If you are considering a career as a medical assistant, Florida offers a great number of schools to choose from for application and enrollment with many accredited programs that will certify and teach you all the nuts and bolts. The Florida Society of Medical Assistants offers student memberships, encourages student involvement, and provides a listing of accredited programs.
In addition, the American Association of Medical Assistants provides a wealth of information about the profession. Medical assisting is a booming career with numerous work location options, long-term stability, clean spaces, well-lit working conditions, and regular working hours. You won’t have to study for years and accrue student debt while helping patients in critical condition as a resident or intern.
Medical Assisting Careers in Florida: A Profession in High Demand
If you live in Florida and are thinking of entering the medical assisting profession, you can expect a wealth of employers vying for your services. There are a large number of job openings for medical assistants each year across the state of Florida. That makes Florida one of the top states for job opportunities in the country for medical assistants.
Currently, healthcare in Florida is in high demand and short supply. Patients want better care, and you can provide it. The more assistants, the more likely that a child or adult can receive the checkups and diagnoses they need. Medical assistants ease the burden off physicians who are in short supply.
Moreover, Florida has retirees, young employees, and business owners from Latin America. The population will only keep growing as people arrive for the sunshine and growing industries. Medical assistants can expect the labor market demand for their skill set to continue rising.
Indeed, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment prospects for medical assistants are expected to grow by 16 percent from 2021 to 2031. This growth is much faster than the average for all occupations in the United States overall.
Demand will stem from physicians hiring more medical assistants to do routine administrative and clinical duties. That way physicians can see more patients. This uptick in demand is expected to result in the hiring of over 117,800 new medical assistants this decade.
Working In The Medical Field
When most people think about medicine, they assume only a handful of positions are open for doctors and nurses. That is not true. Doctors and nurses often need help in the office, because they often have to schedule dozens of patients during the day. Especially in clinics that serve a community, doctors always need administrators who can talk with insurance and measure patients’ vital signs.
Doctors consider medical assistants as extremely important. A physician needs the breathing space to check a patient, prescribe treatments or methods based on their charts, and talk with relevant parties. If they can delegate tasks such as paperwork and checking vitals, then doctors can focus on making their patients feel better or comfortable.
In addition, medical assistants can make new and established patients welcome in offices or hospitals. Entering a hospital or clinic can feel terrifying for a sick person. They need a helping hand and kind words to ease them through the process. A medical assistant can provide that while a doctor and nurse work on a patient plan.
What Does Working as a Medical Assistant Entail?
Medical assistants can be called on to carry out a large variety of tasks. The specific duties vary depending on the setting. You could work in a busy city, or out in a quiet rural area.
Consider the state of Florida. A region such as Homestead has a higher influx of patients with varying needs and lower-income levels, while a place like Winter Park in Orlando has a smaller number of wealthy adults that keep themselves in fair health, according to Prosperity Now. The demands can greatly change depending on how many patients the doctor schedules, and the designated area.
Practice Specialization
Specialization of the practice also matters, where the medical assistant is employed. Some offices and clinics focus on physical therapy, while others help patients with relatively rare blood diseases. You may need to keep track of how many patients with photosensitivity flare up after a day in the sun.
Number of Employees
The number of staff employed in that location is another factor. If you have more people on hand to attend to patients, the doctors and office managers can delegate more easily. One medical assistant can focus on the paperwork, while another can argue with insurance. Yet another can manage the front desk and ensure that paying patients don’t skip out on their bills. A practice that has a smaller number of staff may force a medical assistant to juggle many hats.
For example, say you are a medical assistant in a geriatric care facility. Patients fit a specific age group and they often herald from a previous generation. They want to talk and are often lonely. Your duties will be different from a medical assistant in a hospital setting or a specialist doctor’s office. Kids in the pediatric ward may want stories or playtime to distract from scary surgeries, and you also have to help out on multiple floors. Whereas, a specialist doctor may simply want you to argue with insurance to receive paychecks on time.
Efficiency and Organization
Medical assistants are often responsible for maintaining efficiency and organization in a healthcare office. Tasks of this nature typically include contact with patients –greeting patients in person and by phone and scheduling their appointments and acting as a liaison between medical professionals and patients.
Further tasks include behind-the-scenes office organization such as recording, updating and filing patient information; managing billing and bookkeeping records; completing and filing insurance forms; and arranging lab procedures, referrals, and hospital admission for patients.
Clinical Duties
Medical assistants are also trained to perform clinical duties and interact directly with patients in the examination rooms. Medical assistants assist physicians and nurses with a variety of tasks before, during, and after medical examinations. They take oral medical histories from patients, take and record vital signs in patients’ medical charts, collect and prepare bodily fluid specimens for lab analysis, sterilize medical equipment, prepare patients for medical exams, and liaise with pharmacists to authorize prescriptions.
Information Confidentiality
In addition, due to their direct interaction with patients and patient medical histories, medical assistants are privy to sensitive medical records. It is thus of the utmost importance that medical assistants exercise discretion and respect patient confidentiality at all times. To safeguard patients’ rights, medical assistant certification often includes compliance training. Medical assistants must thoroughly understand and uphold the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Being a Medical Assistant: What Does it Take?
