if the program you’re applying to is an accredited course at the institution.
You can earn a certificate, diploma, or associate’s degree depending on how long you spend in school.
How to become a medical assistant starts with getting the right education; this is where you’ll develop your abilities, knowledge, and talent in the field. You won’t be able to work as a medical assistant without the required schooling since you lack the necessary skills and knowledge, and no one will hire you.
Build Your Experience
Obtaining the necessary education and gaining medical assistance experience, which may be achieved through internships and medical volunteer work, are both essential. You’ll need real-world experience to become a good medical assistant, which you may gain by volunteering with a healthcare group or doing internships at clinics, medical offices, or hospitals.
You can do these internships and volunteer work during mid-term or summer breaks because you are still a student during this time of gathering experience. The experience you’ll get will help you develop your skills and knowledge in the field, prepare you for future chances, and look well on your resume or CV, allowing you to find work soon after graduation.
Try and Earn Certifications
You should get a medical assistant certification just to be safe. You may be required to pass a certification exam since some states require certified medical assistants and employers may prefer it. As a certified medical assistant, you can demonstrate how much expertise and knowledge you’ve gained in the field because that’s what the exam is designed to assess.
The two main certification options are the Certified Medical Assistant (AAMA) exam and the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam. These tests often cover anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, safety, and legal compliance.
Obtaining one of these qualifications is an excellent method to boost your resume and differentiate yourself as a job candidate.
Apply to Hospitals/Clinics
You have finished and received a medical assistant certificate, diploma, or associate degree, as well as internships and voluntary work experience. You also have a certification as a medical assistant.
The next step is to start looking for certified medical assistant positions in clinics, hospitals, and other health-care settings. In the real world, everything you’ve learned will be put to the test, so be prepared for job interviews at all times.
Apply to several places you’re interested in to increase your chances of finding a job, and whichever one accepts you will be able to suit your preferences.
So, that’s how to become a medical assistant; it’s not as difficult as it appears if you follow the steps outlined in this post.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical Assistant?
The time it takes to finish the program and become a certified medical assistant varies, but it normally takes nine months to two years.
How Difficult is it to Become A Medical Assistant?
You must pass an exam that tests your ability to perform the duties of a medical assistant in order to become a medical assistant. If you study and prepare well, the exam should not be difficult for you.
There are steps you must take to become a certified medical assistant; the importance of these efforts cannot be stressed, and it should not be a problem because it is what you want.
What Does it Cost to Become A Medical Assistant?
The cost of medical assistant training varies based on the college you attend, but it can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.
What are the Roles of Medical Assistant?
The duties of a medical assistant vary depending on the office or clinic. Administrative and clinical obligations make up the majority of their responsibilities. A medical assistant may work at a hospital or medical practice’s front desk. They also have the following responsibilities;
- The Perform simple laboratory tests
- They explain treatment methods and procedures to patients
- They take patient medical histories
- Instruct patients about certain medication and diets
- Collect and prepare lab tests
- Assist the physician/doctor during the patient test
- Take and keep records of patients’ medical histories
- Prepare patients for tests
- Filing of patient medical records and adding written accounts from physicians to nurses based on exams and any lab tests.
Why Choose Medical Assisting?
Healthcare is a massive industry! Due to a growth in the number of patients and hospital admissions, healthcare services are expanding. Providing high-quality care for so many people takes a great deal of assistance.
Working as a Medical Assistant in this rapidly expanding field can provide you a number of fascinating, satisfying, and career-advancing opportunities. Men and women who know how to assist patients, handle records, and provide the highest degree of care and service to doctors and nurses are needed at every doctor’s office, hospital, outpatient facility, medical laboratory, and nursing care institution.
So, whether you want to work as a Medical Assistant in a hospital, doctor’s office, government facility, or laboratory, our online Medical Assistant education program may help you get started on the road to your ideal job in the fast-paced, high-demand healthcare field.
As a Medical Assistant, you’ll be a well-respected professional who contributes significantly to the healthcare field. Working alongside doctors, nurses, and physician assistants, you’ll meet intriguing people and have a lot of fun. You can also make up to $34,800 per year as a qualified Medical Assistant!
Online Medical Assistant Institutes
Several universities and colleges employ remote/distance learning technology to train students from all around the world to become medical assistants. The online course is usually more expensive, but it is also much faster and more flexible. Learn how to become a medical assistant by enrolling in one of the following online learning platforms;
CareerStep Online Medical Assistant Program
With CareerStep, a platform that provides distance learning education, you can master the skills, information, and practices of a medical assistant. It takes four months to finish the program, which costs $3,599 and includes a certificate.
The course is delivered online and includes exercises, pictures, games, and interactive tools to ensure that you comprehend the material.
- Read also; Universities in USA without application fee
CHCP Medical Assisting – Certificate
The Online Medical Assisting Program at the College of Health Care Professions prepares students to function as medical assistants in healthcare settings by providing them with the required administrative and clinical skills.
The program is 48 weeks long and gives a certificate at the end. Among the skills you’ll master are vital sign recording, EKGs, injections, routine examinations, medical law and ethics, human relations and patient engagement, phlebotomy, and more.
Care One Health Training Institute
Care One provides a number of health-related programs online, including a hybrid medical assistant degree that combines both offline and online study. Registration fees, tuition, a book, a uniform, and a background check are all included in the $3,552.50 cost of the program, which lasts 26-38 weeks. You will receive a certificate once you have completed the program.
