Choose the Right Medical Assisting Program for Your Career Goals

Posted On September 17,2024

When you are looking for a new career, deciding to become a medical assistant can set you on a long-term path to success. You can begin working in an in-demand career with excellent job security and plenty of opportunity for advancement in a relatively short period of time. However, choosing the right medical assisting program can be a challenge. There are many options, each offering promises of flexible schedules, easy financial plans, and job placement assistance, but there can be major differences in what the program can actually offer you. When you are choosing a medical assistant program, take some time to research your options so you can choose the right fit based on your long-term goals.Female healthcare worker wearing blue scrubs holding a clipboard and smiling at camera with blurred out healthcare workers in the background.

Define Your Career Goals

Before you can consider if a medical assisting training program will meet your career goals, you’ll want to determine what your career goals are. Medical assisting is a great career on its own, but it can also be a good jumping off point for a variety of careers in healthcare. Many medical assistants are able to combine the experience they accrue along with additional training to specialize and advance. When you begin working as a medical assistant, you can find work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, physician offices, urgent care clinics, insurance companies, and specialty practices. 

As you gain that experience some options for advancement include certification as a phlebotomist, occupational therapist assistant, or radiology technician, a nursing degree as an LPN, NP,  or RN, work as a medical records specialist, and more. While medical assisting will open a lot of doors for a long-term career in healthcare, it’s important to start thinking about the future now. If you know you want to use your medical assisting career as a starting point, not the finish line, it’s important to think about where you want to be five or ten years from now when you are first choosing your medical assisting program. 

Accelerate Your Path to Becoming a Medical Assistant

Once you’ve made the decision to start a new career, it’s natural to want to get started quickly. If you want to begin working as a medical assistant as quickly as possible, one of your top priorities should be finding a program that fits your schedule, budget, and timeline. Many medical assisting programs are designed for busy and working adults who are juggling more than school. If you are starting your path to becoming a medical assistant while raising a family or working a full-time job, you will want to choose a program that takes those commitments into account when building your schedule. If you opt for part-time classes that you can balance with everything else in your life, it may take a little longer to begin your career, but you will be able to balance your other commitments. 

If you are ready to accelerate your training and can devote your full attention to a medical assistant program, you may be able to accelerate your classes and begin working much more quickly. The best programs are the ones that understand that students are coming from different walks of life and offer the flexibility for full-time and part-time students. Look for a program that offers classes when you want to take them. Many medical assistant training programs have night and weekend class options that can help you find a good balance. 

Key Factors to Consider in Your Program Search

Besides looking at the schedule and how it will fit into your life, there are several other factors to consider when you are choosing a medical assistant training program. Some may seem more practical in the short term, but others will make a real difference in how your career can progress in the future. Some questions to consider are:

  • Is there financial aid available?
  • Does the program offer job placement assistance?
  • Are experienced healthcare workers teaching the classes? 
  • What is the balance of classroom and clinical skills?
  • Is the program accredited?
  • Will you be prepared to sit for the certification exam at the end of the program?

When you are researching medical assistant training programs, the most important question is whether or not the program is accredited. Without an accredited program, you may face challenges in the future when you’re interested in advancing your career.

Schedule a call with admissions

The Importance of Accreditation

Making sure your medical assistant training program is accredited is essential. To start your career on the right track, taking the certification exam at the end of your program to become a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) is one of the best steps you can take. 

While you can work as a medical assistant without certification, most employers strongly prefer certified candidates. In fact, many employers require certification for certain roles or facilities. Certification can lead to better job opportunities, higher pay, more desirable shifts, and advancement potential. However, you cannot take the certification exam unless you complete an accredited medical assistant training program. Choosing a non-accredited program limits your options from the beginning. That’s why accreditation should be one of your top priorities when selecting a training program.

While there are many options available for medical assistant training, with a little research, you can find the program that is perfect for you. Finding an accredited program that offers a good balance of clinical and classroom skills will help with job placement, and offers a flexible schedule can help you get on the right path to a rewarding career in healthcare. To learn more about how to enroll, contact Athena Career Academy.