3 Things to Look for in a Medical Assistant Program

By 2028, an estimated 154,900 jobs will be added to the field of medical assisting. That translates to a 23% growth rate, much higher than the typical rate for jobs in general.

This growth is happening largely because the country’s population is getting older. An older population means more need for preventive services from primary care doctors. Those doctors depend on medical assistants to perform routine tasks, including history-taking and measuring vital signs like blood pressure and temperature.

Medical assisting pays a median of $30,400 per year and it’s relatively easy to get started. In most cases, you don’t need an advanced degree or prior experience in the medical field, as long as you have medical assistant certification.

Your first step is to find a good medical assistant school. As you consider what program might be right for you, ask yourself the following three questions.

#1: Does the program teach a variety of skills?

A medical assistant doesn’t just work with patients. They also help to keep a practice running on an administrative level, scheduling appointments and helping to keep patient records up to date.

A medical assistant’s specific duties depend on the practice that employs them. Smaller practices, for example, may need their medical assistants to take on a greater variety of tasks, while a specialist’s office may need medical assistants that are capable of helping with specific procedures.

To prepare students for the job market, a medical assistant program should teach both administrative and clinical skills. The medical assistant program at MedCerts, for example, includes a six-week course on office procedures and administration as well as a 14-week clinical medical assisting course. Training in medical terminology and customer service skills round out the program.

#2: Does the program prepare you for certification?

A certified medical assistant will have more opportunities in the job market. You want a program that explicitly prepares you for certification, meaning that you’ll learn everything that might be on the test by the time the program ends.

MedCerts’s medical assistant program prepares you for three certifications:

1. Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
2. Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
3. Certified Customer Service Professional (CCSP)

As a MedCerts student, you’ll get 24/7 curriculum access and live one-on-one mentoring, available Monday through Friday, throughout the course. Individual exam prep help is also available and comes standard in the CCMA preparation process. The cost of your first exam attempt is included in your tuition.

With so many job seekers applying for medical assistant positions, applicants with multiple national certifications tend to stand out. Today's Medical Assistants are expected to take on additional responsibilities – chief among them related to and around the practices of Phlebotomy and Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG). At MedCerts, we offer multiple programs where you can earn more than one certification. If you're hoping to move into a career as a Medical Assistant, we offer three online Medical Assistant programs depending on what certifications you are interested in.

#3: Does the program support you after graduation?

Finding a job in a new field can be challenging, and not everyone has contacts in the medical profession. A good medical assistant training program will not only teach you the skills you need to succeed on the job but also help you to close the gap between school and work.

In addition to exam prep mentoring and support, MedCerts provides all students with career guidance and job placement assistance. A team of Career Coaches help you to find experiential learning opportunities during your training and, when possible, full-time work afterward.

Start Your Journey Today

Your new career could be less than a year away. The medical assistant training program from MedCerts takes just 27 weeks (or seven months) to complete. To speak with a specialist about how to get started, fill out the form below.