What is Medical Assistant Training Like?

Are you interested in a career in the medical field? If so, perhaps a role as a medical assistant would be a great introduction to the world of health care. Getting started can be a simple as enrolling in a program to earn a medical assistant certification that will give you the training you need to start an exciting new career. This article will briefly outline the essential elements included in a medical assistant program.

Office Management

One important part of your schooling and training will be learning how to properly manage and run the medical office area. There is a great deal of emphasis placed on this training element because it will be an area where you will spend a significant amount of time. You’ll learn the proper ways for handling patient records with consideration to HIPPA requirements, scheduling appointments, and checking on patients to see that their needs are being met as well as assisting them in follow-up appointments. 

As a front-line medical worker, you will be dealing with many different types of people so a key part of the education will involve learning essential communication skills and human resources that will prove effective in your role. Being in a medical environment can be stressful to some patients, so learning how to effectively deal with people during these difficult times is vital to your success as a professional.

Another key area of your training will be learning how to contact insurance companies and manage patient billing following appointments. It’s important to remember that health care is a business just like any other and learning basic accounting and billing procedures is vital to the longevity of your future employer.

Hands-on Medical Training

In addition to learning how to manage the office environment, you’ll also receive hands-on training because you might be expected to perform certain basic medical procedures with patients for your job. This could range from simply escorting the patient to the examining room to checking the vitals of the patient. It could also include drawing blood, giving injections, or collecting other samples for laboratory work.

During this training element, you will perform these procedures on your classmates and they will in turn practice on you. Instructors will carefully monitor activities to ensure that all students are utilizing the highest safety standards and taking necessary precautions in these activities to ensure the health and well-being of each other, as well as establish best practices when dealing with your future patients.

Training for the Future

Before graduation, you will be expected to take part in an externship in an actual doctor’s office where you will receive further training and get a first-hand look at what it’s like to work in the medical field. You’ll have the opportunity to take everything you have learned in the classroom and apply it to real-life situations. In some cases, these externships can even lead to full-time employment following graduation. 

If you have a desire to make a difference for others and have an interest in working in the medical field then becoming a medical assistant could be the first step into a bigger and brighter future.