More and more people are looking to pursue a job they are passionate about in an exciting environment where they can make a difference. It makes sense - we spend so much of our time at our job! The average person will spend 90,000 hours of their life working. This means you'll spend 3750 days, or over ten years, of your life at work. If you are going to spend a decade working, you want to do something that is fulfilling! For an exciting career where you will help others, consider a position as a medical assistant.
Medical assistants play an essential role in various healthcare settings. Generally, they will support administrative staff and doctors, sometimes being the liaison between the two. A medical assistant often has a number of responsibilities, which makes the job exciting. Some duties include assisting with patient exams, completing patient history, scheduling patient appointments, taking vital signs, and preparing laboratory samples. If you are looking to change careers or perhaps start your career, here is what you can expect from a medical assistant career:
Demand and Job Opportunities
As a medical assistant, you will have a lot of future job prospects! Medical Assisting is one of the fastest-growing professions in the healthcare field. In fact, job opportunities are expected to increase by 23% by 2028! With the right credentials, you can work in a number of healthcare facilities, including ambulatory health care centers, hospitals, office laboratories, doctor's offices, private health practices, and emergency rooms.
Hours and Salary
Many medical assistant jobs are full-time careers; however, there are part-time positions available. The hours you work will vary, depending on the location and type of practice you are at. For example, if you are working at a hospital or in an emergency room, you may work a variety of day and night shifts. Alternatively, if you are working at a medical office open 9-5, you will have more regular hours. That said, most medical assistants will work weekends and occasional holidays. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for medical assistants in May 2019 was $34,800. These statistics found that those who work in outpatient care centers made the most, followed by hospitals, physician offices, and then lastly, chiropractic offices. The highest 10% earned more than $48,720. Often, the higher your education, the more high-paying job opportunities will be available to you.
Education and Certification
There is a lot to learn before becoming a medical assistant, so you'll need a good education that will prepare you for the duties of the job. This includes training on administrative tasks and clinical techniques for jobs in most healthcare facilities, medical practices, and hospitals. An Associates in Medical Assisting, like the one offered by City College, will prepare you for the role. You'll take courses in anatomy and physiology, CPR and medical emergencies, clinical lab procedures, exam room procedures, pharmacology, medical terminology, and phlebotomy. In addition to classroom instruction, your training program should provide you will hands-on experience. For example, in the City College program, you will participate in a 160-hour internship in healthcare facilities and medical clinics.
A Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant
Now that you know the basics of what to expect from a medical assistant career let's look at what an average day would look like. Let's say you work in a medical office that opens at 7 AM. You'll arrive around 6:20 to start preparing for the patients. This will include tasks like reviewing patients' schedules with the doctor, organizing patient charts, completing paperwork like surgical forms or insurance documentation, and preparing patient rooms. Depending on the office's structure and size, you may schedule appointments, answer the telephone, and listen to voicemails.
As patients arrive at the clinic, you will check them in, verify their information and insurance and escort them to the exam room. Here, you will take their vitals. You will also assist the physician with tasks like giving injections, drawing blood, updating patient records, and performing tests. The job is very fast-paced, and you will likely be moving quickly from room to room. At the end of the day, you'll have some administrative duties to take care of as well. This may include returning messages, filling out patient charts, scheduling appointments, and completing prescription refills.
In an ideal world, everything would run as scheduled and you'll leave on time every day; however, that is not often the case for medical assistants. Patients will come late, there may be an emergency appointment, or an appointment may run longer than anticipated. It's common for schedules to get behind, which likely means a medical assistant is staying late to see the last patient and complete the final admin duties at day-end.
As you can see, medical assistant's need to be able to work in a fast-paced environment and be a great multi-tasker! This career is very rewarding. You are helping people and working in a very active and stimulating workplace. Although this job is in demand, you should have more job opportunities in different environments available to you if you pursue an Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting. Now that you know what to expect, is a career as a medical assistant for you?
