How to become a medical assistant online or how to become a certified medical assistant, without going to school, a very common question these days. Here we will try our best to help you find all your questions regarding a medical assistant. So, let us go through the topic for more details on becoming a MA through online medical school.
How to become a medical assistant online?
Getting a medical assistant degree is no doubt an amazing option to improve the future and get some new career opportunities. These educational programs have gained high prominence in preparing the students with the skills, abilities, required to get success and becoming a healthcare professional. By becoming a medical assistant, you can make immense contributions to keeping the society healthy and engage in different healthcare processes.
They are helpful to the nurses and doctors in hospitals, and clinics across the globe. By earning a degree as a medical assistant, you are going to be a respected member in a healthcare setting. These can help you in earning a great salary and live comfortably as well as a financially secure life. If you are wondering , you can join some accredited health programs. A certified medical assistant salary is very decent.
What are the responsibilities of a medical assistant?
Before we get started with how to become a medical assistant online, it is important to know the main job responsibilities of a medical assistant. A medical assistant should be adept at performing both clinical and administrative duties. An overview of the job roles includes:
- Handling patient records
- Taking down the blood pressure or conducting basic tests
- Updating patients’ medical history
- Taking calls
- Scheduling medical appointments
- Arranging a patient’s examination room
- Filling in test records
- Updating the patient’s family on their condition
This is not an exhaustive list, and several other duties may be taught in the classes and learned with experience.
How long do you need to become a medical assistant?
Based on the path you take to be a medical assistant, your time of graduation will vary. From accelerated courses offering you complete training within 6 weeks, to full-time courses of a minimum of 2 years, you can make a choice. You can also look for options on how to become a medical assistant online. There are several certificate programs and exams too, that you can undertake before landing a good job as a medical assistant.
How to become a registered medical assistant online – A complete guide
Students who opt for this degree earn the ability for handling a wide assortment of job duties in the healthcare sector. They can complete a bunch of general office tasks like filing the medical records, scheduling some appointments, updating different types of information, etc. Well, listed below is a complete step by step guide on how to become a medical assistant online or how to get a medical assistant certification online.
Step 1: Earning a High School Diploma
In order to become a medical assistant and to know about how to become a registered medical assistant online, it is really essential for the aspirants to hold a high school diploma or its equivalent degree. Candidates who are interested in pursuing their career as a medical assistant should earn a high school diploma. They can choose their coursework from different subjects like biology, anatomy or chemistry.
Step 2: A Comprehensive on-the-job Training
A complete on-the-job training is extremely useful for the candidates. It can eventually help them to learn about the different job tasks and responsibilities. New candidates can consider taking the help of other experienced medical assistants or doctors in order to learn all necessary skills. An on-the-job training can help the candidates to focus on routine job duties like effectual relationship management and other imperative technical skills like the development of medical vocabulary and get a high medical assistant salary.
Step 3: Getting certified with an Online Degree or Certificate
As a matter of fact, online certificate programs are short-termed and therefore, they get completed in a few months. On the other hand, associate degree programs take as long as 2 years to get completed. Therefore, in order to become a medical assistant, it is essential for the candidates to earn certificates or online degrees. Certification programs include several options like complete online programs and hybrid certification programs. Most of these certification programs combine online learning with clinical experiences. Well, in order to become a medical assistant online, you can choose from any of the certification programs that are accredited by the CAAHEP (Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs) or the ABHES (Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools). Once you get enrolled in any of these online certification programs, you can become an expert in performing several procedures such as collecting samples, caring for patients, administering all types of diagnostic tests etc.
Step 4: Getting Certified as a Medical Assistant
According to a recent analysis report issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the employers prefer hiring certified medical assistants. Well, the aspiring candidates can easily obtain a medical assistant certification by completing a recognized medical assistant program and passing the medical assistant certification exam that is mainly administered by the American Association of Medical Assistants. All potential candidates can take the certification exam online at the approved site and get certified as a medical assistant.
Previous education requirements to pursue medical assistance
There are no specific educational requirements, to begin with, medical assistance. Several colleges provide it as a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. You can also pursue it after finishing your education in an altogether different stream. You can also transfer your existing credits and graduate in a shorter time if you have the potential to grasp the curriculum quickly.
Most employees prefer to hire candidates with a postgraduate degree, or at least a post-secondary program certification. These programs can offer hands-on experience and training to the students with medical equipment and procedures.
Even if you are looking for how to become a medical assistant online, you can get introduced to all medical procedures and duties of a medical assistant, thus performing better in an internship or job. Several online programs ask their students to take an internship in nearby clinics and learn to:
- Physically administer injections
- Measure vital signs
- Assist in minor surgeries
- Do the finances and accounts
- Maintain reports and charts
Other certificates to consider
The best answer to how to become a medical assistant online is by getting a proper and recognized certification. After completing your certificate program, you can also sit for several examinations to increase your chances of getting a better job than your peers. Some industry-specific exams are:
- Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
- National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA)
- Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
- Clinical Medical Assistant Certification (CMAC)
Accredited Online Medical Assistant Programs – List of Colleges
Here are few colleges that stand out of the ordinary in providing medical assistant programs online:
- Grand Canyon University
- Ashworth College
- CDI College
- San Joaquin Valley College-Online
- Keiser University
These were the top colleges for accredited online medical assistant programs. To gather more information on how to become a medical assistant online, you can fill in the form below:
Career prospects as a medical assistant
Medical assistants are currently in high demand, as per the data by The Bureau of Labor Statistics. It predicts a 29% growth in the employment of medical assistants by 2026, which is faster than most other occupations.
Several reasons are driving this robust growth. As the massive population of the United States is approaching senior years, the demand for preventive care is at an all-time high. The requirement of physicians and healthcare facilities is now more than ever.
With increased attention on patients, doctors can leave the day-to-day jobs like maintaining records and collecting data to their assistants, creating a smoother workflow.
We hope that we are able to help you out from your doubts regarding a medical assistant. If you still have any queries or to know more about how to become a medical assistant online, kindly visit our homepage at onlineschoolsnearme.com and know more in details.