Medical Assistant Salary, Jobs, Career and Training

  • Medical Lab Assistant Salary

    Salary of a Medical Lab Assistant

    The medical lab assistant is the person that works within a medical laboratory and performs functions within that laboratory under direction and oversight of those in charge of the lab itself.  There are many different type of laboratories, each of which is normally responsible for doing a very specific set of tasks.  There are some laboratories that do multiple tasks but they generally revolve around a single specialty.  For example some laboratories perform multiple DNA services while others do blood analysis.  There are some laboratories that may do both because these are interrelated specialties.  As a medical lab assistant you need to select a specialty that you makes you comfortable.  If you do not like to be around dead bodies, then you do not want to choose a laboratory that does autopsy analysis.  If you are comfortable with blood then you may want to choose a blood analysis center.

    The job itself usually entails a simple process in most situations.  The key to being a medical lab assistant is being a person that is very precise, organized and detail oriented.  First a sample of some sort is received by the lab assistant.  They then have to ensure the sample was shipped properly and has not been compromised.  They then need to check and verify all corresponding paperwork to ensure the sample is identified with the proper patient.  Tests applicable to the specific requirements are performed and the results are then reported to the office that requested the test.  As you can see the medical assistant needs to be able to be very precise in their work.  A simple mishap where a result is attributed to the wrong patient could have grave consequences.

    Hourly Salary of a Medical Lab Assistant

    Because of this required precision the medical lab assistant salary is oftentimes the highest of all types of medical assistants.  This higher salary occurs in the middle of the lab assistant’s career.  The starting pay for a medical lab assistant is lower than other medical assistants but it surpasses the others after around 5 years of experience.  This is because the medical lab assistant needs less supervision over time and becomes much more proficient at their job.  Whereas the normal medical assistant has a limit to their overall productivity because it is dependent on the productivity of their overall office.  The medical lab assistant salary can be expected to go as high as $18.40 per hour.  The specific range of salaries is listed in this chart:

    Years of Experience

    Less than 2

    3 to 5

    6 to 9

    10 to 15

    Over 16

    Average

    Hourly Wage

    $13.19

    $14.33

    $15.35

    $16.55

    $18.40

    $15.80

    As with any type of position these are averages for the overall field of medical lab assistants nationwide.  Of course the numbers can vary greatly depending on he type of environment you work within and the specific demands of the job.  There are times when the medical lab assistant salary is increased due to required extra training or certifications that are needed in order to perform the necessary tests.  As with any job the more training you receive the more income you will likely receive.

     

  • Starting Salary of a Medical Assistant

    A medical assistant performs administrative and other clinical duties as directed by a physician. A medical assistant will carry out administrative duties whereby they will schedule appointments, maintain patients’ medical records, wriTE out bills and can also code information for purposes of insurance. Also, the medical assistant has clinical duties where they take and record vital symptoms and signs of diseases, take samples of patients’ blood, take medical histories, prepare patients for examination as well as administer medications to patients as directed by the physician.

    The Indispensable Medial Assistant

    A medical assistant is indispensable in any health care facility whether this be a private or public hospital. They play a crucial role in the effective running of a medical establishment. In the United States, this is among the fastest growing areas of medical career specialization in modern times. According to statistics from the Bureau of Labor the medical assisting career has projected growth rate of 35%. Labor analysts project that medical assisting will be one the careers with the fastest growth by 2016. This can be attributed to the fact that medical assisting is available to college graduates who have only few years of medical experience.

    The starting salary for a medical assistant is partly dependent on the nature of the job. Therefore, it is worth noting that where a medical assistant performs more tasks, their wages are usually higher.  The starting salary of a medical assistant has an annual range of $23,000 to $33,000. With regard to hourly pay, the salary is between $9 and $19. The starting salary of a medical assistant varies due to several factors. Such factors as level of education, place of work such as private or public health establishment job description and size of the medical facility determine the starting salary of a medical assistant.

    For example, a medical assistant who works for a large organization has higher wages compared to one who works in a smaller office. According to research, the starting salary of a medical assistant in a state facility is usually higher than the one of an individual who works for a private medical establishment. The average hourly wage for a medical assistant in a public hospital is higher compared to the hourly $14.70 in the private medical practice.

