Medical Assistant Careers

Medical Assistant Careers - A Quick Overview

Many kids grow up with the dream of becoming a fireman, a police woman or even a vet. If you were someone who grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor then chances are that you are a giver and someone likes to care for others people. becoming a doctor is a very tough and arduous field of study and very few actually fulfill the dream of becoming a medical doctor. the truth is that its not the only way to fulfill that dream. There are a lot of related fields of study with jobs that are just as fulfilling and just as rewarding.

Medical assistant careers are very exciting and allows virtually anyone to enter the medical field. As an assistant you have an almost limitless choice of potential careers. Assistants range from fully qualified nurses to people operating and maintaining medical equipment - and everything in between.

With technology becoming such a huge part of medicine these days the need for experts to work the technology is increasing rapidly. Doctors and medical professionals can no longer keep up with modern medical equipment which is why specialist assistants and technicians are in such a high demand.

As an assistant you will not only work with cutting edge technology, but you will also work with patients. If you are someone who dreams of helping people and if you want to be in the medical field without becoming a doctor then this might be a great opportunity for you. If you are someone who love technology, then this is definitely a direction that you need to look at.

The best part of all is that the future is looking very bright for medical assistants. Its one of the fastest growing industries in the world and its set to be in high demand in the next 10 years. In fact, all through the recession it remained in demand and since you will primarily be employed by hospitals, its a very stable and secure job.

Salary prospects are also pretty good and depending on the field you specialize in, you can make a very good living as a medical assistant. Starting salaries vary greatly, but most assistant careers have great career prospects to further your skills and your job prospect and earnings.

Qualifying as a Medical Assistant

Medical assistant careers are hot right now. With great job prospects in one of the most stable industries, there's never been a better time to get qualified. Medical assistants do a very wide range of jobs and depending on what you specialize in, the requirements and duration of study also varies greatly. In general terms a medical assistant is someone who works in a doctors office to assist a medical doctor in a range of tasks.

Some jobs only require that you act as an office manager in a doctor's practice while others require that you actively participate in doing examinations and perform duties like drawing blood, give injections and take patient's blood pressure. You can even qualify to operate medical equipment like x ray machines and sonar instruments.

Because the job descriptions vary greatly, the qualifications also vary greatly. As an entry level assistant you can even get a job with a high school diploma. You will be trained "on the job" and learn the basics of managing a medical practice and how to perform administrative duties. Getting a formal qualification can open a lot ore doors for you though. Doctors nowadays prefer to employ qualified people which means you can find a job much easier and potentially earn a better salary. You can also look into various online degree and diploma programs that can make getting your qualification much easier and more affordable.

Vocational schools offer a one year program where you can earn a diploma or certificate. Community colleges offer 2 year programs where you will earn an associates degree. Degrees are much more sough after as you will have a lot more medical training and a much better background since you will study anatomy, physiology and learn basic medical terminology. This will also give you a big head start if you which to further your career and specialize in the future.

Once you are qualified you can become certified by registering with the American Association of Medical Assistants or the Association of American Technologists. Being registered will once again offer you much better employment opportunities and give your resume an added boost.

Medical Assistant Certifications

The regulations for working in a doctors office as a medical assistant vary greatly but in general you don't need any formal qualification. Depending on the tasks you do, certain types of education and qualification will be required. Tasks like drawing blood and taking x rays are regulated by state laws and doctors are forced to employ medical assistants who are qualified to perform these tasks. For this very reason, doctors and medical professionals prefer to employ assistants who have a qualification and who are certified.

There are basically 2 different types of certifications for medical assistants and both require a degree or diploma from an accredited school or program. The first is accreditation is as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) while the second is for a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).

To qualify as a CMA you need to obtain your qualification and then pass the American Association of Medical Assistant's (AMMA) certification exam. Your qualification covers a lot of medical training and you will learn medical terminology, pharmacology, anatomy, pathology, laboratory techniques and even basic first aid. On top of that you will learn the management of a medical practice and you will learn how to deal with patients and the moral and ethical aspects of medicine.

To qualify as a RMA you need to pass The American Technologists (AMT) exam. The requirements are much more strict and in order to apply for the exam you need to have at least 5 years experience working as a medical assistant or you must have the required tertiary qualifications.

Medical Assistant With A Difference

While most people thin of medical assistants as glorified receptionists at their local GP, the reality is that its a very specialised profession and one that is growing rapidly. As the medical field is becoming more technologically advanced, the need for more specialist staff is growing. These days doctors and medical professionals are relying on technology to help them diagnose and treat patients. Because doctors are primarily focussed on patients, they simply do not have the time or the expertise to learn, operate and maintain specialist equipment.

This is where the new generation of medical assistants come to play. With medical technology ranging from Nuclear Medicine to MRI and even Nano technology, there is a huge demand for skilled individuals to work alongside doctors and to "operate" the equipment that will allow doctors to perform their duties in the 21st century.

Although there will always be the need for medical assistants who can run medical practices, the demand for more technically skilled assistants is growing daily and as the technology is becoming more advanced, this is one career that has huge potential for driven individuals. Unlike assistants that merely do administrative work, you will need a qualification from an accredited school or college and depending on what you specialise in it can take anything from 1 to 4 years full or part time to qualify as a medical technician.

Radiology is probably one of the biggest opportunities as it can open up a lot of doors in this vast field of medicine. You can become and X ray technician, advance into MRI and even branch out to Ultrasound technologies. There are also careers for dental assistants, veterinary assistants and the fact that you will be actively working with patients makes this ideal fro anyone who love to work with people - without having the huge responsibility that doctors has.

A medical assistant career can be very rewarding and you will definitely not be a glorified receptionist. You will be a qualified professional that fulfils a vital role in diagnosing and treating patients.