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Pros and Cons of Medical Assistant School

As you work your way into the medical industry, medical assistant school is probably going to be one of the first things on your mind. Why? Because it’s a much easier field to work your way into when held in comparison to a doctor or a nurse. Choosing the right career can be challenging, and health-care careers are extremely lucrative right now. The job of a medical assistant is precisely what it sounds like – it is designed to provide assistance to doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and much more. In addition to that, as a medical assistant, you will have a rare opportunity to work with patients from all walks of life and in various medical conditions. The question that you might have right now, however, is whether or not there are any disadvantages. There are indeed some pros and cons to consider when it comes to medical assisting, so let’s take a look.

Navigating the Advantages

The first advantage we would point out in this field is the type of work you will be doing. It will be extremely rewarding and will bring you many opportunities in the future. Let’s open this article by talking about the job duties that you will be tasked with.

Job Duties of a Medical Assistant

Once you graduate from our medical assistant program and find yourself employed there are several duties that you will need to perform, including front and back desk.

  • Front Desk Duties – Greeting Patients, Gathering Information, Clerical Work
  • Behind the Desk – Patient Assessment, Prepping Patients, Providing Treatments, Feeding, mobility assistance.

Most of the duties that a medical assistant will be tasked with the will of the ‘hands off’ variety and if that’s what you are going for in your career, then congratulations, you’ve found it. If, however, your goal has been more of a hands-on approach then you might want to consider becoming a nursing assistant which is outside the scope of this article.

The Specializations

There are many different areas in the health-care field and you will have the opportunity to choose one of them to specialize in. The most common specializations in the field include:

  • Pediatric
  • Psychiatric
  • Education
  • General Medicine
  • Endocrinology

If you choose to work in general medicine you will be tasked with numerous tasks across all of the fields. More specialized fields, however, allow you to hone your preferred skill and provide a more specific type of care to your patients.

Navigating the Disadvantages


We’ve spent quite a bit of time talking about all of the advantages of being in this field and we do have to admit that they are not few, but what are the disadvantages? What negatives can you expect from working this type of job? It all starts with the salary.

Salary Determined by Employer

While there is a typical salary for a medical assistant, it is a bit of a spectrum and where you fall on it will actually depend on your employer. You will have the opportunity to negotiate, obviously, but you will not have the same leeway as someone higher up on the chain. For example, an LPN will automatically make more than an MA, and they will have much more room to negotiate. In the end, it all depends on how willing your employer is to work with you.

The Training

Just like any other job in the medical field you will need to invest a considerable amount of time into your training. A medical assistant needs to be certified and licensed before they can practice as an MA. This means completing an accredited medical assistant training program and then taking the state licensing exam. Licenses will expire after a set time and you will then need to renew it which costs additional money. Fortunately, once you learn the skills and have practiced for some time, retaking the test should be simple.

There are definitely pros and cons to consider but it all starts with taking the first step and applying for our program. Call us today for more information!

 

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