Due to the aging of the baby boomer population and the shift towards electronic filing, the need for well-trained medical assistants in this country is growing. Medical assistants work in doctors offices, taking care of both clerical and clinical tasks, though some assistants specialize in one or the other. Though they mainly work in the primary care sector, medical assistants can also be found in podiatrist, optometrist, and ophthalmologists' offices. They handle tasks around the office such as taking patient histories and vitals, assisting the physician with patient exams, giving injections as prescribed by the doctor, and coding and filing patient charts. Some larger practices and hospitals employ medical assistants who specialize in either clinical or administrative duties. Administrative medical assistants deal with the office aspect of the job such as filling out insurance forms while clinical medical assistants assist the doctors with medical tasks such as drawing blood.
The demand for medical assistants has risen in recent years. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to expand by 31% between 2010 and 2020, which is much faster than average. Due to the aging baby boomer population, more and more people will need medical care on a regular basis. Many physicians are making the switch to electronic health records, and medical assistant training will now include training in EHRs.
In order to become a medical assistant, no undergraduate or graduate degrees are required, but employers prefer a postsecondary program or certification. These programs can be found at community colleges and vocational schools, and take about one year to complete. Most medical assistant training, however, occurs on the job, teaching the newly-hired assistant how to do both clinical and administrative tasks according to the office's unique system. Though postsecondary certification is certainly the best path towards getting hired as a medical assistant, on the job training is equally important. Also, the more training one has, the more complicated the tasks they will be handling, therefore it is advisable to take a postsecondary training course if one plans to become a clinical medical assistant.
If you are looking for a Medical Assistant Training Program In New York, New York Medical Career Training Center is a reputable school that offers an accredited Medical Assistant training program. Their Medical Assistant (RMA) program consists of 900 hours; 600 class hours and 300 externship hours. With a central location in Flushing, New York, students are also able to commute easily from surrounding areas such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Long Island. If you would like to learn more about Medical Assistant training program in New York, please visit us online