Role of Medical Assistant As Diverse As Scrub Top Patterns

No two work places in health care and medicine are the same. Medical assistants are found in small to large doctor's offices and clinics with an incredible amount of diff rent medical specialties and focal points. Some specialize in family medicine, others in pediatrics, others in geriatrics, ambulatory medicine and services, dermatology, cardiology, urology, gynecology, and many more.

The roles of these medical assistants are as diverse, colorful and versatile as the places you find them and the scrubs and uniform patterns they wear:

• floral patterns and garden print
• dragon flies and ladybugs
• puppies and kitten paws
• sun, moon, and stars
• Easter bunny and Santa Claus
• smiley faces and clowns

you name it! Likewise, no two medical assistants are the same, the palette of faces, ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds match the diversity of their uniforms and tops: young, old, male, female, blond, brunette, brown and gray, curly and straight, thin, skinny, tall, big, short, certified and non-certified; the list is long. Every medical assistant has unique talents and many stories to tell. Each and every one is unique and an important member of the medical office team and their community.

The medical assistant's duties on the job encompass tasks that are equally versatile and varied. They range from registering new patients from young to old, different ethnicity and gender, verifying health insurance coverage of everybody who is registered, setting up and organizing examination rooms, scheduling appointments, collecting and processing co-payments, keeping logs and medical records organized, to directly assisting providers during a requested procedure and following up on patient calls, questions and laboratory results. The medical assistant's day are busy and never boring. The colorful scrub tops represent their the plethora of responsibilities and skills.

For those who want to communicate with other medical assistants and network with their peers can do so through the very active, open Medical Assistant Web Forum, however, the forum does not encourage, nor solicit, or request posting of job requests and recruitment advertisement. Presently available medical assistant jobs are updated daily and listed on the medical assistant jobs page.

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More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Free Medical Assistant Job Training

Where so many are looking for a better job to build a better life, money for education and training can quickly become part of the concerns. While everybody would like to pave the way for a better future, not everybody can afford to go back to school unless they have the necessary funding for vocational training institutions or community college; however money for vocational education IS readily available for those who qualify. US Department of Labor and Workforce Development Career Centers offer services free of charge to help people develop the skills needed to succeed in a meaningful work environment, either at an approved job training site, or in a qualified medical assistant job training program.

Completely FREE Job Training Opportunities

Even better, many can get their medical assistant training COMPLETELY free by getting trained right on the job under the direction of a doctor, or almost free by enrolling into completely free state and government sponsored vocational training programs such as Job Corps, regional programs such as ROP, or vocational rehab programs for the unemployed.

Medical Assistant Work Environment

Most medical assistants work as part of a patient-service team in close contact with doctors, dentists, nurses, and physical therapists, others specialize in providing emergency medical treatment, operating diagnostic tools such as x-ray and ultrasound equipment, laboratory testing of tissue and blood samples, maintaining pharmacy supplies or patients' records, constructing and repairing medical or office equipment and many other clinical and administrative healthcare tasks.

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More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Temp Work to Bridge Time in School or Times of Unemployment

During tough economic times the job market is down and many are out of work. Not only that, for most who enroll in a vocational training or vocational rehab program to learn a skill that will get them back into the workforce it often means making a choice between work, or school. It is hard to do both. Although most vocational training institutions offer their programs in morning, afternoon and evening sessions, they demand time and focus to achieve good grades.

It is almost impossible to maintain a full time job and earn excellent grades, especially in an accelerated program, such as the typical 9 -11 month long medical assistant training courses. These medical assistant vocational training programs often require an externship to earn the desired diploma or degree, so where full time work is nearly impossible there is an answer to this dilemma:  temp or part time work.

Temp positions are available in many fields, including healthcare, especially in medical offices for medical assistants, business and computers. Taking into consideration the pros and cons, temping can be the difference between getting by and not.

Typical Requirements for a Medical Assistant Part Time Job: Strong aptitude for detail, and ability to work independently Strong organizational and problem solving skills Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Computer skills (Word Perfect, Microsoft Windows, etc.) Graduation from an accredited Medical Assistant training program Knowledge of third party payer requirements Certification through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), or American Medical Technologists (AMT) is preferred

Pros & Cons of Temp Work Assignments

PROS

1. Making a major difference to needy offices
2. Learning and seeing new things
3. Gaining varied experiences from different places
4. Earning more, getting better hourly pay
5. Meeting new people and making connections
6. Flexibility and freedom to say no
7. Work as much or as little as needed to get by
8. A foot in the door for a future position

CONS

1. Working in an unfamiliar work environment
2. Not knowing what is expected
3. Not being part of the established group
4. Adjusting to a new setting and people
5. Stressing out to do things right
6. Having to perform tasks right off the bat
7. Not receiving additional training
8. Possibility to be taken off of the assignment any moment

According to the American Staffing Association, temp workers can earn at least  $12 or more per hour, in most instances even considerably more than their permanent counterparts; however, they do not always qualify for benefit packages full time employees might enjoy. 

