How to Get Your Medical Assistant Certification
What Do Medical Assistants Do?
Some tasks you’ll do as a medical assistant include; scheduling appointments, managing medical records, preparing examination rooms and patients, sterilizing equipment, perform basic medical tasks and drawing blood. Medical assistants work in both administrative and practical capacities. They liaise with doctors and nurses to ensure the patient gets the best treatment.
As you progress in your career and gain more experience, you’ll move onto more complex tasks. These include administering medication, starting an IV, health and safety coordination, lab testing and even assisting with clinical trials. Becoming a medical assistant opens up a world of opportunities, but before you begin working, you need to get your medical assistant certification.
Enrolling in Medical Assistant School
You’ll need to take classes at a school that trains medical assistants. However, make sure your course is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
There are two education routes to choose from; a certificate or associate's degree. Both are great courses, which will prepare you for the workplace. If you want to start work quickly, then you should choose the certificate. However, if further education interests you, then an associate's degree will give you a foundation to progress into higher ranking job roles. You’ll need to go onto further study, but the process will be a lot quicker with a degree.
Get Practical Experience
Part of your course will involve gaining some hands-on experience. This is called an externship, and your college will arrange a placement for you. Externships are ideal because they enable you to practice your skills and find out if the job is right for you. You’ll work with medical assistants and aide them in their daily duties.
Your practical experience gives you the opportunity to ask qualified medical assistants questions, evaluate which skills you need to improve on and make connections. Patient care is the most important part of medical treatment, and a classroom teaching can’t compare to real life experience.
Getting Your Certification
Some medical assistant roles don’t require certification, but it’s advisable for career opportunities. You’ll take an exam about the medical assistant role and if you pass, you’ll be awarded your certificate. There are five different exams, but it doesn’t matter which one you take. They all count as the same qualification to employers and are multiple choice. Once you’ve received your certificate, you can start searching for work and begin your career.
Changes in technology mean medical assistant roles are much more varied today. The introduction of Electronic Health Records means you’ll be required to understand data laws and take responsibility for ensuring patients' personal information is protected. There are many areas qualified medical assistants can explore including focusing on administrative or clinic prospects.
Your Prospects
A clinical focus includes working more directly with patients and assisting with their care. You can choose which area of medicine you like working in, such as Ophthalmology. If you have an interest in sports medicine, then Podiatry can be an excellent starting point or train in Chiropractics. There are also medical assistants within the OB-GYN area, which is ideal for people with an interest in women’s health.
Administrative focuses are perfect if you prefer organizational roles. You could be in charge of finances, data protection or insurance. Some higher up roles require more training, but there are loads of prospects in administrative roles.