If you want to pursue a rewarding entry-level healthcare career, consider becoming a medical assistant. Medical assistants have opportunities daily to help people and make a difference.
Medical Assistant training is typically a requirement to work in this occupation. Researching programs and selecting the right school is essential. Pursuing this career takes time and energy, so invest wisely and choose a great medical assistant training program. A medical assistant training program can assist you in your goal of pursuing a professional career as a medical assistant.
See what our medical assistant program has to offer!
What is Medical Assistant Training?
Employers desire medical assistants who are qualified. Employers will seek to find candidates that have performed well in school, graduated, and perhaps even those who have earned certification. Medical assistant training is where the skills to perform job tasks and duties can be learned, such as:
- Performing laboratory tests
- Office Administration Responsibilities (taking medical histories, maintaining electronic health records, scheduling appointments, etc.)
- Performing clinical area duties (measuring vital signs, administering EKGs, drawing blood, etc.
- And more!
The training program likely also covers the essential knowledge and skills required to become an entry-level medical assistant. Medical assistant training is the preparation period of inquiring about the job and getting a feel for what days will look like in the field.
A training program aims to have students qualified to interview for a healthcare career, know what the job entails and can give students the confidence to perform their job duties.
Education and Training for Medical Assistants
Medical assistant training programs can vary from roughly a few months to two years. Completion time will depend on the choice of part-time or full-time student status along with the type of program you select. Specific course requirements will vary. Some of the training you might receive when enrolled in a program is:
- Introductory level courses and lab activities in topics such as: anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, microbiology, hematology, pharmacology, and how they all relate to medical assistant practices such as taking specimens, drawing blood, and lab testing
- Administrative Duties: Procedural requirements, electronic healthcare records, professionalism, and cultural sensitivity
- Lab Activities: performing wound care, administering injections, assisting with exams and procedures
Training in clinical settings
What Skills Do You Learn in a Medical Assistant Training Program?
Successful graduates of a medical assistant training program could develop skills to:
- Care for patients
- Work as a team
- Manage Time
- Be Detailed-Oriented
- Exhibit leadership behavior
- Effectively communicate
- Perform basic medical procedures
- Be organized
- Perform tasks on a computer within a medical practice
- Solve problems
- Take inventory
- Administer CPR & First Aid
- Ensure infection control practices and safety guidelines are followed
Is a Medical Assistant Program Hard?
The questions many potential aspiring medical assistants ask are: How hard are the classes, and is a medical assistant training program hard?
Courses that focus on human anatomy, diseases, illnesses, and medical procedures can be challenging because of their importance in the medical field. However, course difficulty depends on the individual. If you are passionate about helping others that can be one of the biggest motivators to successfully completing a training program and pursuing a career in the medical field.
Are there Different Types of Medical Assistants?
There are two types of medical assistants, both of which are important to a healthcare team which is clinical and administrative medical assistants.
A clinical medical assistant primarily focuses on patient care, conducting assessments, and performing clinical tasks. Clinical medical assistants can prepare patients for medical examination, document vitals, jot medical history and review medical history, perform minor treatments, and assist physicians during inspections.
Administrative medical assistants perform administrative tasks. Some tasks include making appointments, making phone calls, maintaining front desk areas, and performing generic billing and counting.
Depending on the practice or the medical assistant’s role, some may perform both clinical and administrative duties.
Why are Medical Assistant Programs Important?
Attending an accredited medical assistant training program or school is extremely important if becoming a medical assistant is a top priority. Following the proper steps of attending, graduating, and receiving a certification can open doors and career opportunities. Some employers such as clinics, private practices, and healthcare facilities may be looking to hire only certified medical assistants.
Certification is an excellent way to demonstrate dedication to the medical assistant profession and gain professional respect for pursuing the requirements and earning your credential.
Gaining Certification in Michigan after Training
In Michigan, there are no state requirements for medical assistants to be certified but receiving certification could give candidates an edge due to the proper training and certification achievements. It is up to the individual employer to ensure that the medical assistant they hire can perform the job. Employers may prefer certified medical assistants that graduated from an accredited medical assistant training program or school.
In most circumstances, a medical assistant training program is designed to prepared students to pursue the credential. The courses can lead you to take either the Certified Medical Assistant Exam (CMA) or Registered Medical Assistant Exam (RMA). It’s always a good idea to see if your program prepares you for a certification exam, and which one. Achieving either of these certifications is nationally accepted.
Dorsey College’s Medical Assistant Training can be completed in just one year!
Training to become a medical assistant can be flexible and convenient for students who choose Dorsey College for their Medical Assistant training. Enrolling in the Medical Assistant Training program through Dorsey can benefit aspiring medical assistants in learning the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.
Now that you know what to expect in a Medical Assisting Training Program, the decision is up to you. If you are passionate about moving forward in a healthcare career, contact Dorsey College today!
