In the United States, an estimated 114,600 new medical assistant positions will open each year annually over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Therefore, the demand high is for medical assistants with the proper education and training. Getting into this field can meaningfully impact your life on both a professional and personal level. If you are considering medical assisting, the first step is to learn more about the Medical Assistant program at Hunter Business School.
Why Do People Work in the Healthcare Industry?
Healthcare attracts people from all walks of life who want to contribute to the greater good of society. There are some specific reasons you may want to work in healthcare. They include:
Helping Others
A passion for helping others is among the most common reasons to pursue a career in healthcare. You find it a privilege to provide care, support and a comfort to people and their families when they are the most vulnerable.
Intellectual Stimulation
The healthcare industry constantly evolves and presents constant opportunities and challenges that allow you to grow and learn. You are always facing new situations that can help you to build upon your knowledge base.
Making a Difference
As a healthcare provider, you can enact meaningful change and contribute to the greater good of individuals and your community. Your contributions can enhance society’s well-being.
Sense of Purpose
A sense of purpose differentiates a career from a job. Working in healthcare brings a deep satisfaction because no matter what you do on a particular shift, you know you are positively impacting your community.
What Are the Characteristics of a Good Medical Assistant School?
When you are searching for the right medical assistant school, there are several characteristics you should look for. The perfect combination will ensure you get the proper knowledge and preparation for a job in the medical field.
Quick Start
Did you know that our Medical Assistant program can be completed in as little as 7 ½ months? Deciding to further your education is big, so you do not want to wait years to start working once you start school.
Comprehensive Curriculum
A good medical assistant program has a comprehensive curriculum that covers the profession’s administrative and clinical elements. This ensures that you are well-educated and confident in your abilities once you start your career.
Hands-On Training
Being a successful medical assistant means having the necessary administrative and clinical skills. Hands-on learning allows you to perform these skills just like in the workplace. A good school offers a variety of skills workshops, laboratory simulations, and clinical externships, all of which can help you gain the necessary hands-on experience.
Experienced Instructors
A good school has instructors who have practical experience in medical assisting. Our instructors provide you with mentorship, valuable insights, and real-world examples to enhance your education.
Career Services and Support
Once you complete your program, a good school will help you transition into life as a professional medical assistant. We will help you prepare for interviews, create a resume, and network. Job placement assistance is also available for graduates.
Modern Facilities and Resources
A good school provides students with industry standard equipment, facilities, and resources to support their skill development and learning. This ensures that you use the same equipment and resources as you will find on the job.
Externship Opportunities
An externship is important because it allows you to gain some experience as a medical assistant. This not only helps you see what it is like to work in this field, but it can also aid you in gaining the knowledge and skills that you need to finish your program.
Accessibility and Flexibility
Good schools understand their students have real-life responsibilities and diverse needs outside their studies. We provide different schedules so that you can work around your commitments. You can attend during the day for 7 ½ months or in the evening part-time for 15 months.
What Do You Learn During a Medical Assistant Program?
Medical Assisting programs teach you a combination of administrative and clinical skills. Once you complete the program, you will have a diverse and comprehensive body of knowledge that helps you work with other healthcare professionals and provide your patients with the best healthcare outcomes. Some of the courses you will complete include:
Assisting with Minor Surgery
Medical assistants may be asked to help with minor in-office procedures or surgeries. Your duties will depend on facility policies, state regulations, and the surgery being performed. The following are duties you will learn about to assist in minor surgeries:
- Preparing the surgical environment
- Monitoring patient vital signs
- Assisting during the procedure, such as positioning the patient or handling instruments
- Record-keeping and documentation
- Providing post-surgical patient care, such as monitoring for adverse reactions or assisting with wound care
Pharmacology
Medical assistants have a supportive role in pharmacology and the management of medications. To ensure that you can handle the tasks you are given, you will learn about the following:
- Medication administration (although Medical Assistants to not administer medication in NY state)
- Medication safety
- Medication reconciliation
- Medication handling and storage
- Pharmacology basics
- Patient education
- Medication documentation
- Adverse event reporting
- Prescription refills and authorizations
Urinalysis and Microbiology
It is common for medical assistants to collect specimens from patients, so you will learn how to collect, handle, and process a sample. Microbiology is also essential for this field, and it will teach you the following:
- Infection control
- Sterilization and disinfection
- Specimen collection
- Antimicrobial agents
- Patient education
Phlebotomy and Lab Procedures
Medical assistants often collect venous blood samples from patients, so you will learn the whole phlebotomy and how to safely and adequately send it to the lab for analysis. You will also learn about other specimen collection, processing, and handling to ensure you follow all hygiene practices and protocols.
Anatomy and Physiology/Medical Terminology
You must understand the body’s function and structure to get a comprehensive introduction to human anatomy and physiology. This will include learning about the different body systems, how they work together, and the common conditions that affect them. As part of your anatomy and physiology class, you will learn the proper medical terms for body parts, functions, and associated medical conditions.
Clinical Skills
As you progress through the Medical Assistant program, you will develop various clinical skills. Learning these skills generally includes a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on practice in a laboratory. These include:
- Measuring vital signs
- Patient assessment
- Taking patient histories
- Venipuncture
- Administering injections
- Medical equipment operation
- Providing CPR
- Health screening and promotion
- Diagnostic testing assistance
- Patient comfort and positioning
Administrative Tasks and Business Practices
As a medical assistant, you are essential in helping the clinic or medical office run efficiently. During the Medical Assistant program, you will learn multiple skills to help you with these tasks:
- Communication skills
- Appointment setting
- Medical billing and coding
- Maintaining electronic health records
- Patient registration
- Insurance processing
- Medical documentation
- Privacy law and healthcare regulation compliance
EKG and Cardiac Testing
Medical assistants help licensed healthcare professionals perform cardiac testing and EKG procedures. To ensure that you can assist adequately, you will learn the following:
- Patient support and education
- Preparing patients for testing
- Operating EKG equipment
- Positioning and applying electrodes
- Test documentation
- Maintaining supplies and equipment
Computerized Billing and EMR
As part of your administrative work as a medical assistant, you will complete some tasks associated with the EMR and computerized billing. Because of this, your education can involve gaining the following knowledge:
- Insurance verification
- Patient registration
- Appointment coordination and scheduling
- Billing and coding assistance
- Claims processing and submission
- Charge capture and documentation
- Financial transactions and payment posting
- Data security and HIPAA compliance
With this information, it is easy to see why medical assistant training is a popular choice for aspiring healthcare professionals. It allows you to start working in healthcare without going to school for 2- to 4 years. Let Hunter Business School prepare you for a life-long career and set you up for success as a medical assistant.
Want to Learn More?
The Medical Assistant program at Hunter Business School prepares competent, entry-level medical assistants in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains required for professional practice. The Medical Assistant program provides hands-on experience in a medical setting where you can foster professional relationships with actual patients. Medical Assistant students spend 160 hours in an externship in a natural medical environment, supervised and taught to gain valuable on-the-job training.
The Medical Assistant training program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 9355 – 113th St. N, #7709 Seminole, FL 33775, upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB).
Contact us today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant in Nassau and Suffolk County.