Healthcare careers are booming right now with opportunities in all sorts of medical settings. One great career path is that of a medical assistant, which is one of the fastest growing career fields according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And because the demand for medical assistants is growing, salaries are predicted to rise as well.
Medical assistants already make good salaries once they graduate from a medical assistant school. According to BLS.gov, the median salary is nearly $30,590 a year. (The median is the salary that sits right in the middle of the highest and lowest salaries). But salaries will vary based on several factors such as the geographic area where you work, the level and quality of your training, your level of job experience and having a medical assistant certificate.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
Medical assistants have two key jobs to perform, which you will be trained to do in a medical assistant program. First, they perform a variety of administrative tasks such as working with patients, insurance companies, processing medical bills, answering the telephone and scheduling patient visits. Second, they assist other health care providers, such as physicians, nurses and physician assistants, in providing medical care to patients. For example, at the beginning of the patient’s visit they make take vital health sign readings such as the patient’s weight, height, temperature, and blood pressure. They also collect urine samples and tissue specimens as requested by the doctor for laboratory testing.
In large health care settings such as big group practices or hospitals, medical assistants may focus on only one of these two areas. But in smaller offices, such as practices that have only one or two doctors, they will most likely perform both the administrative tasks and the medical care tasks. A good medical assistant school will train you on all the tasks you might be asked to perform.
How Do You Become a Medical Assistant?
You can become a medical assistant in as little as a year after graduating high school through a medical assistant school in Miami, which will give you a certificate. When choosing a medical assistant program, make sure it is accredited. FVI School of Nursing and Technology is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education (COE)
Medical assistant programs require students to obtain hands-on experience in a medical facility. Real-world experience will help beef up your resume and you may even land a full-time job in the medical facility where you worked! https://www.youtube.com/embed/f-8sVSFj2ok
Become Certified
Most employers usually require that you have a certificate that shows that you’ve been trained and passed a test specific to the knowledge required of a medical assistant. There are many certifications that you can earn. At FVI, we recommend all students take and pass the medical assistant certification exam (CCMA) which we administer at our campus.
Choosing a Medical Assistant School in Miami
At FVI School of Nursing and Technology in Miami, we offer high-quality education for careers in healthcare and information technology. Our admissions process is simple so you’ll find it easy to get started on the path to success. In addition, we maintain a staff of financial aid professionals who can help you understand your financial aid options to meet your educational expenses. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify.
Our medical assistant program is designed to train you to efficiently handle all of the relevant aspects of medical office management including reception, scheduling appointments, managing patient records, informatics and insurance billing. We also train you to handle clinical duties such as preparing patients for examinations and minor surgeries, performing specialized medical tests including urinalysis, collecting biological specimens, phlebotomy, performing EKG tests and some X-rays, and processing and recording pharmacological data.
Graduates of our medical assistant program in Miami will possess the skills and hands-on experience to work in medical offices, clinics, hospitals and even in healthcare facilities for specialized medicine such as optometry, gynecology, and pediatrics. For students who can’t always come in to our facility, we offer more than 50% of our medical assistant courses either online or via hybrid delivery.
If you want to gain a position as a medical assistant professional in a rising career field, FVI School of Nursing and Technology’s medical assistant program is a great path to take! Come explore the world of healthcare training through our excellent program!