Where Medical Assistants Work

Over 819,000 practicing physicians, hospitals and clinics heavily depend on their medical assistants. Neither doctors, nor nurses are taught the business side of things in medical school and rarely do they want to be involved with that aspect of running the practice, this is where the medical office manager and administrative medical assistant comes into play.

Doctors and nurses appreciate their medical assistants so much so that many have openly stated that they cannot imagine their medical office functioning without them:

About 62 percent of medical assistants work in offices of physicians. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, but many complete 1-year or 2-year programs, however, it must be said, medical assistants are NOT nurses, physician assistants, nor doctors and never pose or practice as such.

Understanding the medical assistant's training requirements and employer expectations gives you an edge when seeking jobs:
A medical assistant can be trained on the job, however, most acquire their skills by enrolling into a formal medical assistant training program. Once you got your "medical assistant on" you will be supervised by doctors, or another licensed healthcare professional, under which you work in a medical office and practice setting.

Proper Supervision of Medical Assistants: Doctors Take Massive Risks

Little oversights, simple miscommunication, unintended slip-ups, distractions and kind favors can lead to serious consequences and repercussions for each individual medical assistant, the doctor under whom they work, the patient and everybody else involved.

Medical Assistant Charged with 10 Felonies and Unlawful Practice

A medical assistant was arrested in 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada for administering Botox treatments in her role while under the direction of a doctor. She was under the impression that she was simply doing what all medical assistants do and it never crossed her mind that she may be practicing outside her scope of practice as legislated by the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. Nevada law prohibits medical assistants from administering any kind of medications, this includes giving injections. While the restriction had largely gone unenforced it wasn't until this medical assistant's arrest on 10 felony counts on allegations of "unlawful practice of medicine" received media attention. The unsuspecting medical assistant's whole world came to a crashing halt when she was charged.

UPDATE:
Betty Guerra’s nightmare is over. On October 14th the Las Vegas Review Journal reported that the 45-year-old former medical assistant learned from her attorney that the 10 felony counts against her on allegations of “unlawful practice of medicine” will be dismissed. The State Medical board reversed its position, determining that state law allows medical assistants to administer everything from flu shots to Botox as long as they are under the “direct supervision” of a physician; meaning the doctor is on the premises.

Doctors Taking Massive Risks

Another medical assistant was fired in 2011 in Fort Collins, Colorado after inadvertently putting young children in harms way. She only administered half the amount of a pre-measured children's influenza vaccine to children in the pediatrics office. Assuming it was an adult dosage in the vial, she simply withdrew half the amount of the vial into the syringe and administered it, hence each child recieved only half the required dosage. In addition, after drawing up the vaccine from the vial the assistant removed the needle from the syringe and replaced it with a sterile needle, but not a new syringe, potentially exposing each child to bloodborne pathogenes and serious infections by reusing the syringe.

Safety Guidelines in the Administration of Medications

Medical assistants must never be tempted to do, or say, more than they should and never attempt procedures that they weren't adequately trained and properly supervised to do. They should administer only those medications for which the physician has written and signed the order and must always check with the ordering doctor when in doubt about any medication dosage. When dispensing medications, they must carefully check to make sure that everything on the medication order corresponds exactly with the label on the package or container and medications that are not clearly labeled should never be used, or put back into the medicine closet.

You might ask: "What are the 5 Rs?"

To learn more about the medical assisting career please visit Medical Assistant NET on the Web. 

Finding the Dream Job of Becoming a Medical Assistant

How to find the dream job of becoming a medical assistant?

The medical field is the only area that can never get saturated at all. No matter what era you live in, no matter what place you live in and no matter what, but there is and always be need of a professional and energetic medical staff all over the world. However, becoming a medical assistant will require serious planning and dedication.

