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.
- Chiropractic practices: In a chiropractors’ office, medical assistants often focus on office duties, including setting appointments and handling insurance claims, in addition to assisting with treatments.
- Dental offices: Medical Assistants are used in dental offices to handle administrative tasks, as well as assisting with dental procedures.
- Dialysis: MAs in dialysis patient care work with patients on a regular schedule, documenting and delivering treatment, as well as monitoring and assessing patients during the process.
- Obstetrics/Gynecology: OB/GYN MAs typically assist in procedures, take patient histories and schedule appointments.
- Phlebotomist: The primary duty for a phlebotomist is drawing blood from patients and prepare samples for testing.
- Podiatry: In this field, which focuses on foot-related injuries and medical conditions, medical assistants are responsible for prepping patients for procedures as post-surgical care, assisting with splints and casts, and assisting in minor surgery.
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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[wpu_silo links=’10’]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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[wpu_silo links=’10’]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:
- Administrative
- Clinical
- Specialized
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:
- Family medicine
- OB/GYN
- Pediatrics
- Oncology
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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[wpu_silo links=’10’]Medical Assistant Interviewing 101
Medical assistants seeking first time employment will find the job hunting and hiring process quite similar to any other entry-level employment. You have to search for openings, submit your resume and go through at least one interview. Through EBI’s Medical Assisting program, you should be all set to create a thorough resume, as well as receive job placement assistance. One of the things that rests entirely on your shoulders, intimidatingly, is the interview process. Interviewing for positions in the medical field isn’t too dissimilar from any other industry, but you’ll need to be ready for the kinds of questions thrown at you. The following is an overview of how to professionally handle your medical assistant interview.
Basic Interview Questions
Like any other job interview, you’ll be asked a number of general questions about yourself and your experience. Be honest here, but remember that you’re convincing the employer why you’re the best person for the position.
- “Tell me about yourself.”
- Keep your answer simple – stick to your professional history and, as an entry-level professional, keep your training top-of-mind. Explain why you want to be a medical assistant. Describe why your personal attributes (outgoing, personal, empathetic, energetic, critical, etc.) make you an ideal candidate for the job.
- “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
- When talking about your strengths, try to be as specific as possible. Focus on a particular aspect of medical assisting you to excel at. Bring up examples of when a professor or colleague complimented your work.
- When talking about your weaknesses, use language along the lines of “I prefer [this aspect] to [that aspect], but I have a plan to strengthen that part of my professional skillset.” Never use the word ‘weakness’ and speak confidently about your progress.
- “Tell me about your education and if you’re continuing education in any way.”
- Again, speak specifically about aspects you excelled at in your education. If you’re not actively continuing your education through certifications or other classes, simply speak to your ambitious nature and are aware of certifications available. Tell the interviewer you are always looking to improve yourself and ask if the employer has any educational opportunities. The interviewer wants to know that you’re a driven person, not necessarily that you have a high level of education.
Technical Questions
After general questions, the interviewer will dive into your professional prowess and skillsets. This portion will likely be about technical skills such as a computer or administrative skills. It is highly important to be confident when answering these questions. Be specific. If you can’t think of an answer you’re comfortable with, revert back to your ambitious nature and willingness to learn, as well as your willingness to be a team player.
- “What computer skills do you have?”
- Give specific examples of computer work you completed in your education. Be sure to mention software, programs and skills you know you’ll use on the job like Microsoft Office or Electronic Health Records or patient database management. Again, if you don’t have a good answer, focus on your eagerness to learn.
- “Do you have administrative or front-office experience?”
- The interviewer wants to know how you would handle patient interactions, as well as how you would get along with other employees. Focus on interpersonal skills you learned in your training program and, if possible, give an example of how you would greet and work with a patient who just walked through the door. If you don’t necessarily enjoy administrative duties, talk about how you understand the scope of the position, but you prefer other aspects of medical assisting duties. Be polite, approachable, friendly, and efficient.
- “How would you work to ensure you are following HIPAA protocol?”
- Explain that you’ve been trained on HIPAA compliance, and then give specific examples, such as only using patients’ first names in waiting rooms, keeping patient charts out of view of other patients, and of course never discussing a patient’s case other than with doctors and healthcare providers.
Medical Questions
The time will inevitably come when the interviewer asks you about your medical knowledge. In medical assistant interviews, it is rare that the interviewer will ask specific medical questions about things like biology or treatment options. Instead, you’ll likely be asked about things like how you deal with patients, prescription drug protocol, and handling patient charts. Remember to be confident and sell yourself.
- “What experience do you have with patient care?”
- Keep your answers focused on what you’ll actually be doing as a medical assistant. Explain that you’re comfortable taking patient history, handling charts, and interacting with patients daily. If your favorite part of medical assisting is engaging with patients, talk more about that. If you more enjoy the clinical side of it, talk about how fascinated you are with medical histories and treatment options.
- “Do you have any experience in phlebotomy, or have you ever drawn blood from a patient?”
- Be honest here. If you’ve practiced phlebotomy, explain when where and how it went. IF you haven’t, steer the conversation back to your eagerness to learn and that you realize drawing blood is a critical part of the job and that you’d like to be trained on it right away, even when off the clock.
- “Do you have any other medical experience?”
