How to land the right job after medical assisting certification school.
A new medical assistant should approach employment with an open mind. The job prospects for medical assistants are excellent in many different areas of healthcare. The first thing a new medical assistant should do is decide what area of healthcare they would like to work in and what kind of facility best suits their needs. There are many different areas of specialty such as pediatrics, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, geriatrics, occupational health, rehabilitation, surgery, optometry, podiatry, and various other areas. A new medical assistant must decide what their area of interest is before looking for a job. He or she must also decide what kind of facility they would like to work in, a hospital, outpatient clinic, physician’s office, etc. It is important to choose an area of specialty and facility that will best suit a medical assistant’s strengths and minimize weaknesses. If a medical assistant has trouble in high traffic high stress situations, then an emergency room would not be the best place to seek employment. After deciding on the area and facility, a new medical assistant must decide what kind of schedule they would like to work and their salary requirements. These two factors will be helpful when deciding on the jobs for which to apply.
There are numerous resources to look for medical assistant jobs. A new medical assistant could start by looking in newspapers. There are many different general job seeking websites such as CareerBuilder, HotJobs, and Monster. These websites allow jobseekers to search by area, category, and keyword. These websites also offer advice and resources, job recommendations, and options to post resumes. There are also websites that are geared just towards healthcare jobs such as Allhealthcarejobs.com. Medicalassistantjobs.com may be the first place to look because it is just for medical assistant jobs and jobseekers can search by state and city. There is also an option to post resumes on this site. Another option for medical assistants looking for jobs would be to look under employment opportunities on specific websites for healthcare facilities. This option is helpful if there is a specific facility that a medical assistant desires to work for.
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Where are the best paying jobs for medical assistants?
The earnings of medical assistants depend on experience, skill level, and location. The median annual earnings were highest in general medical and surgical hospitals. The top ten cities for best paying medical assistant jobs were: Vallejo-Fairfield, CA, Danbury, CT, San Francisco, CA, Salinas, CA, Oakland, CA, Seattle, WA, Boston, MA, New York City, NY, Washington, DC, and Denver, CO.
Most prospective employers are looking for medical assistants who have formal training and are certified. Since medical assistants work with the public, they must be neat, well groomed, and have a courteous pleasant manner. Employers also expect medical assistants to be able to put patients at east and explain physician’s instructions clearly. Medical assistants must also respect confidentiality of medical information. Manual dexterity and visual acuity are essential in the medical assisting field. Prospective employers may also be looking for previous healthcare experience.
There are many skills that may make a better impression. The ability to work with a diversity of different patients is very important. Excellent communication skills, ability to multitask, good computer skills, and flexibility will make a good impression. Ability to understand and/or communicate in different languages is also an advantage.
Medical assisting is ranked as one of the fastest growing occupations from 2006-2016. Employment is expected to grow 35 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than other occupations. This is due to the health care industry expanding because of technology advances and the growth and aging of the population. The number of group practices, clinics, and other health care facilities that need support staff is also growing. Medical assistants are key because they can handle administrative and clinical duties. Many medical assistants are employed in outpatient settings, and these facilities are also rapidly growing. Job opportunities will be especially excellent for medical assistants with experience and certification.
Salary & Advancement
The median salary for the entire profession was around $28,270 in 2007. The highest ten percent earn more than $34,000. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the starting salary of a medical assistant ranges from $25,000 to $30,000 for a new graduate working at least 40 hours. The State Government offers the most lucrative pay package where average salaries for full time employees exceeded $36,000 per year with additional benefits.
The income bracket for medical assistants working in private facilities was slightly on a lower side which ranged from $24,000 to $27,000, on average. Usually, hospital or a large health facility offers a high pay incentive. It should be noted that the paying scale for Medical Assistants vary widely due to the nature of their work. A large number of medical assistants are employed on a part-time basis or work on weekends. To further increase their financial status, medical assistants either undergo specialized training as a certified Nurse, Medical Technicians or get further credentials by becoming trained Podiatric Medical Assistants, Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist and Registered Medical Assistants.
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