Learn how to become a medical assistant to enter, improve and enhance your job and career opportunities in the healthcare industry. This page provides links and resources on becoming qualified in this health care support job role. Formal education and certification programs can be found in various online programs and vocational programs. The medical assistant will typically perform clerical, administrative and clinical duties and tasks depending upon the size and type of health care office you are employed. Being a caring people person along with good communication skills are also key success attributes, since one important duty is to make sure that patients are comfortable and at ease throughout their visit to physician's office.

Two credentials and designations are available, the CMA, Certified Medical Assistant and the RMA, Registered Medical Assistant. These are voluntary coursework, exams and certifications. Once a credential has been achieved, you must recertify the credential every five years. http://www.aama-ntl.org/medassisting/faqs.aspx The MA does clinical and administrative tasks in the medical office which are critical for the office to continue running efficiently. This is a different role than the physician's assistant. Read on to learn more about what is involved in becoming a medical assistant.

The MA is an essential component and helps to keep the medical office and practice running in an efficient and organized manner. The other key role is to keep the office staff personnel and their patients happy. There are key attributes needed to excel in this role such as, you should be an organized person with the ability to multitask and handle several functions at one time, and should also be detailed oriented and able to handle a large amount of paperwork in an efficient manner. Another important aspect to the MA's success is to have good eye to hand coordination, since some of the duties may include the cleaning and sterilization of medical instruments and supplies; and the disposal of sharp objects or contaminated materials. Since the MA will be talking to a lot of people, good listening, communication and people skills are critical to your success in this role. Keeping patients happy and at ease is something the MA will be expected to do everyday. Depending upon the type of medical office you work in, will determine the amount of duties and responsibility the MA will have. In smaller medical offices the MA may take on multiple roles and job functions such as clerical and clinical duties. In larger offices the MA may be expected to be more isolated and specialized in their job responsibilities.

Depending upon the state you live or office you would like to work in, you will find varying levels of required training and qualifications. There are no formal educational or certification requirements beyond a high school diploma, but formal training is usually preferred and recommended. There are offices who will hire employees and train them on the job to become medical assistants. That is a path you can explore but you may find that many or most of the medical practices will want new assistants to have some prior experience or some type of training. One place to get training for this healthcare position is at the different vocational and technical schools, community colleges and junior colleges who offer medical assisting programs. The courses will have both academic and clinical training in various health areas such as medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, record keeping, transcription training and insurance claim processing. You will also learn diagnostic and clinical procedures, lab techniques, how to administer medicines and pharmacy issues. The program may also include an internship as part of the training. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos164.htm

If you feel like you might want to progress toward an official designation and credential such as the CMA, Certified Medical Assistant, make sure that any educational courses or programs you enroll in is an accredited medical assisting program. The program must be accredited by either the ABHES, Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools or the CAAHEP, Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. http://www.aama-ntl.org/becomeCMA/how.aspx

If you are considering becoming a medical assistant it is important to know that according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, they have projected that this healthcare career will be one of the fastest growing professions and job sectors in the country. http://stats.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_104.htm Factors that play into this predicted demand are growth factors such as the increased number of physician's offices, out-patient care and urgent care facilities. Additional factors includes the aging of the American population and increasing number of retirees that will healthcare services.

Earnings that a medical assistant can expect will vary upon the state in which you work, the amount of experience and the amount of additional job responsibilities that you are able to handle. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the median annual wages for offices other than health practitioners is approximately $25,240 up to the medical and surgical hospitals where the median annual income averages about $29,720. http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos164.htm

While it is true that the majority of the job duties and responsibilities will be clerical and clinical in nature, there is also the personal touch that medical assistants give to each of the office's patients. So if you are a people person, have good communication skills and enjoy making sure that the patients are comfortable and at ease, this could be the extra attribute that makes this position a fit for your career goals.