The path of getting into the field of medical assisting though will be decided by your very own choice and needs. There are various options that you should keep open at the time of choosing the correct path for your career. We will make sure that we provide you a firm base for making your decision in the right direction of your career by providing the basic 3 tips. These 3 tips will make your path smooth and comfortable to reach your destiny

Tip # 1: Online Job Placements

Like any other products or services, hiring people online is also becoming a very frequently used practice in recent times. That’s the reason why more and more job announcements are taking place on online job portals. These job portals possess different categories for different specialist field; there you will also find a category for medical assisting.

The best part of online job placements is that it will clear you at the description of the job opening that what certifications are required for you to apply for a certain job. In this way, you can learn what certification you need to have to get better medical assistant jobs.

Tip # 2: Reliable Technical or Vocational Centers

There are plenty of reliable technical or vocational centers that enable you to gain very precious experience in medical assisting. These centers are very different from traditional colleges or university and provide you hands on practical training that helps you to get into top ranked institutions as medical assistant.Even if you are found to be good enough professional with skills, professionalism and ability to cope with any situations, then these temporary centers can also hire you on permanent basis. This is a great way to interact with real life experienced people and analyze your own self as a new comer in this profession.

Tip # 3: Resume Should Be Appealing

Resume is often the most underestimated part of getting a job as medical assistant or even in any other profession. Your resume should be appealing to the employers and show a proper analytical picture of your skills, experience and ability to lead from the front. You must explain your career goals, your motivations and the dedication to reach your destiny. If your resume holds these ingredients of a successful resume, you will most likely be able to fetch a very high paying job soon.

Thus, if you give proper attention and concentration on these under-rated points, you will increase the chances of getting selected for medical assistant jobs.

Last but not the least, are you looking for best medical assistant jobs? Here is what you should look for!

Medical Assistants to be Stationed at Rural Clinics

Friday July 9, 2010
News on thestar.com online

SEPANG: Medical assistants will be stationed at all rural clinics for the convenience of patients in the area, said China's Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

Liow said the upgrading of the 2,000 rural clinics nationwide, currently run by community nurses, would be done in stages but it would take time to place a medical assistant in each of them.

“Having medical assistants at rural clinics would mean that patients in the area would no longer have to travel far to seek treatment for minor problems like influenza, fever or cough,” he said.

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In reading this news article I immediately wondered what the function and scope of practice for medical assistants in China might be. The article says, the rural clinics are run by community nurses. Therefore, the article seems to imply that there aren't necessarily doctors at all, if not any of the clinics, which then, if I spin this thought on further, would put the nurses in charge of the newly hired medical assistants there. Interesting, and quite a bit different from the function and supervision of medical assistants in the USA.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/9/nation/6635241&sec=nation

Cert Med Assistant: Free Guide for Working Medical Assistants

Cert Med Assistant: Free Guide for Working Medical Assistants video testimonial:

First off, it’s not often you stumble upon a website where the primary objective isn’t to sell you something. At Cert Med Assistant it seemed as if I came across someone who had my best interest at heart. When I learned that Medical Assistants have replaced Nurses in doctor’s offices, I realized the potential for working in a medical office near me (something I always wanted to achieve). After finding out which schools in my area were accredited, it didn’t take me very long to register. In 5 minutes I found every answer I was looking for. It’s almost a no-brainer. With Cert Med Assistant (.c0m) they have created a site that not only helps you along the path to getting your medical assistant career started, but also get certified, and there is an active medical assistant message board, resume help, and the scope of its practice by each state for reference what medical assistant can, and cannot, do.

Cert Med Assistant is a resource that prospective and current medical assistants can enjoy It seems like this will be a resource I’ll be using throughout my career. If you’re aspiring to be or thinking about become a medical assistant, it has tons of information on job outlook, where to find the jobs, how to get certified, where schools are in your area, and the scope of practice by state if you're looking for jobs elsewhere. If you’re already certified, it has job search resources and even resume help. If by some chance that doesn’t help, a forum to post questions that’ll be answered by other certified medical assistants is there too.

Check it out: www.certmedassistant.com

Job Interview: Landing the Medical Assistant Job

When Asked "What Is Your 5 Year Goal"

Five years is a long time. Best to break it down in two types of goals: short and long term.

Short examples:

1. apply my skills in all areas of the medical office (front and back)
2. sit for the national certification exam in (enter a date/month)
3. work closely with the doctor and medical office staff to gain valuable experience

Long examples:

1. stay current through professional memberships, workshops and seminars
2. look for the opportunity to move up within the organization
3. learn all I can about the profession to eventually go back to college (e.g. to get my degree, or become an RN). To learn more about the medical assisting career please visit Medical Assistant NET on the Web.

