Thank you for visiting the Medical Assistant Salary and Career Center! Our mission is a simple one: to assist you in best preparing for an exciting career as a medical assistant. We hope to be able to provide you with the best resources on the internet for discovering more about medical assistant careers, training, certification, as well as an insight into medical assistant salary data and trends which you can use to plan your career.

Medical Assistant Salary and Career Articles

We have dozens of articles on many topics relating to the medical assistant salary and careers which we hope that you will find useful. To locate articles that address specific questions or concerns you might have, you can use the sections in the right-hand sidebar of the page titled “Medical Assistant Salary and Career Topics” and “Recent Posts”. The “Topics” area will allow you to browse past articles based on specific information which you want to learn more about, while the “Recent Posts” section will provide you with a glimpse of our most recent articles which have been published.

Finding Medical Assistant Programs

We also feature a page which will help you search for and locate medical assistant programs to help you fulfill your career goals. This page can be accessed through the “Find Medical Assisting Programs” link at the top of the page. We feature leading educational providers from across the nation within our listings, including both ground schools and online universities.

Researching Medical Assistant Jobs

If you’re interested in finding out more about the duties of medical assistants as well as what employers are offering in terms of medical assistant salary, you may want to use our “Medical Assistant Jobs” page which can also be accessed through the link at the top of the page. Our jobs page features medical assistant openings from all across the country and is searchable by location so that you can find available openings in your area. If you are already a practicing medical assistant, this can also be a valuable resource for comparing your current salary and position to others and may also help you find the next exciting chapter in your career.

Again, thank you for visiting the Medical Assistant Salary and Career Center. We hope that you find our resources useful in planning your next steps in this rewarding career field!

If you have a desire to be a medical assistant or in some way become part of the medical field, there are several ways that you can do so. One of these is to get into the medical field by joining the military, either as a civilian to work in the medical field, or as a military member who gets his medical training as part of your military position.

Joining the Military to Become Part of the Medical Field

If you are already qualified as a medical assistant, then you can possibly apply to be a commissioned officer in the service in one of the four branches of the Armed Forces: U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, or U.S. Marines.

Coast Guard

If you want to be a medical assistant in the Coast Guard, you have to already have your training and be qualified as a medical assistant. Then you can become a commissioned officer in the Coast Guard.

Air Force

If you want to do the same thing in the Air Force, then you have to enlist in the Air Force, and already at least be enrolled or a graduate of a medical assistant program. Plus, you must get a high enough score on the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery or ASVAB test.

Navy

In order to be a part of the medical field in the Navy, you must enlist, go through basic training and their medical training, and then you can become a corpsman. Navy corpsmen also work in the Marines. These corpsmen assist doctors, can work in pharmacies, and if they are an independent corpsman, they can even see patients similar to being a medical assistant.

Army

Training for the health care field in the Army is similar to that of the Navy, but you don’t have to get as high of a score on the ASVAB test. Some soldiers may end up being a Special Forces medic. If so, they learn to work independently and must get medical assistant training and certification.

Experience in any of the Armed Forces will give you a head start if you later wish to work as a civilian medical assistant. The demand for medical assistants in the civilian world after you get out of the military is pretty high and you can most likely earn a high salary. Military medical people are usually high in demand since they may have worked in a combat situation, so they will be good in places like emergency or trauma medicine.

What Kind of Training Does the Military Give in Medical Positions?

will do similar requirements as in top civilian universities and after your stint in the military, you should have no trouble getting a civilian job.

Most of the jobs in the military for medical positions require that you already be trained and certified, but you can get your training while you are in the military as well. The training provided may last several weeks up to a year and may require that you also take come community college type course to round out your training.

The military does offer scholarships for people to go to college in return for serving in the military. They must commit for a seven year stint in the service in return for this free training. They will also receive a full military salary while attending the classes.

The program is usually open to both civilians and people who are already in the military. Most of these come into the military medical field through commission via the Armed Forces Health Professions Scholarship program or the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences.

Medical volunteers, including doctors, nurses and medical assistants, serve in disaster zones and poor areas without hospitals and healthcare facilities. Many charitable organizations, missionary groups and private service organizations offer volunteer opportunities all over the world for medical personnel.

