Medical assistants play an integral role in running a medical office. With the job growth for this role increasing at a much faster rate than other professions, many more medical assistants are needed. Between now and 2031, medical assistant employment is projected to grow by 16%.
If you’re a detail-oriented person and you like helping people directly, a medical assisting training program could be a good fit for you. Medical assistants perform diverse administrative and clinical tasks in a variety of healthcare settings (because everyone needs medical assistants). Here are some of the most common healthcare settings for this role.
Physicians’ offices and clinics.
- There are all types of physicians, and you may be able to choose a type of healthcare that interests you. That might be family care, pediatrics, women’s health, gerontology, or any number of specialties like ophthalmology, orthopedics, cardiology, or obstetrics.
- More than half of all medical assistants are employed in a private practice setting. In a physician’s office, you’re likely to see regular patients and get to know them over time, while in a specialist’s office you might see a larger range of patients who come for one or several visits.
- Generally, working in an office setting means a more regular daytime schedule. You might record patient history, measure blood pressure and heart rate, assist with patient exams, and other daily administrative tasks.
Hospital.
- If you prefer a faster-paced setting, a hospital might better suit you. After private practice offices and clinics, hospitals are the second largest employer of medical assistants. Because hospitals operate around the clock, you could work a variety of different shifts, including graveyard.
- But if you’re tag-teaming childcare with a spouse, that schedule could be a good one. In a hospital, your responsibilities will range from administrative to clinical, similar to job duties in a physician’s office.
Outpatient care center or surgery center.
- These healthcare settings operate somewhere between a hospital and a clinic, providing care that doesn’t require an overnight stay, such as minor surgery and lab tests. You might also work with psychiatric patients on an outpatient basis.
- Duties might range from handling the front desk and phone calls to clinical duties like taking vital signs, drawing blood, or giving patients post-operative care instructions.
Just about anywhere that delivers healthcare services needs medical assistants to help maintain the office and work directly with patients. With the projected job growth in the field, it’s less about where you can work and more about “are you ready to get to work?”
Fortis can help you get started. We offer a medical assisting program at many of our campuses that trains students for entry-level positions. Call 1-855-436-7847 today for more information.