    Increasing your basic salary

    The best way to get a good starting salary as a medical assistant is to advance in education. Statistics in the department of labor put the salary of a medical assistant who has a high school diploma at a lower hourly rate of about $9.85 whereas an individual with a certificate from a medical training center gets a starting wage of about $10.98.

    Experience also determines the starting salary of a medical assistant. A medical assistant who has experience of less than a year gets an average of $18,116 to $25,001 annually. The starting salary is also dependent on the type of employer where they can get benefits such as life insurance, paid holidays, disability insurance and sick leave.  All of these factors give a boost to the overall compensation.

     

  • Clinical Medical Assistant Salary

    Wages of a Clinical Medical Assistant

    The clinical medical assistant is the medical assistant this responsible for interacting directly and physically with the patients.  If you have ever been to a general practice doctors office, it is the clinical medical assistant that brings you to your specific waiting room and takes your temperature and other vital signs.  This is the one medical assistant that interacts more with the patients than any other.  They spend time with the patient in the examination room, they discuss and help clarify symptoms, and they make certain the patient is prepared to see the physician. 

    This means that it is the clinical medical assistant that is responsible for having the patient remove clothing or even get into a hospital gown if necessary.  If you plan to be a clinical medical assistant you must be comfortable in working in close proximity with people that are clothed or not clothed and in communicating directly with patients that are oftentimes sick.

    The clinical assistant is also expected to do other clinical activities such as record a patients medical history, perform injections, take EKG’s, work with the laboratory, take blood, peform x-ray’s, and even start IV’s.

    The clinical medical assistant can expect a salary that is dependent upon their work experience as well as the area of practice that they work within.  The clinical medical assistant salary for the new employee that works within a normal physicians outpatient office you can expect to start around $13 per hour.  That salary average increases yearly and moves upwards of $17 plus per hour after 16+ years of experience.

    The clinical medical assistant’s salary, if they are working in an emergency care or within a department in an actual hospital, can expect to start at around $14.50 per hour.  While they start higher on average than the general practice clinical medical assistant they top out around $17.50 per hour, just slightly higher than the general practice clinical medical assistant.  In the long run it depends on the specific work environment that you want.  Small office or large hospital?  Each has it advantages and disadvantages and the choice is dependent upon your particular personality and goals.

    The one thing that needs to be included in the discussion of the clinical medical assistant’s salary is the benefits that they receive.  After all, benefits are an important part of overall salary.  Almost 90% of the full time clinical medical assistants receive benefits from the offices or hospitals they work within.  For medical assistant educators this percentage increases to over 94%.  The specific benefits that each employer offers ranges from major medical all the way through personal liability insurance.  It is important for a clinical medical assistant to consider having personal liability insurance coverage in order to shelter the assistant from any lawsuits that could target them whether through negligence, oversight, or perceived negligence.  The larger hospitals were found to be more likely to offer the largest range of medical coverage to their medical assistant staff.

    The highest paid clinical medical assistants were those that worked in specialty medical practices.  But the overall pay difference between the different types of environment was negligible.  If you are planning to be a clinical medical assistant you should know that the survey found that the difference in pay is very little so you are best of picking the work environment you will enjoy most.

  • Salary Of A Medical Assistant

    How much do medical assistants make?

    In 2010 there was a salary survey of medical assistants performed by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA).   This survey was sent to over 13,000 members of the  AAMA all of whom are medical assistants or those that educate and train medical assistants.  Of the 13,000, only 3,500 completed the rather lengthy survey.

    When looking at and considering the following numbers it is important to understand the role of averages.  The AAMA survey covered the entire United States and therefore includes data from many different cities and towns each with their own differences in standards of living.  The averages themselves are oftentimes not particularly indicative of your specific salary outlook.  Though it is a good reference point.  You should think of the numbers in light of the area in which you plan to work.  If you know your city has a high cost of living, such as Los Angeles, Boston, New York, or Chicago.  Then you can expect to be paid much higher than the average.  But if you live in and plan to work in areas with a much lower cost of living, then your salary expectations should be below the averages.  This is a the problem with all surveys, yet it is important to point out the issue in order to clarify the results.

