medical assisting one of the fastest growing fields

The demand for medical assistants is high and growing every day. Medical assistants play a vital role in the healthcare industry and these roles are expanding in a variety of ways.

Working under the direction of physicians, medical assistants undertake a multitude of administrative and clinical jobs. These duties can include appointment scheduling, updating patient information, and managing billing and insurance claims. Medical assistants play an important role in patient care by discussing procedures with patients, conducting lab tests, taking vital signs, and performing other diagnostic procedures.

Here are the top five reasons medical assisting might be right for you:

1. Faster Time to Certification is a Possibility

A degree or diploma in medical assisting could put you on the fast-track to an exciting new career. By taking year-round courses, you could achieve this goal in less time than you’d expect. Coursework generally focuses on physiology, anatomy, computer skills, and pharmacology. These skills could open up opportunities to pursue a career in the branch of medical assisting you’re most interested in.

After earning your associate’s degree, you can plan to take the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) Exam, which extensively covers many aspects of implementing healthcare.  After passing the test, you earn the credential of CMA under the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). The CMA credential is a valuable asset that could allow you pursue many healthcare-related careers.

2. Medical Assisting is Seeing Great Job and Salary Growth

medical assisting job growthWith the skyrocketing number of newly insured Americans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the overall aging of the population, jobs for medical assistants are being created faster than ever before. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), seven of the top 30 fastest growing occupations are in the healthcare industry.  Job growth in medical assisting is projected to increase 29% by 2022, in comparison to 11% for all other jobs.

Salaries are on the rise for medical assistants as well. In the latest numbers from the BLS in 2012, the median annual salary for medical assistants was $29,370 per year. Once your foot is in the door as a medical assistant, opportunities to advance in the field become more readily available and your earning potential grows.

3. Medical Assistants Have Career Stability and Flexibility

With medical assistants being in high demand, you may not have to worry about finding job opportunities in your field. If you want to move across the country, work part-time or take time off to start a family, a job in medical assisting could be a great fit for you. Additionally, you normally won’t have to worry about being tied down to working undesirable shifts. With so many jobs available at a wide variety of healthcare providers, you can find the position you want at the times you want to work.  With a degree in medical assisting, you may have a solid foundation for advancing in the healthcare industry. Many medical assistants who enjoy patient care go on to pursue nursing degrees. Others who are more interested in administration become office managers, which can bring more responsibility and higher pay.

4. Medical Assistants Report High Job Satisfaction      

As you gain experience in the field of medical assisting, you can go home every day confident in the knowledge that you have helped people who need it.  If you’re a “people person”, you will get to meet new people from all walks of life on a daily basis in addition to working with a diverse staff of co-workers. Medical assistants answer patients’ questions, help them decipher difficult insurance forms, and serve as a liaison between patients and physicians. Medical assistants help patients understand lab results and other procedures and offer reassurance when needed. Whether administering medicine or comforting a worried patient, medical assisting puts the focus on helping others and gives you a sense of pride in your accomplishments.

5. There are Diverse Career Options

The sky’s the limit when it comes to choosing the right setting to apply your medical assistant degree. Medical assistants are working in hospital wards, emergency rooms, ambulances, “minute clinics”, or private practices. In addition to recordkeeping and non-clinical tasks like appointment management, there is high demand for medical assistants to work as phlebotomists, EKG technicians, patient preparation, blood pressure monitors, and more. More advanced medical assistants are valuable in supervisory and management roles and may make decisions on hiring and evaluating personnel.

Discover ECPI University’s Medical Assisting Programs

Do you think you might be interested in pursuing a medical assisting diploma or degree? A degree from ECPI University could be the answer you’re looking for to jump-start your new career.  At ECPI University’s College of Health Science, we offer an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Medical Assisting that could be your ticket to an exciting new career in the exploding field of healthcare.  Our program could get you ready for a career in medical assisting in as little as 17 months. Contact us to learn more about our programs and how you can benefit from our hands-on, accelerated approach to education. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

Learn more about ECPI's College of Health Science TODAY!

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