Penn Foster College
Penn Foster University provides a two-year associate degree program in medical assistance. The four-semester program’s classes and labs address clinical procedures, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and other healthcare foundations. The tuition is $79 per credit hour.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Australia
The stress and quantity of duty that all members of general practice teams must shoulder has increased due to a shortage of health workers in Australia. As the complexity of general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses has grown, so has the complexity of the team that supports them, resulting in the emergence of the medical assistant, a new hybrid administrative-clinical assistant.
The only medical assistant training program currently accredited by the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council (CSHISC) as part of the National Health Training Package (NHTP) is the Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting (HLT43307). GP Partners, a defunct section of general practice in Queensland, produced this in collaboration with local GPs and their practice workers.
More information on the NHTP may be found at www.training.gov.au/Training/Details/HLT43307, which is a nationally recognized training program. An individual performing identical tasks without this accreditation may not be recognized as a medical assistant for insurance purposes.
Training Providers
A privately owned registered training organization (RTO) or a government-funded traineeship at a TAFE institution can acquire the Certificate IV in Medical Practice Assisting. As previously mentioned, the online NHTP offers a list of partnering RTOs and TAFE schools.
Course Duration
Because it is a competency-based training program, the length of the course varies depending on the trainee’s previous qualifications, skills, and experience. If they have no prior knowledge, abilities, or experience, trainees must complete the course in 12 to 18 months full-time or 2 years part-time.
How to Prepare a Medical Assistant Resume
If you’re a medical assistant looking for a new job, you’ll be happy to know that healthcare is one of the trendiest industries. To be considered for top medical assistant roles, make sure to highlight your patient-care and administrative skills in your resume.
Medical assistant jobs are predicted to grow by 29 percent (or 183,900 jobs) between 2016 and 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much faster than the national average (BLS). California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York, as well as the urban areas of Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix, have the greatest employment rates for this job.
Other Top Accredited Online Medical Assistant Schools
If you want to enroll in a medical assistant program online, you can do so at one of the following schools.
Renton Technical College
Renton Technical College (RTC) is a hybrid medical assistant school in Renton, Washington. Students can complete up to half of their coursework online while still receiving face-to-face training in important skills.
Students can earn a certificate (70 quarter credits) or an associate of applied science degree, depending on their career goals (90 quarter credits). All compulsory courses include medical terminology and the human body, medical insurance and coding, administrative medical procedures, and medical law and ethics. Students continue on to general education classes after getting an associate degree to prepare for bachelor’s degrees elsewhere. Students must participate in practicums and attend a course to prepare for the national exam.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and pass a background check to be accepted for the program. RTC has received regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The institution has received programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Rate of graduation; 57%.
Cox College
The online associate’s degree in medical assisting is offered by Cox College in Springfield, Missouri. After completing 60 credits online, students can transfer to a bachelor’s degree-granting university. Students can finish the majority of their coursework online, but they must also participate in administrative and clinical laboratories and practicums to learn essential skills.
The following courses are required: introduction to medical assisting, anatomy and physiology, clinical medical assisting, and administrative medical assisting. Students must complete credits in core education courses as well as at least 17 credits of electives to earn an associate degree. A capstone event allows students to exhibit their mastery of skills while also collaborating with their classmates.
Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 and a high school diploma or GED equivalent. The school requires a SAT score of 860 or an ACT score of 18 as a minimum. Transfer students must have a minimum of 12 transfer credits and a 2.0 GPA.
Rate of graduation; 60%.
Madison Area Technical College
The Madison Area Technical College (MATC) in Madison, Wisconsin, offers a hybrid medical assistant credential. Students earn 33 credits, with some of the coursework provided online and some in person. The program is designed to be completed in two semesters.
At the commencement of the program, medical assistant administration procedures, the human body in health and illness, digital literacy for healthcare, and pharmacology for healthcare processes are all required courses. Students complete the curriculum with a written communication course and a practicum in a real-world medical setting, where they gain hands-on experience and supervision from professionals.
Students with a high school diploma or a GED apply to the school and then petition to be admitted to the program. Applicants must demonstrate that they have met all of the prerequisites before beginning the required courses.
MATC has received regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission. The institution has received programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Rate of graduation; 23%.
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
An associate’s degree in medical assisting is offered at Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Students can earn 60.5 credits online by completing two externships. The registered medical assistant test is open to graduates.
Students take general education and electives before entering medical assisting classes, which are required. This course covers topics such as medical office administration, anatomy and physiology, laboratory operations, and clinical procedures. Students must also do two externships over the course of two semesters that expose them to hands-on processes and provide for mentoring.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and complete an interview with an admissions counselor to be considered for the program. Keiser University has received regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The institution has received programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs.
Rate of graduation; 65%.
Concordia University-Wisconsin
A blended learning medical assistant credential is available from CUW in Mequon. With the exception of a few required face-to-face sessions, the rest of the 42 credits are done online.
Students must take courses in medical language, computing for healthcare personnel, medical law and ethics, and administrative processes. Students can also enroll in classes that focus on specific body systems, such as the respiratory, cardiovascular, lymphatic, and digestive systems. Participants must also complete a 200-hour externship to obtain essential hands-on experience and mentoring in order to get the certification.
You must have a high school diploma or equivalent to apply for the program. The college requires a placement exam and an interview with an admissions counselor for certificate students.
- Read also; Easiest PA schools to get into
CUW has received regional certification from the Higher Learning Commission. The institution has received programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
Rate of graduation; 59%.
Conclusion
This is the limit we can go on this topic; how to become a medical assistant. It would be beneficial to share it with others who are interested in the job of a medical assistant.
Share on Social Media