For medical assistant employment, you have three primary levels to consider. While some people start by earning a two-year degree to work as a clinical medical assistant or an assistant in a specialized area, it is more common to see people going for a medical assistant certification to start a career as an Administrative Medical Assistant, which is the first tier. With this level, job responsibilities would entail primarily administrative functions whereas for the other medical assistant jobs, clinical responsibilities are added.
Keep in mind that while an Administrative Medical Assistant may be the basic of all medical assistant jobs, it should not be discounted as unimportant. In truth, this particular level is vital to the success of a doctor’s office or clinic, as well as a hospital. In this position, your responsibilities would include greeting and scheduling patients, filing insurance claims, coding bills, answering the phone, etc. Without someone in this position, doctors around the country could not provide patients with the quality of care deserved.
Many people are perfectly satisfied working medical assistant employment involving administrative duties but others use this entry position as a way to achieve something greater. Of course, clinical medical assistant jobs and those in specialized areas equate to higher medical assistant wages, which is just one reason that advancement opportunities are so important to people entering this field of healthcare. However, working in these top tier positions provides the same job stability as Administrative Medical Assistant employment.
Looking at the latest numbers provided by the United States Bureau of Statistics it is clear to see that medical assistant employment remains in high demand. After all, medical assistant jobs are found in rural towns to large metropolitan cities, used by startup doctors to board-certified surgeons, in small clinics to the country’s largest hospitals, and for every type of healthcare imaginable. Because medical assistant jobs benefit every healthcare provider regardless of size or area of practice, the possibilities are endless.
Current statistics also show that while as much as 62% of all medical assistant jobs are in doctors’ offices, many other possibilities exist. We know that private practices are actually growing, which means the need for more qualified assistants is also rising. However, with a medical assistant certification or two-year degree, jobs are available in clinics, hospitals, and now, outpatient facilities. Interestingly, of all career options, outpatient care benefits the most from the arena of medical assistant employment simply because these professionals are so heavily depended on.
Another piece of good news is that no matter the level or type of assistant, medical assistant wages are excellent. On an already solid foundation for medical assistant pay, as you move from an Administrative Medical Assistant to a Clinical Medical Assistant or one in a specialized area, salary increases significantly. Of course, statistics also show that from basic medical assistant employment opportunities, many other careers open. For instance, with additional education and training, many people will go into nursing, medical assistant education, public health, social work, clinical lab testing, and health services management.
The bottom line is that today, with medical assistant certification or an Associate’s degree in Applied Science, you could secure any number of well-paying medical assistant jobs. After becoming competent in the job responsibilities, you could then choose to move further up the ladder specific to medical assistant employment or use that experience as a stepping stone to other career opportunities within the healthcare system.