- You should be honest in this answer, but you can indulge a bit. If you have other experiences, share it openly. If not, explain that while you do not have experience prior to medical assisting many other areas of medicine pique your interest and you’re excited to work closely with doctors and nurses to experience all that medicine has to offer.
With these basic questions nailed down, you should have no problem in your first, second, fifth, tenth medical assisting interviews. If your first few interviews don’t go well, do not give up. Practice interviewing with someone, or even by yourself in the mirror. Use these questions to guide you, but the best way to become an expert interviewee is through practice, so be sure to practice the questions you’ve been asked by actual employers. Bring all talking points back to the tasks you’ll be doing as a medical assistant. Sell yourself and be confident. And remember, passion is the most powerful influencer you have.
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Why Consider Becoming a Medical Assistant?
If you’re looking for a career that will be stable and fulfilling, Medical Assisting is a good option. EBI’s Medical Assisting Degree Program prepares you for a career that is essential to the healthcare world. In as little as one year, you can earn your Associate in Occupational Studies degree and launch a new career. If you’ve thought about becoming a Medical Assistant but aren’t fully convinced, read on.
Becoming a Medical Assistant
Now you’re ready to take the next step. Call EBI at 607-729-8915 today, and begin your new career. Our accelerated and supportive program will help you find career success.
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Medical Assisting Career Fulfilling and Challenging
Are you ready to jump into a new career? The healthcare industry is on the rise and the medical assisting profession is growing like never before! If you’re looking for career-focused training so you can pursue a career as a medical assistant, look no further than EBI Career College.
1. Medical Assistants are in-demand
The job outlook and growth projection for professional medical assistant careers is incredible. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of medical assistants is expected to grow by 23% by 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. This makes it a great time to invest in your future.
2. Career-focused training
EBI Career College offers both a Medical Assisting Certificate Program which takes as little as 12 months to complete. The medical assistant training received at EBI Career College covers both administrative and clinical medical assisting. The certificate program’s courses provide accurate and relevant training that will directly translate to tasks that will be required of any prospective medical assistant.
3. A career stepping stone
If you are new to the healthcare industry, a medical assistant position can be the perfect way to get your foot in the medical field door. Some love the work so much they stay in it their entire career. Others prefer the administrative aspects of the job and work toward becoming an office manager. There are many possibilities for continued education and growth after you become a medical assistant.
4. A fulfilling career
If you’re looking for a rewarding career, look no further than the life of a medical assistant, where you will be in a position to help others on a daily basis. Whether it is helping a patient feel comfortable during an appointment or sharing a patient’s medical concerns with the nurse, you will know that you are helping people with their healthcare needs. Plus, there is the added reward of playing an important role on a medical team.
5. Finance your education
At EBI Career College, we believe that no one should be denied great career training at one of our technician schools because of financial limitations. This is why we maintain low program costs and help students – who qualify – get the financial aid they deserve. Many students first start exploring financial aid options through the Federal Student Aid program (FAFSA).
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.
Learn more:
[wpu_silo links=’10’]Do’s and Don’ts of a Medical Assisting Job Interview
If you’re ready to start an actual career and leave the dead-end jobs behind you, EBI Career College is the place to start. Part of what we do is helping you transition from training to your job search.
We can help you prepare for a job interview, so you are able to sell yourself as a valuable asset to any team. Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind as you prepare for a Medical Assisting job interview.
DO: Dress appropriately.
When you look good, you feel confident. A nice suit, or at least a pressed shirt and tie for the guys, and an office-appropriate dress or blouse and slacks for the ladies.
DON’T: Arrive late.
Be sure to arrive at your interview location 10 – 15 minutes early, just in case the company requires you to fill out paperwork.
DO: Research the company.
Learn as much as you can about the prospective medical facility in order to show you are as interested in working for them as they are work with you.
DON’T: Slouch, use slang or display any other bad habits.
Remember you are trying to make a good first impression and your every move is being analyzed to determine if you have what it takes to fit in at the company. Manners are free.
DO: Bring copies of your resume and letters of recommendation.
Be sure to have several copies of your medical assisting resume with you, as it is custom for others to sit in on an interview — as well as copies of references, letters of recommendation or your portfolio.
DON’T: Worry about salary details.
You want the interviewer to think you are first and foremost interested in working for the company, not just looking for a paycheck. Present your salary expectations only when asked.
Discover a Medical Assisting career at EBI Career College
When you come to enroll at EBI, our student service department can help you with writing a resume, job search and interview strategies. Find out how we can help you find the right career for you.
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[wpu_silo links=’10’]Specialized Medical Assistant Career Training
How can I specialize in my Medical Assistant career training?
Are you looking for a challenging career that will allow you to help others and make a difference in their lives? Perhaps you should consider a career as a Medical Assistant. At EBI Career College, our Medical Assisting degree program can help you prepare for a new and exciting career with the industry knowledge and technical skills needed to be a successful medical assistant.
EBI Career College offers a 16-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.
In this profession, there are three types of medical assistants: Administrative, Clinical, and Specialized. Let’s talk about the differences in these specializations.
- 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 family medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, and Oncology.
Medical assistants are in demand
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of medical assistants is expected to increase by 23% by 2028, making it one of the fastest-growing occupational industries.
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 16 months. To learn more about our Medical Assisting degree program in Vestal, NY, call 607-729-8915.
Learn more:
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