Why Be a Medical Volunteer Overseas?

Volunteering overseas provides medical assistants with a chance to expand their skills under demanding circumstances. Adding a volunteer mission to Africa on your resume can heighten your professional and personal standing in the medical community. Volunteering gives people with a strong philanthropic streak a chance to put their convictions to good use.

Volunteering as a medical assistant in a disadvantaged country is not for the faint of heart. If you’re used to a set schedule and kicking back in front of the TV at night, medical volunteering is not for you. Good listening skills, the ability to forgo personal comfort for long periods of time and adaptability are key traits for medical volunteers. Expect long hours, harsh, unsanitary conditions and non-English speaking patients. If you are interested in helping others, working in a challenging environment and traveling to out-of-the way places, volunteering as a medical assistant in a foreign country may be a rewarding experience.

Where to Find Opportunities

The International Medical Volunteers Association provisos a clearinghouse of information for medical assistants and other medical professionals considering overseas volunteer work. All major medical charity organizations have a list of opportunities on their websites. Although most of them are for doctors, there are always openings for general medical personnel, including medical assistants.

Hospitals for Humanity caters to medical professionals who’ve worked in a hospital environment. The website Medical Missions provides a list of organizations looking for volunteers by country as well as a a list of available volunteers. Private organizations –Project Hope, Oxfam, the Red Cross and Catholic Relief Services are always in search of volunteers. The American Association for Medical Assistants may also have information about opportunities specific to medical assistants.

Where to Volunteer

Thousands of volunteer opportunities are available for medical personnel in Tanzania, Uganda, Chad and other African countries, according to the website Medical Missions. Latin American countries like Haiti, Guatemala and. Honduras.are also in need of medical assistants doctors and nurses Only a handful of medical volunteer opportunities are listed in Russia and Europe.

Working Environment – What to Expect, How to Prepare

Many organizations pay for travel, food and rooming for volunteers while others, notably missionary groups, require that volunteers pay all their own expenses. Keep this in mind when searching for opportunities.

Prepare for the volunteer effort weeks – or even months- before the actual assignment.. Learn the language and customs of the region. Since many regions requiring medical volunteers also suffer from political unrest, talk with trip organizers about precautions to take during the assignment.

Inquire about other medical groups in the area and how efforts are coordinated between these groups the most prevalent disease in the area.

Arrange documentation, licenses and passports at least a month before leaving the United States. Don’t always assume the volunteer organization will handle it. Medical assistant volunteers should contact that their health insurance providers to ensure they will be covered in foreign countries in case they fall ill.

Obtain all necessary immunizations before entering African countries as diseases like malaria typhoid fever are common. Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants in these regions to protect against mosquito and other insect bites that cause disease.

Volunteer medical assistants help doctors and nurses with medical procedures and prepare paperwork. Assistants who have AAMA (American Association of Medical Assistants) or AMT (American Medical Technologists ) certification increase their chances of securing a world volunteer position and participating in a philanthropic and life-changing experience.

Are you interested in furthering your career as a medical assistant? No matter whether you are fresh out of your medical assistant training programs or have a few years under your belt in your career as a medical assistant, you have the training, skills and qualifications necessary to become a medical assisting instructor. This move to become a medical assisting instructor in turn can enhance your career as a medical assistant. It really is a wise career move to become a medical assisting instructor. If you have a busy and loaded schedule to contend with, you could opt to become a medical assisting instructor for an online course, which provides a greater degree of flexibility and eliminates commuting. If you have more free time, you may find it in your best interest to teach in an actual classroom setting to maximize interaction with your students. As a medical assisting instructor, you would teach students about the laws, rules and regulations of medical assisting in the State you teach. This encompasses the administrative, clinical, technical and non-technical components of medical assisting. You would also teach students about the important legal and ethical issues surrounding the profession. As far as the clinical side of the profession is involved, you would teach students about the most common procedures involved in medical assisting.

What are the benefits of having a career as a medical assisting instructor in your profile in terms of your career as a medical assistant? One of the biggest advantages is that teaching medical assisting courses can help your own communication skills. As a medical assistant, you will be expected to communicate with patients and educate them on a variety of medical issues and procedures. By communicating with students in the same manner, prospective employers will see that you have the experience to do the same with patients. Another key benefit of having a career is a medical assisting instructor is that prospective employers in medical assisting will see that you took a substantive effort to maintain and sharpen your skills in the field. Teaching a medical assisting course means having to do research in current issues in the field.

