Do You Need Training to Be a Medical Assistant?

Do You Need Training to Be a Medical Assistant?

Changing careers in today’s economy can be a scary and difficult process for anyone, but when a job doesn’t pay enough to support a family anymore, that change becomes necessity. Increasing pay without increasing hours spent at a job can also be fairly hard without formal training, a college degree or industry certification. Thankfully, there are programs out there such as medical assisting training that can be completed while working another job and still pursuing a career that you love in the medical field. And with the growth in the medical industry at an above average rate and the average pay for medical assisting being well above the minimum wage, a change to the medical field could be a viable option for changing career fields. And training to be a medical assistant is a great place to start!

What a Medical Assistant Does…

Medical assistants are an important part of any physician’s staff, hospital unit, or outpatient care because they handle lots of details that the doctors or nurses might not have time. If a career in the medical field sounds like a viable option, then consider the simple steps that are necessary before working in an office or hospital.

Some of the common medical tasks that are required of a medical assistant include blood pressure, and measure other vital signs when a patient first comes in for an appointment or checkup; assist the physician with exams; handle blood test and other bodily fluid samples; schedule appointments for patients; give patients injections with physician supervision; and record patient history and information. The medical assistant plays a vital role in helping physicians diagnose, treat, and provide accurate and essential care to each patient. Questions asked when taking patient history, accurate details about the patient upon induction, and correctly monitoring and taking vital signs can all lead to patients getting the care that they need without over medicating or over prescribing and sending the patient down the wrong road to recovery.

Do I Really Need Medical Assistant Training? 

Training is first, and foremost, an essential part of becoming a medical assistant because the various tasks that are performed day in and day out take a basic knowledge of the human anatomy, medical procedures and some of the laws that govern the way the medical care is provided. Since the tasks of a medical assistant vary by field, office, specialty and state laws, it is necessary to be familiar with everything that might be encountered.

The training necessary to complete these tasks, is still very necessary as there are steps that cannot be skipped and the medical field requires at least a basic amount of knowledge & skill before someone can begin a career. Between patient contact, bodily fluid contact, proper documentation, proper procedures, and other industry specific things a certified training program is necessary.

How Do I get Started in Medical Assisting…What’s required to Be One?

While medical assistant training does not require the rigors of medical school for completion, the typical program usually runs between one year and eighteen months depending on the school, state, and other requirements. A high-school diploma or GED are required to begin a program, and immediate coursework in introductory math, biology, medical terminology, and English are the usual base that programs will build on. Some programs also use clinics and hospitals in their area to give students hands on training later in the program.

Specific coursework will vary depending on the school, but students should be prepared for plenty of work in science and laboratories, essential math, and reading and composition since so much of the medical assisting job requires assistants to be able to communicate effectively with both patients and physicians and doctors through verbal and written communication. The math comes into play when charting, making conversions, and figuring plenty of different numbers that come up in patient care. Obviously, the science and biology come into play with patient vitals, lab specimens, and various other clinical situations.

We hope you enjoyed this article and some better insight into what it takes to become a Medical Assistant and why career training is the best and fastest way to a new and exciting career in the medical field.

For more information about Centura College or our Medical Assisting Career Training Programs, or to speak with an admissions representative and apply for admission, contact Centura College today by visiting our Website.  You can also learn more about Centura College at our Consumer Information Disclosure page, Your right to know.

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