Medical assistants are the glue that holds medical facilities of all kinds together. They record patients’ medical histories, take vitals, dispense medications, and perform administrative tasks such as filing insurance forms and ordering supplies. If it helps a facility run smoothly, chances are a medical assistant does it.
While medical assistants are in demand across the country, they are especially needed in Tennessee. Between 2022 and 2032, Projections Central expects 2,960 job openings for medical assistants every year in the Volunteer State alone.
If you are interested in getting into this fast-growing, patient-focused field, attending a medical assisting program in Cookeville, TN, is a great first step. The city’s healthcare sector gives new professionals plenty of room to learn and grow.
What Is a Medical Assisting Program?
Medical assisting programs offer career-focused training in patient care, medical office administration, and clinical support. They typically take around one year to complete and award graduates a certificate or a diploma.
The Fortis Medical Assisting training program in Cookeville, TN, takes place over the course of 36 instructional weeks. In this hybrid program, you will learn how to perform the clinical, administrative, and technical duties needed to take on entry-level medical assisting positions. This also includes positions such as administrative medical assistant, medical clerk, and patient care technician.
In addition to online classes, students complete a hands-on externship in a real-life medical setting. With this background, students can also move into more advanced roles, such as medical office manager, or continue their medical education later in their careers.
What Will You Learn in a Medical Assisting Training Program?
Once enrolled in a medical assisting program, you will begin with the basics: medical terminology, pharmacology, physiology, and other foundational subjects. Then, you will learn about the clinical, administrative, assisting, and technical aspects of being a medical assistant while also getting to practice your new skills.
If you are interested in the Fortis Medical Assisting program in Cookeville, TN, you must have a high school diploma and achieve a minimum score on the Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) to qualify.
Clinical Training
The clinical training provided in a medical assisting program emphasizes patient care and safety. Students strengthen their abilities through classroom study and hands-on clinical experiences.
Medical assisting programs train students in the following clinical skills:
Interviewing patients and recording their medical histories
Communicating with patients about their medical procedures and treatments
Preparing specimens and performing laboratory tests
Assisting physicians and nurses during appointments
Recording accurate vital sign measurements, including blood pressure and heart rate
Administrative Training
When they are not directly serving patients and their colleagues, medical assistants often take care of administrative and clinical tasks around the office. The administrative training in medical assisting programs focuses on the tasks performed in healthcare facilities.
Medical assisting programs train students to perform the following administrative tasks:
Checking in patients and scheduling appointments
Filing insurance forms and coordinating with insurers on billing
Maintaining up-to-date medical records for patients
Restocking medical and office supplies
Coordinating with other medical facilities to provide patients with additional services
Technical Training
To perform their duties, medical assistants must be familiar with a wide range of specialty healthcare software. During their training, students will have the chance to get familiar with these tools.
The types of software that medical assistants use include:
Electronic health record (EHR) systems
Billing programs
Scheduling software
Patient screening tools
Treatment planning software
Today, many of these programs use artificial intelligence (AI). AI-assisted software can automate repetitive tasks, help medical professionals make informed recommendations, take notes, and much more. However, to use these tools properly, medical assistants must have a firm grasp of clinical best practices and patient safety standards.
Medical Assisting Skills Training
While hard skills are important to being a medical assistant, soft skills are just as crucial. Throughout your training, your instructors will help you refine them.
The soft skills that you will work on in a medical assisting program include:
Communication skills: When interacting with patients and other healthcare providers, medical assistants need effective communication and interpersonal skills.
Analytical abilities: Medical assistants must evaluate medical charts, follow instructions from physicians and nurses, and update health records, all of which require strong analytical skills.
Attention to detail: Whether they are taking vital signs, updating medical charts, or scheduling appointments, medical assistants need to be able to employ a detail-oriented approach.
Compassion and patience: Medical assistants must show empathy, compassion, and patience to patients with injuries and illnesses.
What Can You Do With Medical Assisting Training in Cookeville, TN?
Medical assistants are in demand in Tennessee, with thousands of job openings projected annually. After completing the Fortis Medical Assisting program in Cookeville, TN, you will be well positioned to make a great candidate in this booming job market. You will be prepared to work as a medical assistant in doctors’ offices, hospitals, outpatient care facilities, rehabilitation facilities, and other types of healthcare settings.
With your medical assisting diploma, you may also want to consider earning a professional certification. While Tennessee does not require certification to work as a medical assistant, professional certifications can help you demonstrate your expertise and pursue higher-level and sometimes higher-paying jobs.
Common certifications for medical assistants include:
Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
Clinical Medical Assistant Certification (CMAC) from the American Medical Certification Association (AMCA)
Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists (AMT)
Medical assistants can also specialize in a particular type of medical practice by working in a pediatrician’s office, a heart clinic, an ophthalmology facility, or another specialized office.
Medical Assistant Job Outlook in Tennessee
Medical assistants in Tennessee benefit from a positive job outlook. An aging population and increasing demand for medical services are expected to translate to a need for more medical assistants in healthcare facilities.
Nationally, medical assistants are expected to experience faster-than-average job growth of 12% from 2024 to 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
In Tennessee, job market projections are even more positive. Between 2022 and 2032, Projections Central expects employment for medical assistants to grow by an astounding 23% — more than double the national growth rate.
Launch Your Medical Assistant Career at Fortis in Cookeville, TN
A career in medical assisting can be both rewarding and fulfilling. With its emphasis on direct patient care, office administration, and medical support, the Fortis Medical Assisting program in Cookeville, TN, can teach you all the skills you need to get started.
While your new skills are in demand throughout the state and country, Cookeville itself is a great place to learn and launch your career. Regional hospitals, speciality clinics, and private practices of all kinds call the city home — and they need highly trained and compassionate medical assistants to ensure that everyone receives the care they deserve.
Contact Fortis today to learn more about the medical assisting program.
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