Medical assistants require specialized training to perform clinical and clerical tasks in medical offices, hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Many community colleges, vocational schools and specialized programs offer accredited medical assistant training programs. Before choosing a training program, students planning to study medical assisting must have a high school diploma or equivalent and are advised to take elective classes in science and mathematics.
Training Programs Must Be Accredited
Although medical assistant certification is voluntary, most employers are reluctant to hire assistants who have not achieved certification. Students must attend a training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied health Education Programs or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools to be eligible for certification by the AAMA or AMT. Choosing the right program is important for students who are striving to become certified medical assistants.
Online Medical Assistant Training Schools
While most medical assistant training schools offer online classes, clinical studies require the students’ presence on a campus or at a medical facility like a hospital. It is important to choose a school with a convenient campus location where the student can complete the clinical training portion of his or her studies. Accredited programs are available in almost every area of the United States so students can choose a location which allows them to commute to classes.
Core Curriculum for Online or Classroom Training
The curriculum for classroom or online medical assistant training includes anatomy, physiology, biology, medical terminology, pharmacology, medical ethics, medical law, record keeping, data entry and information systems, medical billing and coding and accounting. The curriculum may vary slightly between programs but these courses are core training classes. Some programs offer elective classes for students which allow student to specialize in a particular area of interest.
Clinical Training
Medical assistant clinical training includes first aid, simple medical procedures like taking vitals and drawing blood, applying wound dressings, basic wound care and removing sutures. There are also clinical lab classes in pharmacology and laboratory procedures. Most schools offer part of the clinical training as an externship where the student works at a hospital or medical facility performing actual medical tasks under the supervision of an instructor or registered nurse.
Elective Classes
In addition to required courses, most medical assistant training programs offer a number of elective classes so students can choose particular areas of interest for additional study. Some programs offer training in domestic abuse counseling and procedures, hospice care, assisting with medication and assisting patients with mobility issues. The choice of electives is the student’s decision and will be based on the type of work he or she is seeking following certification.
Although most of the medical assistant training is comprised of required courses and clinical training, students may choose to take electives that customize their program. In addition to the basic training, additional training and certifications are available in ophthalmology and podiatry. Students can elect to continue their training in medical technology or healthcare administration after graduation and receive additional degrees or certifications.