BACK OFFICE Medical Assistant in St. Petersburg, FL

THIS POSITION MUST BE FILLED!

Work as a medical assistant!

CLICK HERE: Back Office Medical Assistant
Carillon Sports and Family Medicine
St. Petersburg, FL 33716

BACK OFFICE medical assistant or licensed practical nurse (LPN) needed for BUSY St. Petersburg, Florida family medicine/sports medicine, 2 provider practice. This is a full-time position. Applicants must have graduated from an accredited program. Previous clinical experience is required. MUST be able to draw blood, perform EKGs, give injections, assist with pap exams and other duties typically associated with a back office medical assistant. Strong interpersonal skills and self-motivation are essential. Position offers excellent benefits with salary commensurate with experience.
 

Creating Your Medical Assisting "Job Magnet"

Medical care, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical services play an important role in our economy and welfare. Major cities to rural areas, recruiters and employers are in constant need for qualified front and back medical office staff—and this will likely not change any time soon. If you have a current resume, and can show that you know medical terminology, clinical procedures, along with administrative task, medical coding and billing, medical insurance claims processing, or that you have done data entry jobs, and medical transcriptions, then chances are you have what it takes to land a good job! Good clinical and clerical skills, along with good listening and organizational skills go a long way in the medical office. They are the "job magnet" for those seeking a medical assistant job.

MA Temp Work While Still in School?

How About Temp Work While in School?

Medical assistant students often seek temporary, or part-time work to gain hands-on experience while in school, and earn the money they need for their family or education. So, they partner with local Temp Agencies to help them find job assignments that fit in with their school schedule and on-going family obligations.

Most facilities expect their medical assistant to have the following ability:

• give safe, accurate injections.
• mathematically calculate medication dosages.
• correctly mix medications for injections.
• accurately identify syringe calibrations.
• identify injection sites using anatomical landmarks
• identify and use basic medical equipment.
• greet patients in a friendly, professional manner
• work with a variety of personalities in the medical office
• manage multiple tasks effectively and in a timely
• master the required computer skills
• use medical terminology and abbreviations
• schedule practices/referrals for physician offices
• do lab testing in compliance with JCAHO, OSHA, and CLIA standards

Pros & Cons of Temp Work Assignments

PROS

1. Making a major difference to needy offices
2. Learning and seeing new things
3. Gaining varied experiences from different places
4. Meeting new people, making connections
5. A foot in the door for a future position
6. Flexibility and freedom to say no

CONS

1. Not knowing what is expected
2. Working in an unfamiliar work environment
3. Not being part of the established group
4. Adjusting to a new setting and people
5. Stressing out to do things righ
6. Having to perform tasks right off the bat
7. Not receiving additional training
8. Having to say no when necessary

And where do you learn all this? You guessed it right...

Demand For Medical Assistants

The need for well trained medical assistants remains high. At any given moment there are over 100,000 job offers for medical assistants and other healthcare professionals available across the nation, hundreds in every state! Most disciplines require thorough knowledge of medical office procedures and basic pharmacology principles...

What is a medical assistant? Tips on how to become a medical assistant. Medical assistant resumes and applications. Salary and job listings for medical assistants.

To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

Medical Assistants: "Where Is The Money?"

I have heard many stories from frustrated medical assistant program graduates not being able to find a job, and those who did, say their jobs are not paying well enough to consider staying in the field.

However, there ARE countless satisfied medical assistants that work side by side with LPN's and RN's in well respected positions, such as health clinics, medical offices, even schools, and public institutions on local and state level, such a correctional facilities, and from time to time, the City Health Department.

Not all medical assistants are doomed to labor in a small medical office at minimum pay without hope for a raise or progress. While an inexperienced medical assistant may not have much of a choice other than to start with just $20,000 in the first year, fully experienced medical assistants can earn as much as $40,000, or more in a year.

Medical assistants fresh out of school are not without hope! As awareness among employers about the medical assistant's qualifications grows, and the range of related healthcare positions increases they just need to know where to look and how to be better prepared.

City and government jobs are now being offered more frequently to medical assistants than ever before. These positions are an excellent avenue for advancement and better pay. For example, in 2007 a Director of Nursing in Philadelphia hired new certified medical assistants at $32,000 annual salary, plus a hefty benefit package of 12 sick days, 2 weeks vacation, 4 personal days, 11 paid holidays, and all weekends off!!!

Other advantages are weekend shifts, rarely seen in a doctor's office, but common in health clinics, where Saturdays pay time and 1/2, and Sundays are double-time pay. Often, these positions also come with annual uniform allowances, continuing education reimbursement, and periodic performance reviews coupled with a raise.

