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Should I Train to Become a Medical Assistant?

Join the Growing Healthcare Field with Training from IBT!

Are you interested in a rewarding career in which you can help others? Have you considered a career in the medical field? The healthcare industry in the United States is growing, and there’s never been a better time to join the medical field! Becoming a nurse, a doctor, or a pharmacist takes years of schooling and can be costly, but you can train to be a medical assistant in as few as 9 months! The Institute for Business and Technology, in Santa Clara, California, trains people just like you for rewarding careers in the medical field. Read on to find out how you can join the growing medical field as a medical assistant, with training from IBT.

Medical assistants are a type of allied health professional -- individuals who work alongside a doctor or physician to provide patients with the highest level of care. Because the healthcare industry in the United States is growing robustly, medical assistants are more in demand than ever. Medical assistants work in physicians’ offices, clinics, and sometimes even hospitals, in towns and cities all over the country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment for medical assistants is projected to grow 23% nationwide from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. This strong growth will add about 155,000 new jobs nationwide in the coming decade.

Medical assistants play a vital role in the healthcare field, as they are responsible for both administrative and clinical tasks. This means they work both in the front of the office handling tasks such as reception and scheduling, and in the exam rooms, taking vital signs, preparing patients and assisting in exams. Medical assistants also act as a patient coordinator by providing a means of communication between patients, doctors and other health care providers. 

Responsibilities of a medical assistant include, but are not limited to:

  • Greeting patients and answering telephone calls
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Updating and filing patients' medical records
  • Verifying patient information and health insurance
  • Completing and filing paperwork such as surgical permission forms, health check forms and insurance paperwork
  • Preparing the examination rooms
  • Measuring patients' vital signs
  • Administering medications and injections
  • Recording information in medical recordkeeping systems, such as the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system
  • Preparing and handling medical instruments and supplies
  • Collecting and preparing specimens of bodily fluids and tissues for laboratory testing
  • Preparing the patient for any scheduled procedures, and answering any questions they may have regarding the procedure

 

The Medical Assistant program at IBT trains students in these skills, so graduates of the program are thoroughly prepared to enter into an entry-level position in this rewarding healthcare field. Like all of IBT’s programs, the Medical Assistant program provides hands-on, practical learning, so that students may practice in real life situations, rather than learning just from textbooks. IBT students learn to perform basic laboratory procedures, as well as how to assist physicians in medical office examinations. IBT graduates are also prepared to work in the front office of a medical office, performing administrative duties such as record management, appointment scheduling, insurance, and medical practice management. 

IBT graduates will be prepared to obtain the Medical Assistant National Certification from the NCCT, and are prepared to fill a variety of positions, including as a medical assistant, a clinical or medical administrative assistant. 

If you are ready to start a promising new career as a medical assistant, then give IBT a call at 800-915-3562 today! Our friendly and helpful Admissions Representatives are waiting to answer any questions you have about IBT and our medical assisting program. Contact us today to schedule a tour of our modern Santa Clara, California campus, or begin the enrollment process. You can have a successful healthcare career- Make it happen with IBT!