It’s time to lend a hand! Nearly 600,000 Americans work as medical assistants.
Though medical assistants work throughout the United States, Texas has become a hub for them. Medical assistants in north Texas make over $35,000 a year.
Yet you can find medical assistant jobs in Texas throughout the state. Just make sure you know what you are getting into before you sign up.
What do medical assistants do, and where can medical assistants work? What is the career path for a medical assistant like? How can you become a medical assistant?
Answer these questions and you start lending a hand to doctors in little time. Here is your quick guide.
The Basics of Medical Assistant Jobs in Texas
A medical assistant helps a doctor with administrative and clinical tasks. Each assistant does different things depending on where they work and how big the medical practice is. But most medical assistants work in outpatient spaces, not inpatient institutions like hospitals.
Most assistants are clinical medical assistants. They help directly with a doctor’s duties, running tests and recording the information of patients.
Others focus on administration. They fill out insurance forms and handle phone calls from patients.
It is possible to specialize as a medical assistant. Many ophthalmologists need assistants to run tests and handle eyeglasses.
You may have heard of medical administrative assistants. These are administrative assistants who work in medical spaces. They do not help doctors directly, though medical assistants may work with them to manage schedules and paperwork.
Physician assistants (PAs) are also separate from medical assistants. They practice medicine on patients, and some PAs work in hospitals.
Duties and Expectations of Medical Assistants
Though medical assistants don’t have their own practices, they do many of the tasks that doctors do. They need to know how to use devices like blood pressure pumps to measure a patient’s vital signs.
They also need to know how to run examinations. They may need to test a patient’s sight or hearing out. They should know how to spot the signs of medical problems like jaundice and blindness.
An assistant may need to draw blood or remove stitches. If you are squeamish around blood or gore, you should not become a medical assistant.
You will be spending most of your time working directly with patients. You need to know how to handle difficult people and you must be comfortable talking with people over the phone. You should know about medical insurance and handling laboratory services.
Job Mobility
One benefit of becoming a medical assistant is its mobility. You can work as an assistant for several years, gaining job experience and connections. You can then transition to another profession within the medical industry.
Medical assistants can get certified as IV technicians. They can handle IV treatments in pharmacies and medical clinics. Many hospitals and clinics need IV technicians, so you can take a job that brings you to another part of Texas.
If you gain a lot of experience with drawing blood, you can become a phlebotomist. You can specialize in drawing blood and running blood tests. You can even help with blood donations, working for groups like the American Red Cross.
If you would prefer to work with patients, you can become a nursing assistant. You can work in a nursing or elder care facility.
Opportunities for medical assistants are expected to grow over time. As the average age of the population increases, more assistants are needed to help doctors. You may be able to find additional jobs in various institutions as you get older.
Steps for Becoming a Medical Assistant
You do not need an advanced degree in order to become a medical assistant. But it is a good idea to get a bachelor’s degree. Employers are more likely to hire you if you have one.
You can find medical assistant jobs with no experience. Employers want to see that you know about medical tests and paperwork and that you can interact with patients.
Yet experience can help you secure a job. Try to volunteer in a hospital or shadow a doctor for a few weeks.
You should get a medical assistant certification or diploma. Certified medical assistant jobs tend to pay more than uncertified jobs.
You can take online courses at low prices, and you can adjust the courses to your schedule. If you need to take night courses, you can.
Courses can take more than 200 hours to complete. You may need to spend dozens of hours studying for exams and filling out coursework.
Don’t rush your work. The responsibilities of a medical assistant are significant, and you need to know about a lot of things.
Once you get your certificate, you can start applying for jobs. Cast your net wide. You can look at pediatricians’ offices, rehab clinics, and colleges.
You are not done with your education once you get your job. You should take continuing education so you are familiar with the latest medical practices. You should also study how insurance policies change over time.
What You Should Know About Medical Assistant Jobs
Medical assistant jobs in Texas are quite special. You can run basic tests and handle paperwork. You must know many topics in medicine, including medical administration.
But the job can be rewarding. You can earn tens of thousands of dollars a year, and you can transition into another line of work easily.
You can find a job without experience. Yet you do need a certificate and you should try to secure an internship before applying.
Don’t go far for a great medical education. Phlebotomy Career Training offers premium classes for aspiring medical assistants. Browse our classes today.
Nancy L. Kimmel obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2002, then went on to teach Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Henry Ford College and Oakland University. She obtained her Associate in Nursing from Henry Ford College and then went on to earn her Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and became Board Certified working as a licensed FNP in the State of Michigan. She then went on to Medical School where she is now in her 3rd year, and is also in the process of obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Chamberlin University. She has authored the NET Study Guide, as well a several books on subjects of Math, ECG/EKG and Phlebotomy. She holds a patent on an Air Filter through the U.S. Patent Office.