The Top 5 Reasons to Become a Medical Assistant
Medical assistants are some of the most essential, underrated workers in the healthcare industry.
These professionals directly support doctors, nurses, and other physicians with basic, vital patient care, and are also responsible for performing a variety of administrative tasks both in the front and back offices. Some of these duties include scheduling, billing, assisting physicians with minor procedures, and taking patient vitals.
Becoming a medical assistant requires significantly less training, time, and money than becoming a doctor, nurse or even physician’s assistant. If you’ve been reluctant about pursuing this career because you don’t want to go to (or go back to) college, we’ve got good news for you: a college degree is no longer the only education option for aspiring medical assistants.
One of the most popular alternative education models is the bootcamp.
If you’re still on the fence about becoming a medical assistant though, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to help you identify if this is a good option for your career path.
In this article, we’re going to share with you the top five reasons why you should consider becoming a medical assistant if you’re interested in working in healthcare.
What do medical assistants do?
Medical assistants are healthcare professionals qualified to perform a wide variety of both clinical and administrative tasks.
By clinical and administrative, we mean that these professionals can work both in the exam room and behind the front desk. Medical assistants are largely responsible for how smoothly and efficiently a facility runs on a daily basis.
Some of their most common clinical responsibilities are:
- Taking and recording patient vital signs
- Assisting with minor procedures
- Giving injections and sometimes administering medication
- Drawing blood and preparing specimens for lab testing
- Educating patients about their conditions and at-home care
- Keeping exam rooms clean and organized
Some of their most common administrative responsibilities are:
- Answering phones and scheduling appointments
- Maintaining and filing patient records
- Transcribing medical reports
- Greeting patients and leading them to exam rooms
- Following up with appointments
- Handling client and office billing
You can find medical assistants working in hospitals, clinics, private practices, and other healthcare facilities like rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and assisted living residences.
Why should I become a medical assistant?
Here are five reasons why you should consider becoming a medical assistant if you’re looking to build a successful career in the healthcare industry:
1. There are more job opportunities than ever.
The healthcare industry has been growing in recent decades, sometimes so quickly that medical assistant jobs can’t be advertised and filled fast enough. In other words, demand for these healthcare professionals is at an all-time high.
2. You can get a job relatively quickly.
Since you no longer have to get a 2+ year degree in order to become a medical assistant (thank you, bootcamps), alternative education models enable you to enter the field incredibly quickly. Rather than wait several years to get a degree, and then even longer to adjust to the “real world,” a bootcamp will make you job-ready in a matter of months.
3. The salary is high for entry-level jobs.
The wage range for medical assistants in the United States is between $17 and $20 an hour, but the national average wage for entry-level medical assistants is $19 per hour. That’s a whopping $3.50 above even the highest minimum wage rate in our country (which is $16.50, in Washington, D.C.).
4. Embrace many career advancement opportunities.
Once you’ve become a certified medical assistant, a world of opportunities opens up for you; a few of your potential career advancements include becoming a medical office manager, vocational or registered nurse and more. By beginning your career as a medical assistant, you equip yourself with a solid foundation upon which to build a career in the healthcare industry.
5. There’s plenty of new experiences.
Medical assistance is a field where no two days are alike, and there’s always something to do. If you’re looking for an easy job where you can get away with spending long periods on your phone or the computers, this isn’t for you. However, if you want to avoid (or break out of) the grind of a traditional 9-5 and help people for a living, this position might be ideal for you.
How do I know if medical assistance is right for me?
Medical assistants are not “the secretaries of a hospital,” as some people incorrectly label them; they are valued members of the healthcare team that contribute vital assistance to patients and doctors alike, and in more ways than one.
As a medical assistant, you’re entrusted with deeply personal information, play an essential role in helping patients get the care they need, and are relied upon strongly by doctors and nurses.
It will be challenging, to a degree, to become a medical assistant because these individuals play an intimate role in peoples’ lives and livelihoods — not everyone can be trusted to perform this work.
Speak with an advisor today
Health Tech Academy’s expert training is engineered to equip both aspiring and existing healthcare professionals with all of the tools they’ll need to build a successful career.
Our acclaimed Medical Assistant Training Program will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to start your career as a certified medical assistant or certified clinical medical assistant.
The program begins with an instructor-led educational bootcamp that prepares you to apply that knowledge in an on-the-job apprenticeship opportunity, and finally, you’ll be given the clinical competency test and receive an industry-respected certification upon completion.
In just 16 weeks, you could be preparing for orientation at a fulfilling new job.
Contact our Admissions team to speak with one of our advisors today and gain expert coaching around how you can best develop or advance your career from here.
