“What can I do with a degree in medical assisting?”
By Angie Mason, CMA, Medical Assisting Program Coordinator, Lake Elmo Campus
Medical Assisting is an incredibly diverse career. Most medical assistants work in a doctor’s office or clinic but there are several other options. Each clinic operates uniquely so job descriptions for MAs can vary quite a bit. Here is just a sample of the different specialties you could work in:
· Family Practice or Internal Medicine
· Pediatrics
· Dermatology
· Obstetrics/Gynecology
· Orthopedics
· Oncology
· ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat)
Not only could you work in different specialties, but you could also dedicate yourself to a particular area of the clinic. For example, if you enjoyed the patient care aspect of medical assisting you could focus on rooming patients, taking vital signs, administering medications and other therapeutic treatments and assisting the provider with minor surgical procedures. If you prefer working independently, you could choose to work in the laboratory performing phlebotomy and analyzing urine and blood specimens. Or if you enjoyed administrative duties, you could be employed as a medical receptionist answering phones, scheduling appointments and collecting payments. There are other departments within the clinic that employ MAs such as medical records and insurance and billing.
With the right experience, some hospitals will hire medical assistants under a different title that is unique to that organization. I have discovered roles such as a Patient Care Associate, Emergency Care Technician, EKG Technician or a phlebotomist.
Other clinics that employ medical assistants are sleep clinics, women’s health clinics, urgent care, outpatient surgical clinics and chiropractic offices. There’s also a new trend toward convenient urgent care/walk-in clinics that hire medical assistants to work side-by side with one provider. You may have visited one located inside your local grocery store or pharmacy.
With additional training and leadership experience you could become a lead CMA supervising staff, scheduling, hiring and training new MAs among other leadership duties.
If you chose to continue your education and pursue a four-year degree such as in Healthcare Management, you could potentially become a Clinic Manager.
The possibilities are endless!