5 Requirements of a Medical Assistant You’ve Already Mastered as a Parent

Are you a stay-at-home parent who is looking at getting back to work? Pursuing a dream and a career can be a scary concept when you have been out of the workforce for a long time. Have you ever considered becoming a Medical Assistant? Funnily enough, there are five requirements of a Medical Assistant you’ve already mastered as a parent.

Multi-Tasking

Why it matters: As a Medical Assistant, you will be expected to be a jack-of-all-trades, no matter if your job is in a small office or in a large hospital. You may be required to take vitals, give medical assistance and care for another patient – sometimes all at once. Multi-tasking is an important piece of both parenting and being a Medical Assistant.

How parenting helps: If you are a parent, you can multi-task. It’s that simple. You learn to do things with one hand while holding the baby in the other. You have more than one kid? You’ve got this down.

 

Organization

Why it matters: Medical Assistants need to be very organized. Mistakes can jeopardize someone’s health. Having a well-planned out day can help make your life easier. Remaining calm during stressful situations will not only help the patient remain calm, but your stress levels will thank you too.

How parenting helps: You must have organization in your day to ensure that you do not forget anything and so that your kids are well taken care of. Diaper bag? Check. Keys? Check. Bottles? Check. Kids? Check.

 

Communication

Why it matters: Communication with patients is an essential part of the job. Patients can’t read minds and you must use a language that they will understand, not just medical terminology. You also communicate with the nurses and physicians on a regular basis. Having clear and concise communication is critical.

How parenting helps: As a parent, you know that communicating with a child can be difficult, but it is also critical and an essential part of parenting. Children can’t read minds either. Raising your voice without any explanation is just asking for a catastrophe.

 

Empathy

Why it matters: This may be self-explanatory, but you need empathy as a Medical Assistant. You can’t go to a patient’s family who is waiting in the hospital and tell them their loved one is sick without showing empathy and that you care.

How parenting helps: As a parent, you’ve already learned you must be empathetic to the needs and feelings of your children. If they are having a bad day at school, it is important to sit down with them, ask them what is going on and help them solve their problems with care and compassion.

 

Customer Service

Why it matters: Medical Assistants spend the majority of their workday in front of patients, whether it’s on the phone or in person. Sometimes patients can be difficult. You cannot let your emotions control how you react to them. You may be the first and last person they see at the doctor’s office, so the impression you leave on them is crucial.

How parenting helps: You want your children to be happy. When they’re misbehaving, you can’t yell at them and send them to their room. It’s important to explain what they did wrong and why it made you upset. You are the person who your child looks up to and most times, kids will grow up to be just like their parents. It’s important to have patience with them and help them live the happiest life.

 

Medical Assistant Program at EBI Career College

Do you have what it takes to become a Medical Assistant? Have you already mastered the five requirements to be a Medical Assistant? Take the plunge and call EBI today at 607-729-8915 to learn more information about our Medical Assisting program.

 

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If you are curious about a career in the growing medical field but don’t want to spend years in school, Medical Assisting could be a good fit for you. This occupation provides a stable and meaningful career, there are a variety of career paths, and it is expected to have a strong future.

 

How to Receive your Medical Assistant Certification

 

What is a Medical Assistant?

Medical Assistants complete clinical and administrative tasks, depending on the type of healthcare facility you work in and the career path you follow. General responsibilities of Medical Assistants include:

Why get Certified?

For some positions, a certification may be required, but even when it is not, many employers would rather hire a Certified Medical Assistant over one who is not certified. Additionally, a certification demonstrates that you have skill, knowledge, and expertise. It also demonstrates that you received a quality education, because you cannot qualify for the CMA exam unless you complete a certificate or diploma program at an accredited institution.

Career Outlook

Medical Assistants have one of the strongest job outlooks of many careers. As the population ages and medical needs grow, these professionals will continue to be in demand. Aside from the job growth, the career outlook is good for your personal development because there are a variety of work environments you could choose: a hospital, a physician’s office, an outpatient center, or more.

Steps to Receive your Medical Assistant Certification

  1. Find an accredited program. You can complete EBI’s Medical Assistant program in as few as 16 months.
  2. Study hard and prepare for your certification exam.
  3. Complete a practicum or externship.
  4. Take the CMA Certification Exam
  5. Celebrate!

