As a medical assistant, employment options are endless. You could work in a surgery center, hospital, doctor’s office, outpatient care center, ambulatory care facility, and more. You’re interested in this rewarding career path, and you’ve heard you can pursue it online.
Here’s how to learn medical assisting online:
We will walk you through all that’s needed to learn medical assisting online. Once you are done reading, you’ll be ready to chase your dreams and become a medical assistant!
In this section, we’ll reveal what educational background and on-the-job credentials you need to be a shining job candidate.
One of the reasons that working as a medical assistant might be a desirable proposition is that you don’t need a lengthy educational background to get hired for this role.
At the very least, you should have a high school education or GED. If you have an associate degree or an undergraduate certificate, that makes your resume look even better!
Now let’s discuss the requirements expected on the job.
As a medical assistant, you’ll often review patient information such as test results, vitals, and medical histories. You must be capable of obtaining and understanding this information, whether on a patient’s chart or as part of an electronic database.
Part of your job responsibilities as a medical assistant entails checking patients in and out and coordinating with the other medical staff about required administrative duties.
You’ll also work directly with families and patients when preparing examination rooms and on the phone. You must have shining customer service skills.
For instance, you’ll be expected to maintain a cheerful, helpful demeanor and always stay patient even if you have difficult patients.
Although you don’t have to be a medical expert to get hired as a medical assistant, you will be expected to know the basics.
You must know clinical pharmacology terms, understand medical tools, be aware of the coding procedures, and grasp basic medical terminology.
The hospital or medical facility that employs you will expect you and all other staff to always follow current healthcare regulations, such as OSHA and HIPAA. You must understand these laws to ensure compliance.
Finally, a medical assistant should have stellar communication skills. These skills will enable you to transition seamlessly from communicating with fellow medical staff, patients, and families.
You’re more excited than ever to kickstart your education so you can get your medical assisting career underway. Does that mean attending a traditional college or can you learn medical assisting online?
Choosing an online college route is highly advantageous.
Some online colleges even offer benefits to students such as tuition lock guarantees and books and coursework included in their tuition costs. This makes an online college even more affordable.
Online college educations are very flexible for you and your schedule. You’re still expected to participate in classes and turn in assignments on time, but you have more freedom in your education being able to complete your assignments around your schedule.
These are all great reasons to learn medical assisting online!
Have you decided that pursuing an online education is best for your future career as a medical assistant? Here are the steps to follow to become a medical assistant online.
The first step is the biggest, as you have to choose where you want to complete your degree.
With so many online colleges to choose from, how do you narrow down your options?
The college should be accredited, for starters.
The available programs should also match your level of education.
For instance, if you obtained your GED or high school diploma, you should start with an undergraduate certificate or an associate degree in medical assisting.
The program should prepare you for your future job as a medical assistant. Your education should consist in using hands-on components such as an at-home medical kit.
Once you find an online college with a medical assisting program that seems suited to you, enroll in the program! You should hear back relatively soon about whether you were accepted.
Once accepted into the program, it’s time to attend your virtual classes and experience your online medical assisting education.
Take this time to absorb as much information as possible, as the skills and abilities you learn in your virtual classroom will directly translate to your job.
If you have questions or need extra help, contact your instructors, peers, or mentors for study sessions or tutoring.
You should also strongly consider earning a certification before you apply for your first job. Certification proves you are a dedicated and passionate job candidate who wishes to go above and beyond.
Some online colleges might include certification as part of your educational experience.
At Bryan University, certification for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is included in tuition. Upon completion of the associate’s program, you’ll also be prepared to test for the CPR certification.
As your time in the program ends, you will graduate, feeling prepared to successfully enter your first job as a medical assistant with the skills learned from the online college.
Now it’s time to begin applying for jobs! Online colleges such as Bryan University offer career services such as resume reviews, networking, and other job search assistance so you’re more prepared to land the job you’ve always wanted!
Before you enroll in an online medical assisting program, you’re curious about how long the program will last.
That depends on the university you select, but the average length of a medical assisting program is a year or two.
Are you interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant online? Bryan University could be just the school for you.
The Clinical Medical Assistant Undergraduate Certificate program will teach valuable skills such as patient exams, patient measurements and vitals, phlebotomy, medical billing and coding, and medical anatomy and terminology.
Certification for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) is included in tuition.
You’ll also receive a Bryan U Medical Kit complete with a practice arm, venipuncture kits, vein clips, syringes, blood tubes, gloves, wipes, safety needles, IV kits, tourniquets, IV kits, a blood pressure cuff, and a stethoscope.
Should you continue to the Associate Degree in Administrative Medical Assisting program, you’ll expand on the knowledge obtained in the certificate program and use your Bryan U Medical Kit even more. You’ll also receive CPR certification prep and will already be CCMA certified from the certificate program.
Bryan U students can participate in two virtual externships through the National Healthcareer Association or NHA. These capstone externships will help you build on your medical assisting experience so you’re ready to be hired upon graduation!
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