Medical Assistant Careers – Why Fast-Track An Accredited Program?

Medical assistant careers are expected to see 34% growth within the next 6 years (Bureau of Labor Statistics). If you’re interested in jumping into this rapidly growing field, there are fast-track degree programs leading to careers that could put you in a new job in as little as 12 months.

Two Things To Consider:

1. Is this job right for you?

2. Which program should you choose?

Selecting a career that’s a good fit for your personality is always the biggest reason in determining your success. Like the old cliche: do what you love, love what you do!

What Exactly Does The Job Entail?

When you’re a medical assistant, you’ll literally “run” the doctor’s office. It could be a physician’s office or a clinical, research or specialist office. You ensure that appointments go smoothly by taking care of all administrative and clinical tasks before patients see the doctor. This includes everything from gathering health information and history to filling out insurance paperwork.

Other Tasks Include:

Greet patients Answer telephones Schedule appointments Handle correspondence, billing and bookkeeping Prepare patients for examinations Assist the physician

Is It A Fit For Your Personality?

Typically, people in medical careers are compassionate by nature and are able to interact easily with patients. If you are a “people person” with a warm bedside manner, a career training program from an accredited school could be a valuable asset in any physician’s office.

Fast-tracking Gets You Through School Quickly

Fast track programs that lead to medical assistant careers last between 1-1 years and are designed to get you into the field and earning as quickly as possible. Often, you’ll get field training while studying, giving you immediate workplace experience. That experience helps you to compete for jobs and may shorten transitioning from training to actually getting hired.

Choosing Between Online and In-Class Options

You’ll also want to consider whether online instruction can help you reach your goal of becoming a medical assistant. Some schools operate fully online, while most offer combination’s of local classroom instruction plus some online components. You should pick the type of training you want based on your schedule and comfort working online.

Why Choose An Accredited Program?

Accreditation provides a standard to gauge graduate knowledge, something employers bank on when evaluating candidates for medical assistant careers.

Two agencies certify programs in this field:

o The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education (CAAHEP) programs

o The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (AB-HES)

There are over 700 accredited programs to choose from if you’re interested in medical assistant careers.


TOP