Medical Assisting Associate Degree Online
If you'd like to get an associate degree that will put you in a field that's growing at lightening fast speed, then you might want to look at getting a medical assisting associate degree.
What Is Medical Assisting?
Medical assistants are the people who help keep medical offices running smoothly, and their job tasks vary pretty widely depending on the state they're located in and the size of the practice.
Most medical assistants make appointments, process billings, check in patients, update medical records, and answer phones.
If you have studied to be a clinical medical assistant, then you're going to have a job that works much more closely with patients. Depending on state law, you could perform tasks such as taking vital signs, prepare laboratory specimens, dispose of contaminated supplies, draw blood, prepare patients for an x-ray, and clean exam rooms.
Why Should I Get A Medical Assisting Associate Degree?
You should spend the time to get a medical assisting associate degree because doctors like to hire people who know what they're doing. Most practices are too busy to provide "on the job training". It's vital that you have a thorough education in the medical field so you can easily find a job.
What You'll Learn In A Medical Assistant Degree Program
A medical assisting associate degree is going to teach you the ins and outs of working in a medical practice.
You'll have classes that include:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Accounting and Bookkeeping
- Medical Terminology
- Insurance Processing
- Typing and Transcription
- Medical Law
You'll also learn skills like how to process samples in a laboratory, clinical and diagnostic procedures, first aid, and patient care.
If your school offers you a choice, you can specialize in a specific area and perhaps even get certified. Most schools offer general medical assisting associate degrees, but you might be able to study in-depth for podiatry, optometry, chiropractic, or ophthalmology.
Careers In Medical Assisting
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 62% of medical assistants work in physician's offices. And the good news is that this field is growing faster than almost any other sector; it's expected to expand by at least 35% through 2016.
The reason is because of the retiring Baby Boomers. The entire medical field is growing to meet increasing demand, and there simply aren't enough people to fill all the positions that are needed. This means that once you graduate with a medical assisting associate degree, you should have no troubling finding a great job.
So, how much can you earn with an associate degree in medical assisting?
Well, the Bureau of Labor Statics reports that the average annual salary of a medical assistant is $26,290. But, this figure depends on where you work, and in what part of the country you're located in.
For instance, if you work in a surgical hospital, your salary will fall around $27,340. If you work for an optometrist, your salary will be around $22,850.
Although wages are a bit low right now, hopefully as demand for medical assistant services go up, wages will as well. You should also consider carefully how much job security is worth to you, because this is definitely an industry where you'll have that!
