The Potential of the Medical Assistant Position
You can make a great career as a Medical Assistant and all it requires is some basic training that can be completed in as little as 35 weeks. A medical assistant offers a great deal of potential for earnings and job advancement in the healthcare field. A medical assistant is a person who performs a wide variety of tasks in the administrative and clinical areas of the medical environment. An assistant may work in the front or the back of the office, and such a person can work in a variety of locations such as hospitals, private practices, clinics and more. A person who desires to work as a medical assistant must have a high school diploma. The individual will need to obtain specialized training that the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs approves. The training is valid if the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools approves it, as well.
Tasks That a Medical Assistant May Perform
Some of the most common tasks that a medical assistant may perform are: vital sign recording, collecting lab specimens, drawing blood, removing stitches and sutures, performing EKGs, dressing wounds, and asking patients about their medical histories. Some administrative tasks that a medical assistant may perform include tasks such as answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments, billing, bookkeeping, coding and greeting patients. Another task for which a medical assistant may be responsible is providing comfort to the patients. The assistant will want to make each person feel comfortable and secure inside the facility.
A Medical Assistant’s Advancement Potential
A medical assistant has potential in several areas. First, the person can advance to a higher position in the medical field by gaining experience and skill. Examples of some positions that a medical assistant can obtain over time are lead medical assistant, medical office manager, transcription supervisor, clinical office manager, clinical team leader, medical assistant instructor and more. A medical assistant can feel secure about his or her position once that person gets a foot in the door.
A Medical Assistant’s Earning Potential
The salary that a medical assistant earns depends greatly on his or her duties, the location of the practice and the type of practice. The average annual salary for the position is $32,000 a year. $32,000 equates to an hourly wage of $15 per hour. The persons who earn wages on the high end of the spectrum are the ones who are responsible for caring for patients directly. Persons who work in the front of the building and perform clerical tasks are likely to earn a lower wage than the other people earn.
Medical assistants have access to a great deal of flexibility in their positions. They can work part-time, full-time or floating positions. Floaters travel to a variety of locations, and they tend to earn high hourly wages. The starting wage for a person who floats can be as high as $20 per hour which equates to around $38,400 a year.
If you’re looking to become a Medical Assistant and start a great career you will need some training. We have campuses in Huntington Park, CA, and Riverside, CA.
American College of Healthcare and Technology has two convenient locations.
Our Huntington Park campus proudly serves the following communities: Bell, Bell Gardens, Compton, Southgate, Los Angeles, Vernon, Maywood, Cudahy, Florence, South Central LA, Watts, Lynwood, City of industry, Lawndale, Paramount, Inglewood, Commerce, Downy, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Carson, Long Beach, Bellflower, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Whittier, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Monte, La Puente, Monterrey Park.
Our Riverside campus proudly serves the following communities: Corona, Moreno Valley, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, La Sierra, Arlington, Jurupa Valley, Rialto, Pedley, Mira Loma, Rubidoux, Bloomington, Colton, San Bernardino, Redlands, Wildomar, Temecula, Murrieta, Loma Linda, Fontana, Grand Terrace, and Glen Avon.
11801 Pierce St., Suite 100
Riverside, California 92505
(951) 729-5320
6606 Pacific Blvd, Suite 204
Huntington Park, California 90255
(323) 585-9000