Enroll in Medical Assistant Classes at EBI

If you’re ready to earn your certification, consider enrolling in a local Medical Assisting program. At EBI, you can complete an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting in as few as 16 months with a full-time course load. EBI’s program will qualify you to sit for the certification exam given by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Contact EBI at 607-729-8915 to learn more about our school’s Medical Assistant classes and how they can further your career.

Medical Assisting Career Specialization

 

Choose a specialization for your Medical Assisting Career

                              

Are you considering a new career in the healthcare field? If you’re looking for a career in an in-demand field that allows you to truly make a difference in the lives of others, consider the Medical Assistant training program at EBI Career College.

 

Rising demand for medical assistants

According to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of medical assisting jobs is expected to increase 23% by 2028, making it one of the fastest growing job titles in the healthcare industry.

 

Demand is rising quickly because of the increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other healthcare facilities being created. This offers medical assistants a unique opportunity to choose an area of health care in which to seek employment.

 

Medical Assisting specializations:

At EBI Career College, we want to help you prepare for your medical assisting career, no matter what path you follow after graduation. Choosing a specialization allows you to enter a field that you find interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get the training you need for a medical assisting career

Get your new career started with career-focused training at EBI Career College. To learn more about our Medical Assisting degree in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.

 

 

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Medical Assistant Career Outlook

 

What is the career outlook for a Medical Assistant?

Careers in healthcare are in demand right now, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). If you’re ready to start your career, or you’re looking to make a change for the better, consider Medical Assisting career training at EBI.

At EBI, we believe that self-discovery is a huge part of the educational process. We offer a Medical Assisting Associate Degree in Occupational studies which can prepare you for an exciting new career in a number of healthcare environments. And to ensure the best chances of success, you’ll receive personalized attention from our industry-experienced faculty.

What are Medical Assisting duties?

Your duties as a Medical Assistant (MA) will vary depending on where you work and the size of the facility. Typically, MAs handle both administrative and clinical tasks around the office, as they act as a liaison between doctors and their patients.

Where do Medical Assistants work?

MAs are employed in a number of different types of healthcare facilities, giving you plenty of options as you seek the first job of your new career. Most MAs work in physicians’ offices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities.

Medial Assisting job outlook

This is an amazing time to join the healthcare profession. According to the BLS, the employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 23% by 2024, making it one of the fastest growing occupations around.

Earn your degree in as little as 16 months

Our Medical Assisting degree program provides students with a basic educational foundation to be competitive in the healthcare industry. Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will receive an Associate in Occupation Studies degree and can become eligible for a medical assisting certificate exam.

Your career-focused education begins with EBI

If you’re ready to join a growing career field with can provide a challenging and rewarding experience, contact EBI. Our career services staff can answer all of your questions about our Medical Assisting Degree program in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016-17 Edition, Medical Assistants, 
on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm (visited March 31, 2016).

 

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Types Of Medical Assistant Careers

What are the different types of Medical Assistant careers?

There is good news if you’ve ever considered a career in healthcare as a medical assistant. First, it’s a position that is in demand, thanks to the growth of the aging baby-boom population. Second, just about all medical environments can use a skilled and qualified healthcare worker to help with clinical and administrative duties. There are three types of medical assistants:

EBI Career College offers a 12-month Medical Assisting certificate program that covers both administrative and clinical training. If you’re dedicated to a new healthcare career, you’ll leave with the skills you need to begin the steps to a medical assisting career.


Medical assistants are in demand!
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of medical assistants is expected to increase 29% by 2022**, making it one of the fastest growing occupational industries.

Administrative
The primary responsibility of an administrative medical assistant is managing the front desk operations of a healthcare facility. They also serve a role that requires them to provide customer service when working with patients, as well as administrative support for medical facility staff, allowing their team to provide care to patients.

Clinical
The role of a clinical medical assistant is similar to that of an administrative assistant, but their responsibilities lie more on the clinical side of healthcare. Clinical assistants work more one on one with patients, assisting in exams. There are still some administrative tasks but the focus is mainly providing direct care to patients.

Specialized
The responsibilities of a specialized medical assistant depend on a few factors: your area of specialization, the size of the practice and the size of your healthcare support team. Specialized training allows you to work more directly with patients and physicians. You may choose from a number of specialty fields, including:

Contact us today and begin your medical assisting career
Now is a great time to start a career in the healthcare field. You can complete your certificate program in as little as 12 months. To learn more about our Medical Assisting certificate program in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.

