Medical assistants help the physicians in their mundane office tasks, and the job is a combination of administrative and medical duties. Want to know how to become a registered medical assistant? Keep reading this article to find all the answers.
Medical field is one field which guarantees huge job satisfaction, as there is the ‘feel good’ feeling of helping others involved in it. And, moreover there are so many opportunities in this field, as it is an ever growing field. One has a plethora of options to choose from, as per one’s interests. A registered medical assistant’s job, is perfect for those folks who want some other aspect in their job, apart from the medical one. This is because, the job description specifies that the tasks of a medical assistant are both, medical and administrative in nature. Due to expansion in the medical field, demand for them has also seen an upward growth. Let’s get into the details in the coming paragraph.
Job Description
Let’s talk about the word ‘registered’ first. A registered medical assistant means he/she has got some kind of certification from a reliable and certified organization. Although it carries special significance, a certification is basically not mandatory. Some organizations have certification as a prerequisite, others not. –
The chief duties of a medical assistant are, helping the physician in minor tasks like, checking the blood sugar of the patient, preparing the patient for tests, etc. The duties obviously differ from one work place to another, but he is also expected to do some paperwork, like maintaining accounts, and patient record.
Career Path
⇒ The minimum age requirement to become a certified medical assistant is eighteen years. These classes are part-time, and the only requirement for taking the exam is, that you should have a high school diploma from a registered body.
⇒ Once you have completed your high school or college education, or have decided to take the certification. Your first step in the quest to become a registered medical assistant should be, locating the institutions which provide the certificate courses.
⇒ The RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) or CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) certification is generally awarded by the American Medical Technologists (AMT) Board. Usually, these courses are available at vocational schools, or local colleges. The duration of these courses is around 1 to 2 years.
⇒ Once you have graduated from these short term courses, you need to fill out a form, and appear for the certification exam. You can find the form and study material on the AMT website.
⇒ After you have passed the exam and gained the certification, huge opportunities await you in the field. As we had discussed earlier, the registered tag is of immense value, and doubles the career opportunities for you. So going for a certification and getting the registered tag is a wise move.
⇒ The average salary per year, is around $20,000 to $30,000 for freshmen. And, if you have work experience behind you, the salary would be around $25,000 to $40,000, per annum. It should be noted that, the salary differs as per the place of work and region.
If you wish to become one, start now, and gain the required skills. A bright and interesting career surely awaits you. All the best!