If you are interested in further your career as a medical assistant, you should absolutely consider becoming a medical assisting instructor. Not only will this provide you an opportunity to improve your own communication skills, it will also allow you to stay current in the field. Prospective employers will be attracted to this.

Are you interested in pursuing a career in a robust field in health care that provides you the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others? You may want to seriously consider a career in medical assisting. The specific duties of medical assistants vary from office to office. As a medical assistant, you can generally expect to fulfill both clinical and administrative tasks to ensure that the offices of physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists and other specialists operate smoothly. Job prospects for medical assistants are expected to be excellent throughout the next decade. If you are truly considering a career in medical assisting, you need to be aware of the fact that there are some health risks associated with working in this field.

One of the obvious health risks associated with working in medical assisting stems from the fact that you would be surrounded by sick patients on a regular basis. You will have to interact with patients who are sick with the cold and flu, which would pose a health risk to you. You may want to consider employment in an office that specializes in orthopedic surgery or chiropractic work, for example, in order to avoid this health risk. In some settings, a medical assistant may also have to be cautious of the risk of needle sticks, which increases the risk of HIV, Hepatitis B and other diseases that can be transmitted by blood. If you are truly concerned about the health risks associated with working in medical assisting, you may want to consider working on the administrative side of medical assisting. If you change your mind in the future, it is very easy to convert from clinical medical assisting to administrative medical assisting. Any clinical experience you acquire in medical assisting will make it easier to handle the administrative side of the work.

If you are interested in pursuing a very respectable and rewarding career in the health care field, you may want to take a serious look at a career in medical assisting. Job prospects are expected to be excellent for medical assistants throughout the coming decade. You must be prepared to multitask as a medical assistant. It is also important that you are aware of some of the health risks associated with working in medical assisting, which primarily stems from being surrounded by sick patients throughout a typical workday. You may want to consider working on the administrative side of medical assisting if the health risks are too great.

Are you interested in pursuing a rewarding career in a robust and respectable field in the health care industry? You may want to seriously consider a career in medical assisting, as job prospects for medical assistants is expected to be outstanding throughout the upcoming decade. This is largely a result of the increasing medical care and attention that the aging members of the baby boom generation will require over the coming years. As the workload for physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists and other specialists expands, the demand for medical assistants will continue to expand as well. It is important that you are mentally prepared for the tasks you must successfully accomplish in order to ultimately become a medical assistant. You should be ready to complete clinical rotations during medical assistant training. Let’s take a look at some of what you can expect to experience during these clinical rotations.

In addition to classroom training, successful completion of clinical rotations are necessary to become a medical assistant. During clinical rotations, you can expect to gain hands-on training that will allow you to understand how to prepare for procedures that will be done on patients. You will gain a better understanding of the tools and instruments involved in these procedures. During clinical rotations for medical assisting, you will also be exposed to the important safety regulations and protocols that must be followed at all times. It is important that you fully comprehend these regulations and can follow them in a clinical setting in order to avoid potential legal issues as a medical assistant. During your rotations, you will also understand the administrative side of working as a medical assistant. You will practice filling medical histories, managing insurance information and scheduling future appointments. It is important that your clinical rotation work be properly and accurately documented so that you can receive credit. You will have to fulfill certain time requirements for your clinical rotations.

If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, you will ultimately need to complete extensive clinical rotations. During these clinical rotations, you will receive very important hands-on training. It is important that you are well-trained in both the clinical and administrative side of medical assisting so that you can find a solid job upon completion of your training and certification.

Have you successfully completed all the classroom and clinical requirements of an accredited medical assistant program? Have you earned certification status in medical assisting in the State you reside in? Are you already well into your career and perhaps want to develop skills to bolster your medical assistant salary? Whether you are a newly minted medical assistant or even deep into your career as a medical assistant, you can acquire important additional skills to really boost your career as a medical assistant. Let’s take a look at some of the options you have at your disposal which can impact both your marketability as a job candidate and perhaps give you additional qualifications which may be able to further your salary as a medical assisting professional.