Nevertheless, those who haven't been so lucky to land one of these well paid jobs yet should not give up and neglect their skills. Maintaining your medical assistant certification and continuing your education, as well as keeping an up-to-date resume on file, just in case, is a sure way to keep the possibilities and doors open.

In the meantime, realize that another avenue is teaching! Teaching a medical assisting course, such as medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, or clinical skills at a local community college can be a good side job for extra income.

Just about every community college and local career training institutions hire medical assistants to teach the MA program to their students. Medical assistant instructors must be certified, have at least three years of experience in the field, and of course, be outgoing, and able to teach. They also need administrative and secretarial staff, as well as career guidance counselors and mentors.

Some use their talents tutoring medical assistant students over the Internet, while others illustrate medical books, write articles, and edit chapters for some of the largest textbook publishers.

So, if you asked me, and thousands other seasoned medical assistants, they will tell you that it sounds like a great career to be in.

To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

Medical Assistants Not Finding a Job

In a discussion within our medical assistant web forum medical assistants are trying to put her finger on what is happening in the medical assistant industry, and why so many medical assistant school graduates have such a hard time landing a job. One participant's view in this discussion about what might be wrong with this picture is an eye opener.

Lynn says:"I think this wariness in hiring a medical assistant comes from something we
don't want to admit-there are a lot of bad medical assistants out there. There
are too many schools and programs and many of them are lousy. The word gets
around to hiring personnel what those schools are and they won't trust a student
that went there. All they need to hear is one story of a student doing an
externship who didn't know how to PUT ON the blood pressure cuff properly and
that will make them leery. Who can blame them? How can anyone go through a
medical program for up to 9 months and get away with not knowing how to take a
blood pressure reading? But it happens. And the good students from these awful
schools get pushed in the background."

Lynn further writes: "This is NOT a field that is going to be gathering more respect as time goes by. There are too many programs popping up and that isn't a good sign. These are the schools that advertise on afternoon TV, during those (let's face it) trashy courtroom programs and they are trying to appeal to someone sitting around watching TV and eating out of a bag of chips (an actual commercial for medical assisting a few years ago).The only thing that is going to grow is this overabundance of MA programs and the large amount of ex-students looking for work who owe on loans. "


The way to remedy this situation is that future medical assistants make double sure they get into the right programs. For those who already are in the profession, I'd suggest certification to show the employer they are competent and serious about their career.

The resume of a medical assistant that is certified stands out from the rest. With so many medical assistants seeking jobs, they have do everything they can to get an edge over other applicants who also are looking.

I have always spoken out, and highly recommended that medical assistant students sign up only with schools that are ABHES and CAAHEP accredited, because only graduates of programs that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) are eligible to take medical assistant certification/registration exams.

One program that's offered online, and ranks high in the Google Search Engine is St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants which is a total waste of money. Their text on the website looks good, and I am sure people are tempted to sign up but I have always warned of them... if you know what I mean.


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CHEA has issued the following warning:
http://www.chea.org/pdf/fact_sheet_6_diploma_mills.pdf

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Occupational gives these statistics:
Medical Assistant/Healthcare Jobs

CareerBuilder.com lists the following Medical Assistant jobs:
Medical Assistant/Healthcare Jobs

Is the Medical Assistant Career Still Hot?

Is the medical assistant career still hot? You bet it is!!!

The U.S. Census Bureau emphasizes that the current market trends along with cost control in the health care industry are making the medical assisting and related occupations some of the hottest careers in today's job market. Over 2 million people are employed as allied health professionals in the United States. With vocational training so readily available, salaries climbing (yes, they are!), and working conditions improving the demand for medical assistants is on the rise. It is a good time to enter into this exciting career in all disciplines (clinical and administrative areas).


What Are the Reasons For this High Demand For Medical Assistants?Medical care, therapeutic, and pharmaceutical services play an important role in our nation's economy and welfare. Driven by the ever increasing need for health care services opportunities in health care related disciplines abound wherever there are people.


Are There Opportunities for Men and Women Alike?
There is plenty of room for men and women in health and medical service related careers from major cities to rural areas, as long as they have at least a high school diploma and the drive to achieve their dreams -- and medical office managers and recruiters are ready to hire them. Employment is not limited by location, gender, race, religion, or even disability. Recruiters and employers everywhere are in constant need for more, and better qualified staff to serve patients and clients; this includes medical assistants, whose job it is to make sure that health care providers can fully focus their time on their work directly with patients.