Medical assisting can be both a demanding and rewarding profession. Medical assistants work in a fast-paced role in which they must interact frequently with a number of people. They must coordinate between healthcare professionals and patients.
Job training is not all it takes. Being a successful medical assistant also takes professionalism, discretion, and people skills. Desirable professional skills include maintaining a neat and hygienic appearance, keeping with the medical setting, and being polite and respectful when dealing with patients. Employers also look favorably on candidates with a talent for clearly explaining the doctor’s instructions and making patients feel comfortable and relaxed during their visit.
Educational Options for Medical Assistant Training Across Florida
Across the state of Florida, there are dozens of schools offering a variety of programs to train prospective medical assistants. The various programs offered range in duration, depth, and breadth of study, practical training involved, cost and accreditation.
In addition, various institutions issue different training certifications. Depending on the program, one can earn a medical assistant certificate, a medical assistant diploma, or a medical assistant associate degree. One can also specialize further in a medical assistant technician program.
Industry Standards
It is not always necessary to undergo formal training to become a medical assistant. A high school diploma is sometimes sufficient. Even so, the American Association of Medical Assistants reports that “job prospects should be best for medical assistants with formal training or experience, particularly those with certification.”
Furthermore, the Association recommends that prospective medical assistants complete a recognized certification course. Per their statement, “employers prefer to hire experienced workers or certified applicants who have passed a national examination, indicating that the medical assistant meets certain standards of competence.”
Consider Various Factors
When choosing a medical assistant training program, it is important to consider various factors. Determine the cost, accreditation, and how much time and effort you are willing and able to spend on your education, as the various programs vary in length and intensity. While some programs require just around 45 credits to graduate, others require a minimum of 75 credits.
Gaining additional knowledge and training often translates into expanded professional opportunities and additional professional advancement. When making a decision about which educational institution is right for you, compare and contrast different Medical Assistant programs. See which can offer you the best fit for your professional, academic, financial, and scheduling needs.
Frequently Asked Questions About Being a Medical Assistant
Question: Would Medicine Be The Right Career For Me?
Answer: A person in this field should have strong communication skills, the ability to handle a high volume of work at a fast pace, and a high level of empathy. This position works with people who are not at their physical best. Therefore it is important that you are able to remain courteous and professional at all times.
Question: What Are The Duties Of A Medical Assistant?
Answer: Typically, medical assistants perform bookkeeping, ask about patient histories, record vital signs, send office correspondence, prepare examination rooms, ensure insurance billing, draw blood, update medical records, schedule appointments, and explain procedures, prescriptions, and more to patients when necessary. This list can expand or contract depending on where the medical assistant is employed.
Question: What Is The Average Salary Of A Medical Assistant?
Answer: Nationwide, the average salary for a medical assistant is about $37,190 USD, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An additional $15,000 a year can be received in bonuses and benefits. The salary can increase depending upon the level of training, location, experience, and credentials.
Question: What Does It Mean To Be A Certified Medical Assistant?
Answer: Certification is voluntary for medical assistants. With certification, a higher salary can be asked for or will be given upon offer. Even though it is not required, certified medical assistants are often showed them preference by employers when hiring. To become certified, you need to meet the eligibility requirements and take the certification examination.
Question: How Long Are Medical Assistant Training Programs?
Answer: Training to become a medical assistant depends on the level of education you wish to have. Certificates and diplomas can be earned in less than a year. Meanwhile, an associate’s degree program typically takes between 18 months and two years to complete.
Question: How Likely Is It That I Will Find A Job In Florida As A Medical Assistant?
Answer: As stated earlier, medical assistants are in high demand in the state of Florida, specifically in Miami. It is very likely that you will find a job upon graduation, especially if you are bilingual in Spanish. As a career, it is easily transferable to other states as well, without having to retrain or recertify. Other states have the need for assistants fluent in other languages such as Mandarin.
Starting Your Medical Assistant Career at Florida National University
Florida National University (FNU) offers a Medical Assistant (MA) Diploma. This degree aims at preparing the student to be a competent and multi-skilled medical assistant. Through the acquisition of specific skills and job knowledge necessary to work in clinical and administrative settings at hospitals, clinics, medical labs, diagnostic centers, and doctor’s offices, Florida National University equips students to be successful and in-demand medical assistants.
The Medical Assistant program also offers options for entry-level positions. These include front office and back-office procedures. Students will be able to apply for the American Registry for Medical Assistants (ARMA) registry.
Alternatively, Florida National University also offers an accredited Associate of Science degree in Medical Assisting Technology (MAT). The MAT program at Florida National University prepares the student for entry-level employment. One example is medical assisting technologists in administrative and clinical settings such as hospitals, clinics, medical labs, diagnostic centers, and medical offices. The Medical Assistant program includes a fifteen-credit-hour component of general education/ liberal arts courses.
After taking the coursework, the student is prepared to pass the CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) and the RMA (Registered Medical Assistant) certification examinations, as well as the National Certification exam of Phlebotomy. Florida National University awards an Associate of Science Degree upon completion of the Medical Assistant program.
FNU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is committed to helping students attain a quality university education according to the student’s personal goals. As one of the best medical assistant programs in Florida, the courses are designed with you in mind. Contact FNU today to find out more about your exciting career path in the medical assisting profession!