With technology playing an ever increasing role in the health care field, you can really further your career as a medical assistant by taking more advanced level computer courses. You can really sharpen your skills in the administrative side of medical assisting. You should absolutely seek to become adept at the latest version of Microsoft Excel, as the offices of physicians, chiropractors, podiatrists and other specialists increasingly rely on Excel for financial organization purposes. You could even benefit from teaching a medical instructing course or enrolling in some further medical courses. Both of these options will help you sharpen and enhance your skills in the field. Health care as a broad field is constantly evolving and it would be in your best interest to stay up-to-date in the field. You may even consider attending seminars in medical assisting. The technology in offices is constantly being updated and you want to ensure that you are fully aware of changes that are being made. Another option you have at your disposal is to enroll in clinical rotations in order to gain exposure to the most current procedures. As a medical assistant, you will be called on to assist the specialist in various procedures. The specialist will train you but you may find it in your best interest to complete an additional layer of training on your own.

Whether you are a newly minted medical assistant or even deep into your career as a medical assistant, you can really benefit from developing additional skills to boost your career. There are various options at your disposal to both maintain and sharpen your skills in both the administrative and clinical side of medical assisting. You should absolutely become adept with the latest version of Microsoft Excel and even consider teaching a medical assisting course, enrolling in current classroom training or attending a medical assisting seminar.

If you’re considering a career as a registered medical assistant, the outlook is very favorable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment for this profession will increase some 34 percent by 2018. Medical offices face heavier workloads as a result of the expanding population of older people and rapid technological advances. This is driving the demand for registered medical assistants. Medical offices need medical assistants to cope with heavier workloads. While job prospects for medical assistants are generally expected to be strong throughout the country, salaries for medical assistants vary significantly from State-to-State. Let’s take a look at the best and worst States to work as a registered medical assistant in terms of pay.

According to Monster, the following States offer the best hourly pay for registered medical assistants: California at $22.11; Idaho at $21.66; District of Columbia at $21.36; Connecticut at $20.36; Massachusetts at $20.08; New Jersey at $20.06; Alaska at $19.67; Rhode Island at $19.53; Delaware at $19.18; and Washington at $19.04. You can expect to earn well above the median annual salary of $28,000 for medical assistants if you opt to work in one of these states. You can expect to make below the median annual salary of $28,000 if you choose to work in one the following States: Wyoming at $13.76; West Virginia at $13.95; South Dakota at $13.97; Louisiana at $14.02; Mississippi at $14.30; Oklahoma at $14.58; Arkansas at $14.82; Alabama at $14.82; and Montana at $14.92. Of course, you must take cost-of-living into consideration when selecting locations you may want to pursue a career in medical assisting. There are several other factors, in addition to location, that will determine your pay rate, including experience, education, training and certification status.

As is the case with most jobs, the salary for medical assistants varies significantly based on geography. This is meant to serve as a general guide as for which States you can expect to see a higher salary working as a registered medical assistant. Of course, your experience, education, training and certification status will all play a role in determining your salary as a medical assistant.

We live in very challenging economic times with high unemployment and must contend with an ultra competitive job market and one recession-proof career path you may want to consider is that of the certified medical assistant and the certified medical assistant salary can be quite competitive. Heavier workloads for physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and other health practitioners as a result of an expanding population of older people and advances in technology, is driving the demand for certified medical assistants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment for medical assistants will rise 34 percent by 2018. There are definite career advancement opportunities for medical assistants and this may interest you. Let’s take a closer look at these opportunities.

You will gain a mix of both administrative and clinical experience as a certified medical assistant. Some of the administrative duties you will have include updating and filing patients’ records, handling insurance forms and scheduling appointments. Just some of the clinical duties you may have as a medical assistant include taking patients’ medical histories, educating patients about treatment procedures, preparing patients for different procedures, completing basic lab tests, drawing blood and taking x-rays. These clinical responsibilities will vary depending on State law. The experience you gather working as a medical assistant can prepare you for several advancement opportunities: Clinical team leader, lead medical assistant, medical office manager, clinical office manager, medical assistant instructor and healthcare administrator. These are all very respectable career fields that offer better pay. A certified medical assistant salary can be around $30,000 a year, while a healthcare administrator, for example, can expect to make $80,000 a year.

