Everything you need to know before starting Medical Assisting school

What is a Medical assistant?

A medical assistant MA or “clinical assistant” is responsible for supporting and assisting doctors, physicians assistants (PA), nurse practitioners (NP) and other healthcare professionals in a clinic setting. Their roles include cleaning exam rooms, drawing blood, administering vaccinations, getting patients ready to see a doctor and general office admin duties. They play an important role in any healthcare facility, 

How to become a medical assistant? 

To become a certified medical assistant you must complete a diploma or associates degree and then pass a state certification exam. This can take anywhere from 1-2 years to complete. If you’re looking to apply to a medical assisting school we recommend researching different programs in your state, look at rankings for different schools, read testimonials from previous or current students and if you can speak with someone already working in the field. Do as much research as possible about the healthcare field and current trends, right now the job forecast for MA’s is looking great with the older generation of baby boomers requiring more medical treatment within the next 10 years doctors will need more assistants to meet demand. If you’re looking to enter the healthcare field becoming a medical assistant is one of the fastest paths to enter the medical field. 

What skills does it take to become a certified medical assistant?  

Have you always been a caring, nurturing person? Do your friends describe you as compassionate, patient and hardworking? Then becoming a MA might be the role for you. Becoming a MA requires hard work, while the job can be emotionally rewarding it can also be stressful and demanding physically and mentally. Before applying to become an MA, research the role, get familiar with the healthcare industry, speak to professional MA’s, your teachers, find out first hand what the role is like and whether you’d be a good fit for the career. To become a good MA you will have strong communication skills, empathy, quick learner and be able to multitask, if this sounds like you then you will be a great fit for the role of medical assistant. 

What’s the difference between a medical assistant and a nurse? 

One frequently asked question is what is the difference between a Medical assistant and a nurse? Nurses’ roles tend to focus on patients’ treatment and care, whereas MAs focus more on administrative duties such as front desk admin, ordering supplies, patient intake forms. Another key difference is education. Usually to become a registered nurse you have to complete a 4 year undergraduate degree and pass the NCLEX exam to become a registered nurse. Whereas in some states to become a medical assistant only takes 1-2 years of schooling so you will have less student tuition to become an MA. Nurses also earn significantly more than MAs with the average RN salary between $60k-$115K per year depending on which state you are in. However MAs earn a median salary of around $38k per year in the US in 2022. 

How to find out a medical assistants scope by state

As a medical assistant is an unlicensed job the scope of the job differs state by state. For example California might allow MAs to more invasive procedures than Alabama it totally depends on the state what an MAs role includes. As MAs are not required to become licensed only 14% of MAs in the United states currently hold licensing. To find out your home state’s scope of practice we recommend researching your state’s MA scope on google. 

How can a medical terminology course help you become a better medical assistant 

Medical terminology will become your second language, so familiarizing yourself before you embark on becoming a MA will help equip you with essential foundational knowledge before you even start MA training. You will understand your teachers more easily, be able to speak with registered nurses quicker and understand tasks from nurses correctly. You’ll be less likely to make mistakes if you know what you’re talking about and what tasks are being assigned to you. Overall it will give you a better understanding of what you’re studying and prepare you for life in a hospital or care facility. 

Choosing the right medical terminology course for you  

We recommend using a study tool such as the Dean Vaughn Medical Terminology app. Choosing these fun flashcards is a great way to help memorize these difficult to learn latin and greek terms. You’ll only have to learn 275 flashcards in order to memorize over 11,000 complex medical terms. Join millions of students who have learned medical terminology by using Dean Vaughn. If you’re wondering how to choose the best app read our full app review here.