    To begin it was found that over ninety percent of the full and part time medical assistants were paid by the hour.  This is an important distinction because there are times when someone is asked to work longer than standard hours.  If you are paid by the hour, then you will be compensated for that extra time.  Whereas the person that is not working hourly but working salary will not be given extra compensation for their overtime.  The percentage of those working hourly was reversed when looking at medical assistant instructors.  Of the respondents that educate medical assistants, over eighty-seven percent were on salary.

    The average hourly pay for full time medical assistants in the United States in 2010 was on a sliding scale depending on experience.  The following chart lists the results of the survey

    Years on the Job

    Hourly Wage

    Salary

    Under 2

    $13.23

    $25,300.00

    3 to 5

    $14.26

    $27,600.00

    6 to 9

    $15.25

    $30,100.00

    10 to 15

    $16.10

    $32,000.00

    Over 16

    $17.50

    $35,862.00

    Averages

    $15.42

    $30,709.00

    For those that train medical assistants the salary numbers were much higher.  The average salary of a medical assistant instructor was $49,500, in fact over fifteen percent of the medical educator respondents that were full time salaried instructors reported earnings of over $65,000 per year.

    The survey broke the averages down by geographic region within the United States, but because these were still averages it is difficult to determine any overriding trends.  Of the geographic areas, the average annual salary of the medical assistant was highest in the single geographic region of Californian, Washington, and Oregon in juxtaposition to the other geographic regions defined within the survey.  This average was $17.59 per hour and a salary of $34,136.  Of course that is an average and you would assume the medical assistant in Seattle or Los Angles will be making more than the medical assistant in Bend, Oregon.

  • Medical Administrative Assistant Salary


    Medical Administrative Assistant

    The medical administrative assistant is one of the most important jobs within a physicians office.  This may seem a bit over reaching but the fact is that many doctor’s offices fail because the administration of that particular office is not properly handled.  The medical administrative assistant handles a variety of tasks within a doctor’s office.  They handle and review client correspondence and communication.  They manage the overall office and all of the workers.  They design and ensure proper functionality of the overall office work flow.  They handle, update, and complete patient charts.  They work directly with patients and work with them in scheduling appointments, handling prescriptions, and all of the other duties within the office.  But most importantly, specialized medical administrative assistants are oftentimes responsible for handling all of the medical billing and interactions with insurance companies.  This in and of itself is one of the most critical and difficult functions within a medical office, and it requires a talented administrative medical assistant.  Without this task being handled properly the entire office can fail due to lack of payments from patients and their insurance companies.

    The medical administrative assistant needs to be an organized and detail oriented person.  They also need to have great communication skills in order to not only handle and communicate well with patients but also in handling and dealing with insurance companies and other bill payers such as the various government reimbursement programs.  This is not to say that all medical administrative assistants do all of these tasks, but it shows you the range of duties, as well as the critical nature of this position.  The good or bad news, depending on what you want from your medical assistant position, is that you are not normally called on to do clinical duties, therefore your specific physical interaction with sick patients is limited.

    Salary Range of a Medical Administrative Assistant

    The following chart lists the salary range and the general expectations for a medical administrative assistant.  The two main factors influencing the salaries are the type of office and the more obvious years of experience. After the chart is a brief explanation of the numbers, be certain to read this explanation because oftentimes charts can be misleading as they represent nationwide averages.

    Type Of Office

    Year of Experience

    Average

    less than 2

     3 to 5

    6 to 9

    10 to 15

    Over 16
    Outpatient Doctor’s Office

    $13.19

     $14.11

    $15.14

    $15.99

    $17.45

    $15.34
    Hospital Outpatient

    $14.50

     $15.43

    $16.12

    $17.89

    $17.51

    $16.34

    For some reading this chart the numbers look fantastic and for others they look very low.  This is probably because this chart is made of averages across the nation.   That means it represents medical administrative assistant’s in offices from Newton, Iowa to New York City, New York.  Obviously the medical administrative assistant in New York City is going to make far above these averages whereas the medical administrative assistant salary in Newton, Iowa may be lower.  But the overall averages at least can help you understand the general wages for the specific position.  If you want more precise information it is best to consult the local employment advertisements for the position you are seeking.  these will give you much more precise information for you particular location.