It is absolutely critical that you adopt a strong work ethic and exhibit a thirst for knowledge in order to maximize your advancement opportunities. You should attend medical conferences and seminars geared toward the field you want to advance to. This serves as a powerful networking opportunity. You should also read professional journals and stay current with all the developments in your field of choice. You will also want to attend any in-house conferences at your workplace.

Significant career advancement opportunities are available for medical assistants. You can easily increase your certified medical assistant salary by doing a great job working as a medical assistant and using the experience you acquire to catapult into different administrative positions in the medical field.

Are you interested in pursuing a recession-proof career that is expected to substantially increase in employment over the course of the next decade and want to know how to become a medical assistant? If you are considering a career in medical assisting, this article will discuss how to become a medical assistant and what you will need to be successful in this career. We live in challenging economic times with high unemployment. During these kinds of times, it is very sensible to find employment in the medical field. Even if you do not have skills directly in this field, you can become a medical assistant who is responsible for the administrative tasks that contribute toward the smooth day-to-day operations of a medical office. Let’s take a look and examine whether or not you have what it takes to become a successful medical assistant.

The most important traits you must possess when researching how to become a medical assistant are friendliness and approachability. As a medical assistant, you will be greeting patients and addressing any questions or concerns they may have. You must also be patient as you will be answering telephone calls and scheduling appointments. Patience will also be important because you may be required to fill out insurance forms and update and store patients’ files. These may not be the most glamorous tasks to complete but they are vital in maintaining the smooth day-to-day operations of a medical office. It is also important that you are well-organized in order to succeed as a medical assistant. You may have to prepare patients for various procedures and so it is important that you are efficient and organized. It is also important that you maintain a clean environment so that patients can feel comfortable and welcomed. Finally, it is necessary for you to have a thirst for knowledge in order to be a successful medical assistant. Technology is rapidly evolving and medical assistants will need to familiarize themselves with these changes. You have to be prepared to learn new concepts and techniques on a regular basis as a medical assistant.

Do you have what it takes to become a medical assistant? It is important that you are friendly, approachable, patient, well-organized, efficient, clean and ready to learn on a regular basis in order to succeed at this profession.

Are you interested in pursuing a career that is expected to feature strong job prospects throughout the coming decade and you’ve been wondering “Just what is a medical assistant and what do they do?”? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth for medical assistants is expected to outpace growth for most other occupations. Additionally, you can become a medical assistant by incurring minimal to no debt since education beyond high school is not required. Unlike other professions in the medical field, aspiring medical assistants are not required to be certified. However, further education and certification are preferred and will help your job prospects and earning potential. If you are seriously considering a career in medical assisting, it is important for you to have a snapshot of what a typical workday looks like for a medical assistant.

If you’ve been asking yourself “So what is a medical assistant anyway?”, the daily responsibilities that a medical assistant may have vary greatly depending on size and location of the office, the specific medical field involved and styles of the medical practitioner. This is meant to provide a general description of medical assistants’ workdays. You can expect to have administrative duties as a medical assistant. This includes updating and storing patients’ records, handling insurance forms, scheduling appointments, greeting patients and answering telephone calls. Essentially, the administrative side of working as a medical assistant means that you will be handling paperwork and patients. This is why it is very important that you are organized and friendly in order to work as a medical assistant.

You may also have clinical duties, which vary based on State law, as a medical assistant. You can expect to take patients’ medical histories, discuss treatment procedures to patients, prepare patients for various procedures, complete very basic lab tests, draw blood and take x-rays. You may be working in the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and other health practitioners as a medical assistant. Your specific responsibilities will vary based on which kind of office you work as well as State law.

If you wish to pursue a career as a medical assistant, you must be prepared to multitask. You may have several different tasks to simultaneously carry out and so it is important that you are efficient and organized. One constant for all medical assistants is that they all interact with patients and it is important you are friendly and approachable. Your specific responsibilities will depend on what type of office you are working in as well as State law provisions. Hopefully, this articled has helped you to answer the question “Just exactly what is a medical assistant?”