Medical Assistant Training Programs

Typical Medical Assistant Training

 The medical assistant in a very small family practice may be trained directly on the job by the doctor to handle everything that comes along in the front and back office. In larger offices you often find an entire team of expertly trained medical assistants working as a team, some in the reception and administrative areas of the facility, others on the clinical floors and laboratory areas in the back. 

Formal Medical Assistant Training Programs

Prospective medical assistant students often ask: "Is it better to have a medical assistant degree or is a medical assistant diploma good enough?" Reality is, most doctors and practicing healthcare providers don't care whether their medical assistant has a degree or diploma. Their main concern is to have a medical assistant that can do the job and pay them only as much as they have to in wages to keep them on board.

 The present job market is flooded with medical assistants that have received their training on the job, as well as thousands that already hold recognized diplomas. This makes it difficult for the next generation of future medical assistants competing and landing jobs. Therefore, many decide to enroll into medical assistant programs from well recognized schools with training programs that are well established and recognized within their community and by employers to gain an edge via recognition and reputation.

College, vocational training program or on the job training, which is the better training strategy for future medical assistants?

Medical assistant training programs and other learning sources are widely available. They can vary significantly in outcome and in length, depending on the type of program. One effective strategy to boost your chances on today's job market is to enroll into a program from a good school. Graduating from a training program that is well established, organized and recognized within the community puts you into a better position, because doctors and recruiters recognize and respect the school you attended. Traditionally, there are three types of formal programs:

• two-years at a junior, or community college
• 9-12 month accelerated vocational training program
• thirdly, medical assistants with high school diploma trained right on the job

The two-year program at a junior or community college leads to an Associate’s (A.A.S.) degree in Medical Assisting. The 9-12 month long highly focused medical assistant program at a vocational training institution leads to a medical assistant diploma often followed by an externship and certification exam, and the on the job training simply leads to having the title of a medical assistant. 

Medical Assistants Trained on the Job

Although a significant number of physicians still train their medical assistants right in their own office the majority of employers, especially hospitals, prefer to hire applicants with formal training and a diploma. While all medical assistants, whether formally trained or not, receive a great deal of additional hands-on training on the job, rarely do doctors hire medical assistants that are not at least somewhat trained in basic medical and healthcare concepts; often they also prefer those who are certified (*Source: US Dept. of Labor; Medical Assistant).

Most medical offices can quickly become extremely busy and hectic; so there is hardly any time for giving demonstrations, answering questions and practicing new skills. A doctor rarely has time to teach a medical assistant every single task, certain things are simply expected. After all, a medical facility is a business and businesses must run smooth, efficient and fast. Therefore it is best for any future medical assistant to get hands-on quality instruction from a medical assistant schools that TRULY prepares them for today's highly competitive job market.

 Deb, MA tells us on our Medical Assistant Forum:

"I have been working as a medical assistant for 21 years! I started out as a receptionist with no college education, and my managers and supervisors trained me to be a medical assistant. As the clinic grew, they offered classes to employees, such as, injections, medication administration, and venipuncture. I have certificates of completion in all of these and have had extensive "hands on" experience in OB/GYN, Podiatry, Family Medicine, and 10 years in Urgent Care. I recently left this company and moved out of state. I just went to an interview with a medical group that wants either a CMA or RMA, and even with all of my experience, I am concerned that I won't pass the RMA exam." Deb, MA

Planning the Best Medical Assistant Training Outcome

Among the most promising medical assistant training institutions and their programs are those which are approved by the Commission of Accreditation on Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), or by the U.S. Department of Education, or ABHES. This way they can also sit for the various medical assisting certification exams, which many employers expect.

If a medical assistant with a diploma can do the exact same job as someone with a degree that's good enough for the doctor. However, a medical assistant with a degree has an advantage when it comes to additional education. Some of the earned college credits for courses may be transferred and applied toward a higher academic degree, such as, for example nursing (BSN RN) and THAT is precisely where achieving the medical assistant A.A.S degree will be well worth the time and money invested. Unfortunately, most applied science degrees, including those in medical assisting, don't always allow transfer of credits toward a different degree, such as RN., as the credits applies only to the specific educational course completed. 

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