  • Medical Assistant Salary in New Jersey

    Medical Assistant Salary in NJ

    Salaries for medical assistants in New Jersey vary depending on several factors. The factors that determine salaries of medical assistants in New Jersey include the specific industry, location and experience. Medical training certification is also another factor that determines the medical assistant’s salary in New Jersey. The median annual salary is $29, 200. The middle group of medical assistant earn between $22,700 – $35,150; this comprises around fifty percent of all medical assistants in New Jersey. The top medical assistants in New Jersey earn more than $40,000. This group includes those people who have undergone medical assistant training in vocational schools and junior colleges, and usually have a wealth of job experience.

    Training Programs

    Medical training programs, that determine the pay one gets in New Jersey, last from 15-24 months.  They cover areas such as anatomy, physiology, general pharmacology, medical terminology, medical law as well as office procedures

    The average salary for medical assistants in New Jersey is $34,463. This means that the hourly rate is $16.57 . Of course a medical assistant’s salary is also determined by the experience that the medical assistant has. This is to mean that a medical assistant who has been working for ten years will get more cash than one who has been working for three years. For example, a medical assistant who has been working for only one year is going to get between $9.71  $12.85. A medical assistant who has been working for a period of between 10-19 years will get an hourly rate $13.11 – $17.05. As mentioned above the salary also differs depending on location and industry. The cities that pay top dollar in New Jersey as far as the salaries for medical assistants are concerned are Atlantic City and Jersey town which pay close to $40,000 per annum.

    Availability of Medical Assistant Jobs In New Jersey

    Medical assistant jobs are readily available in New Jersey. This is because there are many industries that want the services of medical assistants.

    One institution that readily absorbs medical assistants in New Jersey is the psychiatric institution. This is especially so for psychiatric institution that deals with substance abuse and other mental breakdown problems. Medical and surgical hospitals employs a great deal of medical assistants in New Jersey and the salary of these medical assistants employed in hospitals is relatively good. Medical assistants are also employed in scientific research institutions. However the greatest employer of medical assistant is the offices of physicians. Insurance carriers and other brokerage firms also employ medical assistants.

    The work carried out by medical assistants is not complex; in fact it is simple enough that in many cases on job training is the norm. However, one should be good in mathematics, biology, computer skills and bookkeeping in order to make a good medical assistant. The medical assistant is required to help with clinical and administrative duties. They thus have to maintain medical records; schedule appointments code information for insurance purposes and do the billing. This is in regard to their administrative duties. Their clinical duties require them to   prepare the patients for specific examination, recording the patient’s critical signs, draw blood and take the medical histories of patients.

  • Medical Assistant Resume

    Resume of a Medical Assistant

    A medical assistant resume needs to be treated similarly to any other resume.  You certainly want to include portions that show your specific certifications as well as qualifications as a medical assistant, but you also need to highlight, in some way, how you are great to work with for both co-workers as well as patients.

    The medical assistant position is highly weighted on interpersonal skills.  So you need to include in the resume the ways in which you excel in interpersonal communication.  There is no single way to do this, but it needs to be included.  If for no other reason than to show the prospective interviewer that you know how important the ability to positively communicate affects your performance in the position.

    Medical Assistant ResumeThe resume itself, as with any resume, need to be less than one page.  Unless you are a medical assistant that has decades of experience an certifications, you need to have a resume that is only one page long.   The average person in this level of a position does not need to include more than a single page of information.  In fact, most interviewers appreciate your consideration of their time in keeping a resume short.  If you cannot keep your resume short, many interviewers feel that you may have the inclination to not be able to be concise in other areas of your work.  That may sound like a distant connection, but remember, prior to the interview, all you are to the interviewer is the impression that is made from your resume.

    Make certain that everything on your resume is factually accurate and that you have followed all of the rules of style for a resume.  It would be best to stick to a professional formatted resume and to stay away from any of the resumes that have more of an artistic look.  This is because you are applying for a position that requires the utmost of professionalism and attention to record keeping detail.  You want your resume to reflect the ways in which you will behave and how well you will keep records within the office.