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Medical Assisting Technology and Equipment

Entering a medical career should be exciting and gratifying, but can also be nerve-wracking, even overwhelming. The good news is there are doctors, nurses, administrators, and a slew of other medical professionals to help you adjust to your new career. The less than good news is that, at least in the beginning, you may feel overwhelmed by the equipment, technology, and practices of working in a medical facility.

Luckily for you, EBI comprehensively prepares our students to take on new and complex challenges with confidence. To give students a sampling of what kinds of technology and equipment they might work with in the medical field, the following is a general breakdown of some of the most-used and newest medical equipment for medical assistants, nursing assistants, and medical billing and coding specialists.

Universal Equipment and Duties

Actual duties medical assistants are responsible for, along with equipment used, largely varies depending on what type of medical facility in which they work. There are, however, pieces of equipment and tasks all medical assistants engage in. Phlebotomy (blood testing) and tracking patient vital signs are trademarks of medical assisting duties. Medical assistants frequently use hemoglobin machines, computerized blood chemistry analyzers, and other testing equipment such as EKG machines. All tests performed by medical assistants are under the direction and supervision of doctors or registered nurses. If a medical assistant pursues a medical specialty through further education, such as cardiovascular medicine, he or she will also use more specific equipment like echo-cardiograms and multi-channel electrocardiography and cardiac pacing technology.

Medical Assisting Tech

Medical assistants today have to adapt to evolving technology. The prime example of this is electronic health records (EHRs). All patient medical records were switched to digital files around 2010, which meant medical assistants and medical billers and coders played a large role in coordinating the transfer. The increased workload resulted in a surge in demand for qualified medical assistants and other medical professionals. At EBI medical assistants and medical billing and coding specialists are trained to handle EHRs from patient entry to database management.

New technology is constantly changing healthcare. The most recent trend involves something everyone today has on their person – mobile devices. Healthcare as a whole is focusing more and more on patient experience, largely due to the availability of more healthcare options. Healthcare providers are now placing emphasis on a more convenient, quick and accurate medical process. Enter mobile devices. Mobile and wearable technology, such as FitBit and similar devices, are playing a real role in patient diagnosis and treatment. The best medical assistants will embrace this new trend and train on how devices and wearables will continue to impact healthcare in the future.

Telehealth is also becoming commonplace among healthcare providers. Telehealth is essentially mobile communication with doctors and hospitals. Patients can log into a “patient portal” online to video chat with physicians, nurses and medical assistants instead of physically going into an office or hospital. Combined with wearable and device technology, the telehealth trend allows doctors to track patients’ medical status, provide diagnoses, prescribe treatments, and answer any questions. Telehealth saves time and resources for healthcare providers and insurance providers alike. This is yet another prime example of the future of healthcare focused on patient experience.

Into The Future

Diagnosis software, big data and supercomputers – these are the hallmarks of the future of healthcare. All medical professionals and medical assistants especially, will have to seriously upgrade their technical prowess to adapt to the tech-savvy healthcare of tomorrow. A great example of how technology is already evolving healthcare (aside from device technology and telehealth) is IBM’s “Watson.” The supercomputing software made famous by the show Jeopardy is gaining popularity in advanced patient diagnoses and other things like weighing carious treatment options for patients with abnormal conditions. Next-generation medical software is currently being developed in places like MIT with the goal of nation-wide implementation throughout the next five years. If you’re training to be a medical assistant it would be wise to begin basic tech training now. Fortunately, EBI gives our medical program students the tools and resources to stay at in front of ever-evolving healthcare technology.

Medical Assisting Career Opportunities

If you’re in the process of becoming a medical assistant, or even considering the possibility, rest assured that there is no shortage of long-term career options and advancement. You might already know that qualified, highly skilled medical assistants are always in demand in the medical field.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the medical assistant position to grow by 23 percent through 2024. That number is even higher for Specialty Certified Medical Assistants (SCMA). In fact, all numbers get higher for medical assistants in a specialty field: employment, salary, number of certifications held, number of advancement options – the list goes on. So, what kind of specialty is right for you? Let’s review some of the most popular to find out.

