When most people think of healthcare workers, their minds go to doctors, nurses, and surgeons. However, there are many other positions and jobs that are equally as important as those just mentioned. If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, which is one such role, then this post is for you.
This article will explore becoming a medical assistant in great detail, telling you everything you need to know, including what you need to study, how you can get a job, and what kind of salary you can expect to receive.
Online Course
If you want to become a medical assistant, then one of the first things that you need to do is to get some kind of qualification. A lot of people’s first instinct is to go to university, but that’s not necessary. You can get a university-grade qualification without having to leave the comfort of your home. You can study online for a medical assistant certification, get your certificate, and then start applying for jobs. One of the best things about online courses is that they enable you to find work in your area while you’re studying, which wouldn’t be possible if you were at university.
Medical Experience
If you want to get a job as a medical assistant, then it’s a good idea to get some kind of experience in a healthcare setting first. An easy way of doing this is volunteering in a hospital in a physician’s office. Most physicians will be more than happy to accommodate people who’re interested in volunteering and getting experience. It does need to be mentioned though, as a volunteer it’s unlikely you’ll be given any real, meaningful tasks. You will probably just be asked to get things and clean up.
Other Certificates
In addition to getting a medical assistant certificate, it’s also a good idea to get additional certificates too. Getting additional certificates can help to show future employers that you are committed to healthcare. You may want to get a nursing certificate, too. Getting a nursing certificate will mean that you are qualified to complete tasks ordinary medical assistants wouldn’t be able to. Nurses care for patients, so having a nursing certificate in a healthcare setting could be very useful for you. It’ll mean you are more valuable to your employers.
Entry-level Jobs
When you do get your certificate, it’s essential that you apply for entry-level jobs first. Trying to apply for senior positions when you only have a certificate and no experience is not a good idea. Even if you have slight experience working in a physician’s office, you should still go for entry-level jobs. The only time you should consider applying for senior positions is if you have had experience as a medical assistant before and you have some kind of university qualification. Otherwise, you should start off in an entry-level position and then work your way up. Working your way up can be very rewarding.
Continuing Education
Even after you have secured a job as a medical assistant, it’s still a good idea to continue your education and work on building your career. While earlier on reference was made to the fact that you can get a certificate instead of a university-level qualification, having a university qualification can make you a lot more attractive to employers. There are some universities that offer distance-learning courses, which you can complete from home. Once you have gotten your certificate and a job, you may want to consider taking one of these courses, so you can rise through the ranks quicker.
Making Connections
When you are working as a medical assistant, try to make as many connections as you can, especially with physicians and surgeons. In the future, if the people you have met ever start their own practices, they could actually reach out to you and hire you. Making connections is one of the best ways to succeed in the healthcare industry. The connections you make today could be employers tomorrow. Thanks to platforms like LinkedIn, you can easily build a network of all of your connections, so if you ever need to get hold of people you can easily find them.
Future Employment
In the future, you never know what you might want to do. Medical assistants sometimes become nurses. Other times, they become doctors. More often than not though, they stay as medical assistants but become senior assistants. When you secure your first job, start looking ahead to the future. Try to get an idea of what it is you want to do in a decade’s time. Getting an idea of what you want to do and where you are going will make your future a lot clearer. It’ll also give you something to work towards.
Volunteering Time
In your spare time, try to volunteer your time working in hospitals and physician’s offices, even if you have a job. Again, getting experience and making connections can help you to succeed as a medical assistant. It is especially important to do this if you are a junior assistant. Volunteering your time (which you can then put on your CV) will make you very attractive to future employers. If you do plan on volunteering, then make sure that you volunteer with reputable companies, hospitals, or organizations. You could actually secure yourself a job somewhere if you volunteer there enough.
Working Hard
The harder you work, the more you’ll succeed. Being a medical assistant isn’t easy. You will be asked to do a lot of work, probably more than you can bear. However, if you are able to put up with it and get on with it, you’ll go far. Medical assistant positions can pay a lot of money. Senior medical assistant positions pay even more. Working as a medical assistant is a good way of breaking into the healthcare sector. If you work very hard, then your connections will remember you as a diligent, hardworking individual. They will then turn to you in the future if they have jobs on offer.
Becoming a medical assistant can be tricky. The main thing you need is a certificate. You may also want some kind of university or college-level qualification; however, degrees usually aren’t mandatory. You can use this post’s guidance to succeed as a medical assistant.