    The final thing you need to do on your resume, is put in as little subjective information and include as much factual information as possible.  For example, it is better to say that you increased patients keeping their appointments by 30% through implementation of a system you designed, rather than saying that you “excelled at ensuring patients showed up on time”.  The difference is in the precision of quantification.  Be precise an list facts in your resume.

    Hopefully this has given you a little insight on some precise things to do within your medical assistant resume.  The goal was not to pick a precise format, there are plenty of resources for that information.  The goal was to give some specific examples on what to do and what not to do on your resume.  As with your cover letter, if it takes you less than several hours to write your resume, then you are probably not doing it well.  You should write, re-write, and re-write again every part of your resume as if your future depends on it.  Because it does.

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  • Medical Assistant Cover Letter

    Writing a Cover Letter for a Medical Assistant

    The good news is that if you are a medical assistant you are in such high demand that a career position is likely within your immediate reach.  Of course, you do not want just any position, you want the best position available and as such, you want to make the best impression possible with your chosen employer.  The medical assistant cover letter is the place to start.  The cover letter is your introduction to the interviewer, it is your place to point out parts of your resume and about yourself that are most important.

    The keys to a good cover letter is proper attention to detail, keeping it short, and packing it with punch.  There is no way to know your prospective interviewer’s philosophy on hiring.  Some will never look at your cover letter and others will weigh it as highly as your actual resume.  In fact it is oftentimes the cover letter that makes the difference between choosing who to interview when looking at several similar looking resumes.

    When I say pay attention to detail, what I mean is that you want to follow all of the rules for style and formatting.  You want to use the proper rules for the margins, the date, the address line, the greeting, the salutation, and the spacing.  I cannot go into the precise requirements here because accepted business letter formatting changes over time.  Just look up the proper formatting for a business letter and follow the rules precisely.  One last thing, as much as it should go without saying, make certain there are not any spelling errors on the cover letter.  This includes properly spelling the names of those to whom you have addressed the letter.

    Keeping it short is very important. No one is going to read your three page cover letter.  Your cover letter needs to be much less than a page, with short paragraphs and concise writing.  You must say what you need to say in as direct a manner as possible.  Pick a few important points and say them well.

    Packing the cover letter with some punch is important.  If you have done something spectacular that cannot be communicated well on the resume, then say it in the cover letter.  If you have a particular achievement or ability that is not included on the resume, because it does not fit anywhere, then say it in the cover letter.  If you have a specific reason you want to work for the company that you are applying to, say it in the cover letter.  Make your letter stand out.  Say what you are applying for, why you want to work for that company specifically, and why you are a great person for the job, and do it all in less than a page.

    Be certain to include quantifiable facts in the letter if possible.  But if not then include something that shows you have great attention to detail as well as great interpersonal skills.  Not every letter has to be all facts, but keep your subjective information to a small part of the cover letter.  If your cover letter takes you less than two hours to write then you probably are not giving it enough attention.  A cover letter can make all of the difference in getting an interview – write it well.

  • Medical Assistant Salary in Florida

    Medical Assistant Salary in FL

    Florida has a large number of medical assistant vacancies. It is not the biggest state employer, for example California has a much greater need: there are only 36,660 compared to 83,000 vacancies in California. The average annual salary in Florida is also lower than that of California. The salary for medical assistants is also fairly average when it is compared to the salary of medical assistants in states like Ohio and California. The hourly mean wage in Florida for medical assistants is $13.30 giving us an annual average of $28,970.

    Factors that Affect Medical Salaries in Florida

    The salaries of medical assistants in Florida depend on several factors. It depends on their skill level, location, and experience. The lowest salary that medical assistant earn in Florida is between $18,000 —$20,000. Those people that work in non-metropolitan areas and those that have less experience usually earn this amount: roughly ten percent of all the medical assistants in Florida earn this amount. Fifty percent of the medical assistants in Florida earn between $ 23,700 and $33,050 while the highest salary a medical assistant can earn in Florida is $39,570. Some of the Cities that pay the highest salary to medical assistants in Florida are Miami and Palm Beach. These pay close to $ 39,570, the highest amount in the state.