Cardiology

Cardiology is the study and practice of the heart and related systems, including electrophysiology, or the electrical activities of the heart, and the vascular system of blood vessels. Cardiologists diagnose a wide range of heart disease conditions such as congenital heart defects, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, to name just a few. Heart disease is among the top population killers in America today, and so cardiologists require an extremely skilled and attentive team working alongside them. Here’s where medical assistants with a specialty in cardiology are vital. Specialty certified medical assistants in cardiology assist cardiologists with tests and procedures, including:

Family medicine

Perhaps the most popular specialty for medical assistants is family medicine. Family medicine doctors are essentially primary care doctors, treating patients over long periods of time on a personal level, and commonly treat multiple generations of the same family. Medical assistants in this specialty will likewise treat the same patients over long periods of time. A major pro to this specialty is the familiarity medical assistants gain with their patients – they get to know them personally and so can treat anything from common colds to more severe conditions with relative ease. Because family medicine is a rather general field, medical assistants usually have a variety of duties, including but far from limited to:

OB/GYN

OB/GYN is divided into obstetrics (OB), which concerns the surgical care and treatment of women during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care, and gynecology (GYN) which addresses women and the medical care of their reproductive system. OB/GYN physicians and specialists see female patients for regular checkups, running tests like pap smears and mammograms. Medical assistants with a specialty in OB/GYN assist gynecologists with:

Orthopedics

Orthopedics is the study and practice of treating the musculoskeletal system, including joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. Orthopedic physicians diagnose and treat all kinds of injuries and diseases related to muscle and skeletal system. These physicians see and treat a wide range of conditions, ranging from injury rehabilitation to providing long term ongoing treatments for permanent diseases. Orthopedics is perhaps the most hands-on medicinal field, which should draw the attention of medical assistants who love working directly with patients for long periods of time. A huge pro of this field is that medical professionals working in it commonly get to see the results of their work in their patients’ progress. Medical assistants specializing in orthopedics doctors and surgeons treat patients and act as a support role. Responsibilities typically include:

Pediatrics

Pediatrics is the medical field focusing on the health and care of children up to age 18. Pediatric physicians and medical professionals provide a wide range of care for children with all types of conditions, or lack thereof. Since pediatric care is necessary for all children, there is usually a demand for skilled medical assistants. Being a skilled medical assistant in pediatric care not only means skilled in medical practice or knowledge, but also in dealing with children of various ages. Medical assistants with pensions for children will no doubt want to consider a pediatric specialty. The most common duties include:

Certification

Medical assisting can intense, but it is also intensely rewarding – both in job satisfaction and career advancement. Medical assistants are not resigned to working in clinics or hospitals. There are many specialty fields that require qualified medical assistants. EBI trains our medical assisting students to get MA certification, and we encourage students to go above and beyond and receive a specialty certification. Study materials and practice exams are available online, and you can get an overview of all the various specialty fields here.

 

Source: https://www.specialtycma.com/medical-assistant-certifications/

Become A Registered Medical Assistant

The only real concrete requirement to be a medical assistant is education and training from an accredited institution, but ambitious medical assistants seeking career advancement are able to earn a number of different professional certifications. Students and working medical assistants alike can earn the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential offered through American Medical Technologists (AMT). American Medical Technologists is a nationally and internationally recognized certification agency in the healthcare field that allows medical program graduates expand their knowledge and professional opportunities. Many healthcare employers today only actively seek out medical assistants with an RMA or similar accreditation. To become an RMA, medical assistants must pass an examination and meet certain requirements set by AMT and the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA).

 

Becoming a Medical Assistant

 

Eligibility Requirements

AMT offers four unique routes for applying and testing for the RMA (note that “recent graduate” means an applicant that has graduated within four years of applying):

AMT offers detailed guides and charts that applicants can use to determine their eligibility for the RMA exam found here.

The RMA Exam

The actual examination for RMA certification covers an array of medical and legal material, and requires extensive preparation. The exam application and study materials are not free, but are relatively cheap compared to the benefits of certification. The exam application fee is $120, and AMT offers two full-length practice exams as well as an online review course for $175 total. The exam itself consists of 120 multiple choice questions divided into three parts and has a completion time limit of two hours. A general outline of the exam is as follows:

Benefits and Maintenance

Earning the RMA has numerous benefits to a medical assistant’s career. The most obvious and most advantageous benefit is that possessing the RMA certification automatically makes any medical assistant more appealing to employers. It represents functional advanced knowledge of the medical field and of the various duties of a medical assistant. Other benefits include membership to AMT state societies, access to many publications and national networking opportunities, Career Connection job boards, and many more.