What Do the Statistics Show?Medical assisting is an interesting and rewarding occupation. About 6 out of 10 worked in offices of physicians; about 14 percent worked in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The rest worked mostly in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, other ambulatory health care services, State and local government agencies, employment services, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities. Medical assisting is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004-14 period.


What About Late Bloomers?
A vast number of today's medical assistants joining the workforce are older and more career minded than those of even a few years ago. Their average age is between 25-38 years and up. Some medical assistant students are as old as in their late forties and fifties and are doing very well.

These so called late bloomers have very specific career goals and they see job-related training or college as a way to fulfill them no matter what the real and imagined obstacles might be. When it comes to medical assistants their age plays no role at all.

To learn more about educational requirements, and practical tips for handling emergencies, and proper documentation visit Medical Assistant Net on the Web. There is lots of additional "scope of practice for medical assistants" info at that web site.

I Feel Like I Wasted my Time

Most Medical Assistant Program Graduates Get Frustrated When They Do Not Find a Job Right Away...

One frustrated Medical Assistant student let off some steam and posted on our Medical Assistant Web Forum that she is tired of seeing medical assistants being hired right off the street, while she cannot land a job anywhere with her training. She says: "I feel like I wasted my time... how 'bout you?"

------------------ The Project:
With my curiosity sparked, I did go ahead and spent a good amount of time on looking into whether "MAs are getting hired right off the street". Since I found the statement a little bit off, I REALLY wanted to know whether that was indeed so. I know that if I WERE A DOCTOR, I would not want to jeopardize my reputation, and licence, nor quality of services by hiring someone off the street to take care of my patients (and business).

All right, I admit, that a little under three hours of research will NOT EVEN CLOSELY speak for every doctor in the entire United States, however, based on what I have seen I dare to refute the assertion that properly educated and trained medical assistants have a huge disadvantage over their untrained counter parts walking the streets.

My simple research focused on the following three main areas:

1.) Job offers on the Internet (Monster & CareerBuilder)
2.) Job offers in the local newspaper (Last week Saturday & Sunday, and Wednesday)
3.) And a quick trip to FutureWorks Career Center


------------------ The Result:

I have seen thousands of Medical Assistant job offers in all disciplines posted for places in every state.

Rarely did they NOT ask for at least the medical assistant diploma, and experience, but most were looking for certified medical assistant.

One ad that remotely can be understood as mildly indicating that there is a chance to get the job without specific qualification, but offering a chance to may be work your way up eventually as a medical assistant was worded as follows:

Front Desk Staff Person
Company: Ozog Eye Care
Description: Front Desk Staff Person

Front desk person needed for fast paced Ophthalmic practice. Must be dependable, detail oriented, able to multi-task and organized. Patience and compassion in a patient setting required. Answering of multi-phone lines, scheduling, chart preparation, knowledge and entry of patient insurance billing information. F/T, M-F, Benefits available. Salary DOE. Mail resume to:1417 9th St South #100Great Falls, MT 59405Source - Great Falls Tribune - Great Falls, MT


------------------ My Comments:
I was very pleased to find that MANY of the advertised jobs NOW OFFER benefit and bonus packages to the medical assistants! Although the hourly wages still range close to what they were 5-7 years ago, benefits and bonuses were HARDLY EVER offered to medical assistants back then.

So, I was really glad to see what I hope is the beginning of a new trend and employer's realization of the value of their medical assistant staff. If a medical assistant can earn $12 PLUS benefits, that's a big step up.

All in all, I did not find any evidence that recruiters, and employers seek to hire medical assistants off the street to train them themselves. As a matter of fact, I believe the trend is indeed the exact opposite.

The U.S. Department of Labor has predicted year after year and continues to do so:
Employment in health care will continue to grow for several reasons. The number of people in older age groups, with much greater than average health care needs, will grow faster than the total population between 2004 and 2014; as a result, the demand for health care will increase.As the largest industry in 2004, health care provided 13.5 million jobs—13.1 million jobs for wage and salary workers and about 411,000 jobs for the self-employed.

8 out of 20 occupations projected to grow the fastest are in health care.

More new wage and salary jobs—about 19 percent, or 3.6 million—created between 2004 and 2014 will be in health care than in any other industry.


------------------ Sources & References:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Office of Occupational Statistics
Medical Assistant/Healthcare Jobs

CareerBuilder.com
Medical Assistant/Healthcare Jobs