Intro

If you are someone interested in beginning a career in the medical field one viable option to start would be the position of a Medical Assistant (MA). The American Association of Medical Assisting bills the career as a position where the allied healthcare professional works alongside physicians, in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, such as medical offices and clinics. Some of the job responsibilities of a MA can be; obtaining patients medical history, explaining medical procedures or treatments to patients, preparing patients for examinations, assisting physicians during examinations, collecting and preparing lab specimens, performing basic laboratory tests, instructing patients on use of medical prescriptions or special diets, preparing and administering medications, including by intramuscular, intradermal, and subcutaneous injections—including vaccinations/immunizations, as directed by a physician or other licensed provider, transmitting prescription refills as directed, phlebotomy, electrocardiograms, wound care etc. Medical assistants will often perform various administrative duties such as patient intake, answering telephones, updating, and filing patient records, scheduling appointments, Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services, handling correspondence, billing, and bookkeeping services. Rest assured there is rarely a dull moment when working as a Medical Assistant and we have three reasons medical assisting should be considered.

Education requirements

One of the main benefits of getting into medical assisting is that the education requirements to begin does not take as long as some other healthcare professionals. State laws will vary on requirements needed to be completed to get started but trusted sources within the AAMA highly recommend completing an educational program accredited through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Completion of an accredited program will give students the opportunity to sit for the certification exam provided by the AAMA. The association states that many employers of allied health personnel prefer, or even insist, that their medical assistants are CMA (AAMA) certified. The time it takes to completion varies heavily depending on which college is attended but students can expect to spend 24-48 weeks to become competent for the exam. Once certification is completed these healthcare professionals will be ready to work with more opportunities to continue education and progress up the healthcare ladder.

Job opportunities

Another benefit is the vast amount of job opportunity for the individual healthcare worker. As mentioned before MA’s work alongside physicians in various setting such as, clinics, hospitals, and private practices. They are also vital in at home care whether that is in a group home or the home of an individual receiving concierge medical services at their home. The AAMA noted that “Medical assistants are essential members of the ​patient-​centered ​medical ​home team. According to a survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network, medical assistants ranked as one of the top five professionals necessary to the PCMH team.” Some healthcare professionals have experienced burnout when working in hospitals for extended periods of time, therefore, changing the setting to home experiences can be a refreshing change. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has the median annual wage for medical assistants at $37,190 as of May 2021 with 16% job growth over the next decade (much faster than average). That is over 120,000 job openings year over year!

Rewarding experience

Let’s face it, medical assisting might not come off as one of the most glamorous professions to get started in, nevertheless medical assistants complete important duties every day for their patients. Doctors may be the experts within the medical field, but the truth is they would not get very much done without MA’s. These unsung heroes are available to make sure patients are comfortable and informed on procedures and are their every step of the way through the patient’s medical journey. This will lead to the most optimal outcome for the patient’s overall wellbeing. Combine that with opportunities to pursue higher level positions within healthcare and you have what can become an extremely rewarding experience for these healthcare professionals. A new perk coming to all medical assistants will be access to a platform that ensures they are aware of all available opportunities in their area. This platform provided by Allied Help is a gateway to many resources starting with access to a proprietary digital credential’s wallet. This wallet will allow MA’s to easily accept jobs they are qualified for while allowing transparency on compensation they should receive for providing their services. This is just the beginning as all allied healthcare professionals are encouraged to come together as a community to discuss future needs in the Allied Help discord channel. Members will enjoy discounts on scrubs, jobs, community resources and more all for free!

Come join Allied Help today!

References:

Alliedhelp.net. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://alliedhelp.net/ Admin. (2022, October 26).

Online medical assisting certification programs - CAAHEP, ABHES. MTS. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.medicaltechnologyschools.com/medical-assistant/online-certification-programs 

What is a medical assistant? AAMA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.aama-ntl.org/medical-assisting/what-is-a-medical-assistant U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, October 25).

Medical assistants: Occupational outlook handbook. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved October 27, 2022, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm