Are you someone who gravitates toward helping people with a strong compassionate streak? Are you great with people, excellent at problem-solving, and a brilliant multi-tasker? Well, did you know these are some of the fundamental Medical Assistant skills needed to start a new career in the healthcare industry?
Medical Assistants work in a number of workplace environments and are pivotal members of any healthcare team. If you’re looking for a rewarding career and would like to:
- Work with other fantastic healthcare professionals
- Aid a patient's journey through the healthcare system
- Enjoy a great mix of both clerical and administrative activities
- Work in a very close, team-orientated work environment
- A job where every day is different
Then becoming a Medical Assistant could be the right career move for you.
Medical Assistant skills are in great demand throughout the healthcare system. Certified Medical Assistant programs provide you with an opportunity to retrain to become a Certified Medical Assistant in just eight months - even without any previous healthcare experience.
Contact NCC Today To Find Out More About Medical Assistant Training!
What is a Medical Assistant and What Do They Do?
Medical Assistant duties and responsibilities form the glue that holds almost every healthcare clinic and medical office together. Medical Assistants are responsible for several clinical and administrative tasks that can vary from monitoring a patient’s vital signs to scheduling outpatient follow-up appointments.
Combining these responsibilities allows doctors and physicians to provide the care patients need. In addition, Medical Assistants are often the primary contact with patients, reassuring and comforting them through their stay.
Fundamental Medical Assistant skills include being;
- Detail orientated
- Great at time management
- Strong at multi-tasking
- Empathetic to patients’ needs and worries
What Skills Are Needed to Be a Medical Assistant?
A Medical Assistants work combines many different core elements, which makes the job both challenging, but also very enjoyable. Medical Assistant skills draw upon a range of attributes, including;
Soft Skills
- Compassion
- Empathy
- Patient psychology
- A caring nature
Clinical skills
- Assisting Doctors and physicians with patient examination
- Monitoring and measuring patients’ vital signs
- Taking blood samples and preparing them for laboratory testing
- Provision of medication and injections (under the direction of a physician)
Administrative Skills
- Scheduling of patient appointments
- Recording and updating patient information and medical history
- Patient billing, collection, and bookkeeping
- Medical coding and insurance registration
Having a range of responsibilities helps the healthcare facility run effectively, but it also offers immensely rewarding levels of job satisfaction. While the soft skills are generally natural attributes, the clinical and administrative skills are usually learned through Medical Assistant programs and experience.
How Do You Become a Medical Assistant?
Did you know you can qualify to take the National Certified Medical Assistant, NCMA (NCCT) and Certified Medical Assistant, CMA (AAMA) examinations with just eight months of studying?
Medical Assistant programs teach you the necessary Medical Assistant skills and often include an onsite externship. These help you gain first-hand experience of the clinical and administrative tasks involved.
National Career College’s Medical Assistant program is ideal for students interested in becoming Medical Assistants. The curriculum has been designed by experts in the field and is continually updated in accordance with NCCT and AAMA guidance.
NCC helps students to gain the theoretical Medical Assistant skills needed through in-classroom learning, as well as an excellent externship program, where students learn about;
- Pharmacology
- Human anatomy and physiology
- Medical terminology, ethics, and laws
- Human psychology
- Preparation and recording of laboratory tests
- Patient and medical records administration
- Insurance billing and bookkeeping
These are the core elements required to graduate and take the Medical Assistant certification exams.
What Is the Career Outlook for a Medical Assistant?
After successfully passing the certification exams, congratulations, you are now officially a certified Medical Assistant!
With the growing need for healthcare graduates, Medical Assistant skills are very much in demand. Medical Assistants work in a range of healthcare facilities, including;
- State, local and private hospitals
- Physicians clinics
- Chiropractor offices
- Outpatient Care Centers
The career outlook for Medical Assistants is also great. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), they predict an 18% growth in employment, calculating 132,600 openings for Medical Assistants are projected each year, on average, over the decade. That’s more than twice the national average of 8%1!
The annual median wage of a Medical Assistant was $37,190, according to the BLS2. However, according to Salary.com, the median wage for a Medical Assistant in California is $42,244, with the highest 10% earning $48,6833.
Start on A New Career Path with National Career College (NCC)
Take the first important step to a rewarding new career with one of NCC’s Medical Assistant programs. Learn about the Medical Assistant duties and responsibilities in just 8-month from our industry experts who have designed NCC’s courses.
National Career College provides you with the theoretical knowledge to take the certification exams. But also the practical Medical Assistant skills required in a real-time environment through our supervised clinical externship program.
NCC also offers flexible Medical Assistant programs designed to allow you to study around your life and family commitments with our:
- Morning class programs
- Afternoon class programs
- Evening class programs
National Career College strives to give students the knowledge to take the certification exams. Nonetheless, with our clinical externship, you can build your confidence to apply your Medical Assistant learnings and work toward a fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. Learn more about getting started at NCC here or call us at 888-988-2301!
Get Your Career Off To A Great Start And Sign Up For NCC’s Medical Assistant Program Today!
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