Advanced Roles for Medical Assistants

Posted On October 15,2024

If you’re ready to step into a healthcare career that offers stability and room to grow, becoming a medical assistant could be a great path to pursue. With more medical facilities expanding and needing qualified help, the demand for medical assistants is higher than ever. Plus, this role gives you plenty of opportunities to keep growing and move up in the field. Medical assisting is a great opportunity that you can achieve without spending several years in school.

What Do Medical Assistants Do?

Medical assistants have many different tasks to perform during their day. No matter where you work, your primary job will be to support the physicians, nurses, and administrative staff. Your attention to detail and organizational skills will keep the medical office running smoothly and create a positive patient experience with every appointment.

Medical assistants typically prepare exam rooms, greet patients, take patient histories, update charts, take vital signs, help patients prepare for their examination or treatment, make sure the patients understand their prescriptions and instructions, make follow up appointments, and assist the physician or nurse during the exam. 

Some medical assistants will have more administrative tasks such as answering phones, maintaining medical files, helping patients schedule additional appointments outside of the office (such as imaging or lab work), and helping to manage insurance claims. With the right training, you can also assist with wound care, such as changing bandages, removing stitches, or taking samples. Every medical assistant will have training that will prepare them for this role, but working as a medical assistant can also provide a great foundation for a more advanced career in healthcare.

What is the Advantage of Career Advancement?

A career as a medical assistant can be great, no matter what path you choose to take. However, there are plenty of reasons to work on advancing your career. One of the primary reasons many medical assistants work toward advancement is the opportunity to increase their salary. Many employers offer additional compensation for medical assistants who take on additional training, get additional certifications, or improve their qualifications. The more you can expand your role, the more you can be compensated. In addition to more compensation, medical assistants who focus on advancing their training will find that they have better job security in their current role. The more valuable you are to the office, the less likely you will find yourself in jeopardy if the team is reduced. While seniority does play a role, employers often prioritize those with more credentials. But often the best reason to consider advancing your career as a medical assistant is that it opens up many more options. Many specialist offices and treatment centers look for medical assistants who have pursued additional training. Rather than being limited to only basic roles in hospitals and physician’s offices, you can find a healthcare path that interests you more.

Expand Your Role with More Experience and Training

Your initial training to become a medical assistant will give you a great foundation and train you to perform all the tasks you may be asked to do as a medical assistant in most general offices. If you think you want to advance, you can take on additional training. Many medical assistant training programs offer classes for those who want to advance or specialize. Once you have an idea of where you want to go, you can choose classes that will give you the skills you need.

While honing skills is good to do, gaining experience may even be more important. Many medical assistants find their most important training happens on the job as they learn by doing. The more experience you gain, the better prepared you will be.

Where Can Medical Assistants Specialize?

Medical assistants can choose plenty of different specialties when they’re ready. Medical assistants who love clinical work and are ready for additional challenges may want to take additional training that will prepare them to work in specialties such as cardiology, OB-GYN, ophthalmology, podiatry, pediatrics, and even surgery. The additional training you need will depend on where you want to go. For example, if you are interested in working in cardiology, you will want to get training to work as an EKG technician. If you want to work in a surgical setting, you should take additional classes in sterilization procedures. As you gain experience, you can talk to others in the field about where you want to specialize, and get their advice about the additional training you may need.

Additional Certifications Can Open Additional Opportunities 

One of the best things you can do for your career in medical assisting is to make sure the training program you attend is accredited. With an accredited training program, you will be eligible to take the certification exam. After gaining more experience, you can take another exam to become a Registered Medical Assistant, a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant, or a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant. These exams are more comprehensive and require medical assistants to demonstrate their advanced skills. Many medical assistants who are looking to specialize will also gain certifications in areas like phlebotomy, imaging, or other medical technology specializations. The more certifications you get, the more you can advance.

Working as a medical assistant can be a great jumping off point. Many medical assistants use their experience to go onto different specialties, more advanced roles, and some even decide to pursue a degree in nursing, healthcare administration, or other healthcare fields. With a great foundation from a medical assistant training program, there are plenty of paths to choose from. To learn more about our no-wait-list training program and flexible class schedules, contact Athena Career Academy right away!