To maintain AMT certification all that is required is payment of an annual renewal fee, 50$ for the RMA, compliance with AMT’s Certification Continuation Program, and abidance of the AMT Standards of Practice, which can all be found on the AMT website at http://www.americanmedtech.org/.

5 Mistakes to Doom Your Medical Assisting Job Interview

 

As you near graduation, starting your job search can be intimidating, especially when it comes time for the dreaded face-to-face interview. You may not realize it, but it’s just as easy to over-prepare for an interview as it is to under prepare.

At EBI Career College, our career services professionals are here to help you prepare for your next big interview, so you feel prepared and confident to show off the skills you’ve learned in training and show why you can be a valuable member of a medical team.

 

Here are five things to avoid at your job interview that can seriously damage your chances of landing a medical assisting position:

 

  1. Showing up late: Being a medical assistant means having others depend on you. Being tardy to an interview is a bad first step. Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early. This is your first chance to make a good impression.

 

  1. Being unprepared: Be sure to print off a few fresh copies of your resume, cover letters, references and/or letters of recommendation on hand for anyone who may sit in on your interview.

 

  1. Lack of focus: Becoming a medical assistant can open doors in the healthcare industry but don’t count your chickens before they hatch. You have a lot to prove in the medical assisting profession before you move on to the next big opportunity.

 

  1. The “my weakness is also a strength” thing: The interviewer knows you have a lot to learn as a medical assistant. Be honest. Find a weakness and spin it into showing your ability to honestly critique yourself, but also use it as a goal for self-improvement.

 

  1. NOT asking questions: The best way to show you are genuinely interested in a job is to ask questions of your interviewer about the job or the medical facility and their expectations on the job you are interviewing for. Sample questions include “What skills make the ideal candidate for this position?”; “How is success measured for this position (or at this company)?”; and “What is the next step in the process?”

 

Discover a new career at EBI!

Take the first step toward an exciting new career in the healthcare field. Complete your degree in as little as 16 months. To learn more about our Medical Assisting degree program in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.

 

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Common Medical Assisting Misconceptions

To the general public, the job of medical assistants is perceived as an odd mixture of administrative assistants, nurses, billing and coding technicians, and receptionists. While the medical assistant role does have a large variance of duties, it is distinct from these other occupations yet shares many of their characteristics. Medical assistants play a vital role in healthcare administration as well as patient care, facility operations, and overall productivity of a healthcare medical organization. Below we will identify some of the most common misconceptions about the medical assistant position and reveal the truth behind them. 

It’s a Job, Not a Career

This perception is entirely false. The medical assistant position is a full-time, often intensive career that requires formal training. There is also a very high demand for qualified medical assistants across the healthcare industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the medical assistant position is projected to grow 23% between 2014 and 2024. Another factor influencing false public perceptions is the idea that a medical assistant position is just a stepping stone to another medical profession. The fact is that many medical assistants stay at one facility, under one doctor for their entire careers simply because they love the work. Medical assistants have almost limitless specialties they can go into as far as healthcare goes. Medical assistant positions exist in every kind of medical practice. Additionally, because medical assistants are tasked with many different duties, they gain experience in many different healthcare roles which makes them prime candidates for promotion within healthcare organizations.

It’s an Easy Job, Anyone Can Do It

Many people think that medical assistants have an easy job and that anyone could do it with a little on-the-job training. The reality is that medical assistants are trained medical professionals that have undergone specific higher education for the job. Education requirements vary from state-to-state, but most employers require a degree program of some type, usually a certification or associate’s degree. Medical assisting students receive training in a wide variety of medical practices, as well as legal, insurance, administrative, and clinical practices. Depending on if a medical assistant goes into a medical specialty, of which there are many, even more training is required. In a fast-paced environment like a medical facility, education and training are definitely required.

It’s a Boring Job, They Only Work in Doctor’s Offices

A widely held misconception about medical assistants is that they only work in doctor’s offices and clinics, acting as receptionists or administrative assistants more or less. While some medical assistants do indeed work in individual physician practices and clinics, many choose to work in a variety of other medical settings, including but not limited to:

Once a medical assistant has completed their formal education, is certified, and has some work experience, he or she may enter any medical specialty available to them. Among the greatest positives of being a medical assistant is that nearly every healthcare facility needs at least one.

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