Why You Should Advance Your Medical Assistant Career
Medical assisting is a healthcare career with a solid foundation and potential for growth. Their tasks and responsibilities in the medical setting are vital in ensuring that medical practitioners provide the best possible care for patients. Consequently, it’s natural that their roles will evolve.
Benefits of Advancing Your Medical Assistant Career
Continuing education is a great way to advance your medical assistant career. Here are some of the benefits of moving to the next level:
- Better pay
Higher levels of education can lead to earning more. Compared to someone with only an associate’s degree in medical assisting (with a median salary between $34,972 and $36,642), a medical assistant with an MBA can earn a salary in the range of $35,871–$37,472. Pay also varies depending on the years of experience and the location of the practice.
- Job security
In general, healthcare workers remain some of the most in-demand professionals today. However, employers still tend to lean towards retaining staff with more experience. Medical assistants with better educational backgrounds and expertise are considered more valuable members of the organization. Medical assistant specialists serve as indispensable partners for physicians to help them carry out routine administrative and clinical tasks. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for medical assistants will grow by 19% by 2029, much faster than what is common in other occupations.
- Increased workplace respect
Medical assistants require special skills to ensure things are done properly. They are responsible for carrying out various critical tasks that must be accomplished accurately and on time. Those who choose to expand their learning through specializations are respected by their peers, as well as the nurses and doctors they work with.
- Wider skill set
Continuing education opens the path for medical assistants to expand their skill set, particularly in the practical applications of concepts learned in the classroom. Medical assistants with higher education can fill complex and sophisticated roles, which in turn paves the way for more learning, improving theoretical and practical skills.
- Better career options
Medical assistants with specialized skills have better career options than colleagues with a limited educational background. Specialization means qualification for an expanded field of roles and positions. As such, they have the freedom to choose the jobs they prefer.
Types of Medical Assistant Specializations
Cardiology Technician
Cardiology technicians are the medical assistants who perform diagnostic procedures such as electrocardiography and stress tests. These tests help cardiovascular specialists diagnose and treat patients with heart problems.
Family Medicine Medical Assistants
Since family medicine practices are general in nature, medical assistants in family medicine also take on various roles. They usually perform routine tasks like checking and recording vital signs and performing a range of laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood extractions. They may also be tasked by medical practitioners to follow up on lab results and review medication details.
Geriatric Medical Assistants
The aging population is one of the reasons medical assistants will remain in demand for the next ten years. Medical assistant specialists in geriatric care work mostly in senior care facilities or with physicians caring for the elderly. Their roles can range from examination support to providing injections as necessary.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Assistants
Medical assistants specializing in obstetrics and gynecology will have roles that include performing breast exams, doing Pap testing, and even assisting expectant mothers during their routine checkups.
Ophthalmology Medical Assistants
Medical assistants working in ophthalmologist offices have duties that range from administration of eye medications and assisting in eye treatments and emergency procedures.
Transplantation Surgery Assistants
A transplantation surgery medical assistant fills a highly specialized role that requires direct interaction with patients scheduled for transplant surgeries. They are skilled in detecting signs and symptoms that may affect the surgery. They also are responsible for updating and filing medical records.
For medical assistants, advancing your career is not a one-way street. There are options to expand your education, increase your skill set, and hone your expertise by choosing a medical assistant specialization. With the available roles open to medical assistants, many individuals aim for getting a medical assistant diploma and broadening their education. This profession offers opportunities to vary your expertise in both administrative and clinical duties while becoming an integral part of providing healthcare.
Learn more about our Medical Assisting Diploma program.
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