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.
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