The Ugly Truth About Medical Assisting

The Ugly Truth About Medical Assisting

It’s easy to see the bright side of medical assisting: it provides professional employment in a desirable environment with decent pay. On top of that, you can expect a very healthy job market for many years to come. Yet being a medical assistant also means having a job that can sometimes be quite demanding, and it’s often not glamorous. It is a job, and any job has its pitfalls and difficulties. If you are deciding whether medical assisting makes a promising career for you personally, it’s important that you examine the ugly truths of the profession.

Good pay, but it’s no get-rich-quick scheme

Medical assistants make substantially more than a typical retail or restaurant employee, with a median salary of more than $29,370.00 (according to Bureau of Labor Statistics) and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,080.00, and the top 10 percent earned more than $41,570.00. Considering that employers look for applicants with medical assisting certificates but do not require a 4-year college degree, this average income offers a comfortable lifestyle that is well within reach for many people willing to invest in their future and make it happen.

The work itself can be stressful

For many people, the difficulties of being a medical assistant are what makes the job satisfying and meaningful. It’s important to go into the job aware that it requires more than just simple paperwork and interacting with friendly patients.

As a healthcare professional, being a medical assistant provides wonderful opportunities for rewarding work. You can be a key part of a patient being comfortable during their time in a hospital and you can help put them on the path to getting well. The other side of the coin, however, is that you must also deal with insurance companies, difficult patients, and even the drama and tragedy of the very ill.

Many of the people you help are going through difficult times and might take their stress out on the employees at the office or hospital. Other times, you might feel a connection with a patient and then become distraught when their situation turns for the worse. On top of all that, there can also be complicated paperwork to deal with and the stress of insurance companies and adjusters demanding your time and energy.

Every job has its dark side, but not all have the great benefits of medical assisting. Many jobs offer just as many headaches without the reward. Medical assistants enjoy a professional job atmosphere and can go home at the end of each day knowing they helped patients in meaningful ways. What’s the bottom line?  Well, if the ugly truth about medical assisting doesn’t scare you off, then the rewards might be worth the facing some of the truth’s we talked about in this article.

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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