    Areas Of Employment

    Medical assistants in physician’s offices hold the largest number of related jobs in Florida. Over sixty percent of medical assistants in Florida work in the office of physicians. At least 13% work in public and private hospitals. The medical assistants that work in hospitals mainly work in inpatient and outpatient facilities. At least 11% of medical assistants in California work in the offices of other health practitioners. These include practitioners like Optometrists and chiropractors. There are also medical assistants in Florida who are to be found working in other healthcare industries like residential facilities, outpatient care centers and nursing facilities.

    Increasing Opportunities

    Job opportunities for medical assistants in Florida are excellent, and many of the states have a handsome salary package for medical assistants. The jobs of medical assistants in Florida are expected to increase rapidly; in fact, this profession is going to have more vacancies in Florida and the rest of the country by 2018 according to specialists and economists.

    Accordingly the salary range for medical assistants is expected to increase in Florida: this means that medical assistants that are currently earning the minimum amount can expect to earn much more money soon. However, job-specific skills have begun to matter in the profession, and many new entrants looking for a job in this field will be expected to have higher standards of relevant education. Although most of the training is done on the job, competition is quite stiff in most cities in Florida. High school graduates have to work extra hard to not only find a suitable position but also to get the maximum salary that they can in the state of Florida.

     

  • Medical Assistant Salary in California

    California state has one of the highest number of vacancies for medical assistants in the country, with about 83,000 medical assistants currently employed there. This is a comparatively high number seen against states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania that have less than 25,000 medical assistants. Medical assistants are the personnel that perform clinical and administrative duties under the direction of doctors. The administrative duties they do include medical records maintenance, appointments scheduling, information coding for insurance purposes as well as billing. Their clinical duties include taking patient’s medical histories, drawing blood, preparing patients for examination and recording vital signs.

    California Medical Assistant Salary

    The medical assistant’s salary in California pretty much falls into a standard range of around 30,000. California does not pay the highest medical assistants salaries but also not the lowest. There are also some cities and metropolitan areas in California that pay below the standard salary, which in California, as mentioned before is around $30,000. Such cities include Merced and Redding. Yuba is also a metropolitan area in California that pays below the $30,000 mark. The salary for medical assistants in Merced is $24,400 per annum which translates to roughly $2,040 per month. The mean annual salary in Redding is $26,500 per annum. There are other cities and metropolitan areas in California that do pay medical assistants more than $30,000 per year. These include cities like Vallejo Fairfield and Santa Cruz –Watsonville. In Vallejo fair fields, medical assistants are given an annual salary of about $ 38,100. In Santa Cruz –Watsonville the annual medical assistant’s salary is $36,500. The more popular L.A has an average salary of around $32,000. The typical average hourly rate of medical assistants in California is $15.03.

    See graph below for median salaries in the more popular cities in California

    Medical Assistant Salary in California

    Medical assistant jobs are available in large numbers in California. Some of the states that have the largest number of medical assistant vacancies are the cities that have been mentioned in the preceding paragrap, but substantial numbers of vacancies can be found scattered in various places in the state. In California, the institutions that employ medical assistants are listed below. One of the greatest employers of medical assistants are physicians, who employ about half of all the medical assistants in Carlifonia. The salary they give to medical assistants is, on average, close to $30,000.This is more or less the Californian state average. Surgical and medical hospitals employ about 18% of the medical assistants in California and these pay a salary close to that given by physicians. Other offices of health practitioners also employ medical assistants. General merchandise stores and outpatient care centers provide considerable vacancies for medical assistants in California.

    Industries With High Concentrations Of Medical Assistants

    In California, the industries that have the highest concentration of medical assistants are listed below. One such industry is the psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals. These give top dollars for services rendered. For example, the hourly rate for medical assistants is $18.86 translating to an annual mean of $39,220. Scientific Research and development industries have considerably employed many medical assistants in California. Their hourly rate is however lower than that of psychiatric institutions. They pay an annual average of about US $36,880. Insurance carriers and the office of dentist are other industries that provide work to medical assistants in California.

  • Certified Medical Assistant Programs

    There are a variety of medical assistant programs that are offered across the Untied States.  Some are fantastic programs that have been certified by organizations such as the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and then there are other medical assistant programs without certifications that provide a substandard medical assistant education.

