Medical Assistant Training: The Skills you Will Learn

Choosing to pursue your education in healthcare means you will be entering a fast-growing industry. Most healthcare careers are expected to growth considerably between 2016 and 2026. Medical Assistant career opportunities could show a strong 29% growth in that time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Medical assistant training gives you the skills you need to be an essential part of a medical practice, combining clinical skills with administrative abilities. The combination of courses that make up medical assistant training provide the skills graduates need to be an asset in healthcare settings.

What is a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistant duties can range from patient care – under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner – in a clinical setting to complex administrative duties. Once you earn a medical assistant diploma or degree, you are prepared to sit for a distinct certification examination: Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). Some of the skills you are expected to use after completing a medical assistant program include:

• Patient preparation
• EKG
• Drug administration
• Sample collection and analysis
• CPR
• Patient record management
• Bookkeeping
• Insurance processing

Learning the Skills to be a Medical Assistant

An associate degree in medical assistant may be accomplished in as few as 21 months, depending on each individual student. At Ultimate Medical Academy, courses cover a range of topics from Principles of Allied Health to Pharmacology. Students learn in both academic and clinical settings, with a hands-on externship at the end of the program. This combination of classroom time and experience in an actual work environment helps graduates develop a firm grasp of the skills needed. Students complete 60.5 academic credits as part of the program, including:

• Anatomy & Physiology and Medical Terminology
• Medical Assistant Office Procedures
• Clinical Lab Procedures and Phlebotomy
• Medical Law & Ethics and Communications in Medical Assisting
• Advanced Laboratory Procedures and Minor Medical Office Surgeries

Choosing a Training Program

A medical assistant degree enables you to apply for entry-level positions in the healthcare industry. From preparing patients to see a doctor to performing clinical tasks, a medical assistant has much responsibility.

Before deciding on a training course, be sure that the school you choose covers coursework necessary for you to be employable. Also make sure that the diploma offered prepares you to sit for the national certification examination. This certification allows you to practice in almost every state, improving the viability of your degree program.

Originally posted: November 17, 2017
Last updated: February 5, 2018