Finding out not just how to qualify but also where the career will take you in 5 or 10 years is crucial if you’re thinking about a career in medical support. The good news is that, compared to the majority of other jobs available today, the job prospects for certified medical assistants, or CMAs, is relatively favorable. Here is all the information you require to become a CMA.
A CMA is in charge of making sure a clinic, medical facility, or doctor’s office runs smoothly. In a small practice, the assistant may combine clinical duties with administrative and clerical tasks, whereas in a large medical practice, there may be several assistants, each of whom specializes in a certain area of work. The job description heavily depends on the size of the practice.
Medical Assistant Types
Clerical medical assistants, clinical assistants, administrative assistants, and specialists are the four primary subgroups of CMAs. In essence, a clerical assistant manages appointments, greets clients, plans the doctor’s calendar, drafts letters and memos, answers phones, and generally sees to it that the office operates well. Clinical assistants do additional medical-related duties such as preparing patients for examinations, gathering lab specimens, obtaining medical histories, explaining processes to patients, and drawing blood for tests.
Medical-related duties are also handled by administrative assistants, but they tend to focus more on organizing in-patient admissions, maintaining claim forms, and scheduling medical testing for patients. They frequently perform certain bookkeeping tasks for the firm as well. A specialist assistant frequently works in specialized settings including dental offices, pediatric practices, optometric offices, and podiatric offices. The type of practice the specialized medical assistant works in will determine their duties.
Salaries Anticipated
Your prospective income would depend on a number of variables, including your expertise, where you live, and the size of the practice you work for. According to Payscale.com, as of September 5, 2011, the typical beginning salary for a CMA with less than a year of experience was $17,704, while an experienced CMA with 20 years or more might expect to make $51,245.
According to Payscale, the highest paid CMAs are located in Florida, followed by California, New York, and then Florida. Do research on the average CMA salary in your area in comparison to those in other parts of the US. Benefits including health insurance, pensions, paid holidays, and vacation time are provided to medical assistants working in clinics, group practices, and hospitals.
Job Outlook in General
The latest edition of Health Care Jobs Explosion, volume 4, predicts that employment will increase faster than average in all occupations through 2014. This is mostly caused by improvements in medical technology and an aging population in the nation.
Therefore, it is anticipated that general work prospects would improve dramatically over the next few years, especially for those with formal education, professional experience, and certification. As a member of Medical Assistant School in Bay Area, you can enjoy a secure and fulfilling career if you start your training today.
Acquiring unique abilities
You can choose to work in a variety of professions, such as podiatry and optometry, as a CMA. These are extremely specialized fields of medicine that call for certain abilities. For instance, a podiatric CMA will need to be knowledgeable with that area of the human anatomy in order to cast patients’ feet.
You must be conversant with the spinal cord and knees, two vulnerable body parts, if you work with an orthopedic doctor. Understanding physical therapy procedures and typical sports injuries is also beneficial. This information will enable you to provide your doctor with more complete care.
Additional Certificates
Your basic medical assistant training will provide you with the work-related skills needed for an office environment. However, if you’re looking for a challenge, you might want to think about getting certified in a few specialist techniques. You can perform basic x-rays, monitor stress testing, and draw blood with additional qualification. These procedures typically call for additional training. You might need to ace the AAMA test. You’ll be able to develop in your work and earn more money with the help of these extra skills.
Getting Ready for Certification
So what should you consider before submitting an application for a position as a healthcare assistant? You should take pleasure in interacting with others and have a kind and forgiving disposition. Having an interest in the medical field is quite helpful.
Most employers only want to recruit licensed medical assistants, as you probably already know. Prior to receiving your certification, you must complete a training program, which can last anywhere from six months to a year.
Once your training is complete, it’s time to sit for the AAMA exam. You will receive your qualifications as a CMA, or certified medical assistant, once you pass the exam. Your company will feel more comfortable assigning you additional tasks now that you are qualified, and you might even receive a pay raise.
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