    The reason that medical assisting programs need to be certified is because the certification process itself serves as a check and balance to ensure the student and subsequent employer that the medical assistant has been properly trained.  The stringent guidelines of these accrediting agencies is enough to keep the educational programs completely up to do date with all new developments in the medical field as they relate to medical assistants.  The certified programs are also required to re-certify their medical assistant graduates every 5 years.  This means that their certified medical assistants will always be knowledgeable and implementing the most up to date techniques and procedures.

    The second reason that the medical assisting program you attend needs to be a certified medical assistant program is because that will give you an edge over others that are competing against you for the same job.  There are a lot of medical assisting jobs available, but there are also a lot of medical assistants applying for the best of those jobs.  If you are a graduate of one of the certified medical assistant programs, then you will able to compete against the best of the medical assistants, and it will help you land the best medical assistant job available.

    The third reason you want to attend a certified medical assistant program is that you want to be assured that you have the very best training possible.  The fact is, that you serve a very important role in any medical office, and in the health and well being of the patients of that office.  If you are certified then you will know that you had the best education possible and that you are providing your employer and that patient the best care possible.

    Certified medical assistant programs also have an easier time when it comes to helping their students obtain medical assistant employment.  When a school has a reputation for graduating knowledgeable and office ready students that are certified, then the surrounding medical community will be looking to that school every time they need to hire a new assistant. When you attend a certified program you will likely have an easier time getting a job on graduation, in fact, oftentimes the job will come looking for you.

    The final reason you want to have attended one of the certified medical assistant programs is that it will increase your personal self esteem.  Sometimes it is difficult to know if you are doing the right thing when starting a new career path or vocational program.  Knowing that the program you are attending has been certified and is respected in the medical community can help a lot with how confident you feel in this new career path that you have chosen.

     

  • Medical Assistant Certification

    Why do I need a Medical Assistant Certification?

    There are a variety of reasons why you would want to have medical assistant certification.  There are several boards that offer this certification,. the most prestigious of which is the American Association or Medical Assistants (AAMA).  The reason you would want to be certified is that it sets you apart and above other medical assistants, it gives you improved job security, and it allows you to more easily get a new medical assistant job should you wish to leave the one you are at currently.  The certification also gives your employer an increased level of security and defense against any possible lawsuits.  For them, it is easier to defend the actions of an office filed with stringently certified medical assistants, than if they had no true hiring criteria or required certifications for their staff.

    The AAMA is the premier of certifying bodies because they are the lead organization within the Untied States for certified medical assistants.  Their certification process is also more stringent than other certifying bodies.  The AAMA not only requires that you attend an accredited medical assisting program taught within a classroom environment, but that you are also subjected to an externship before being allowed to graduate the accredited program.  The AAMA then has you take a national medical assisting certification exam that is given by the National Board of Medical Examiners.  This is the same testing agency that gives many of the national examinations for physicians.  These combined stringent requirements, classroom training, externship, and passing the exam ensure that the AAMA certification is recognized and admired amongst medical professionals.

    The AAMA also requires a 60 month re-certification for all of those that have been previously certified.  This ensures the validity of the certification as well as protects the employer from having medical assistants that have not kept up to date on current medical procedures and practices.  The AAMA itself also offers a variety of classes in order to ensure that the medical assistant is prepared for their re-certification exam.  These classes help the medical assistant to stay abreast of new required office procedures and laws and in turn will help ensure the entire medical office is compliant.

    Medical assistant certification, whether through the AAMA or some other medical assistant certifying agency is something that every medical assistant should consider.  It is also something that every medical employer should consider requiring of their employees.  There is always a debate amongst practitioners if certification is actually valuable or not in every day application.  But the fact is that having a staff of medical assistants that have an outside certification can benefit the way the public perceives the medical office, and it can also serve as a line of defense against those that would wish to sue the office.  The certification of the entire staff would certainly be an argument in favor of the practitioner.  I certainly would not want to be in court and have to tell the jury that I did not hire certified staff.  For that reason alone, it is a good idea to get certified if you are a medical assistant and to only hire the certified if you are a medical employer.