Holiday Gift Ideas for The Medical Assistant Student in Your Life

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1. Personalized Stethoscope

When you think of a Medical Assistant, what are the first things that comes to mind? Scrubs, a clinic and … a stethoscope! The stethoscope is an iconic gift, and there’s no doubt your MA student will be using one; so why not get it personalized? Personalization ensures no one else will take it from them and it’s something they can use for years to come!

2. Writing Utensils

Medical Assistants do a lot of writing from charting your blood pressure to writing down your symptoms so they will need pens that last! Their pen should be black or blue and have grips for added comfort. Try a nice ballpoint or rollerball pen. If you want to add on to this gift idea, throw in some stationary. While Medical Assistants may not write patient information on there, they can use it to jot down notes as they answer phones or take notes on their internship.

3. Soap and Cleaning Products

Medical Assistants encounter all kinds of germs and diseases every day. For the student in your life who is beginning clinicals, a gift of luxurious soap could be the answer to killing those germs while also moisturizing their over-washed hands. You could always add this to a spa-themed gift basket of bath products or spa Gift Card to help your student unwind and relax.

4. Homemade Medical Assistant Gift

If the holiday season is putting a strain on your budget, have no fear! Everyone appreciates a homemade gift, and a Medical Assistant is no exception. Create an MA student “survival kit” with their favorite food, coffee, lotion, hand sanitizer, and anything else you can think of! They will love the creativity and thoughtfulness of this gift.

Now that you have a list of gifts for the Medical Assistant in our life, why not give back to your future healthcare worker! Are you a Medical Assistant? This is your chance to give us some ideas. Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allen_school/ and leave your comments.

If you want to be a Medical Assistant or want to learn more, contact the Allen School today! Classes are starting soon. We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family! Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

Personality Traits for Successful Medical Assistants

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As a Medical Assistant, you are an important and versatile member of the healthcare team. While performing a variety of clinical and administrative duties, Medical Assistants are in constant communication with patients, doctors, and nurses. This is a career where you can bring your personality to work!

Put Your People Skills to Work:

Medical Assistants often work directly with patients. Because of this, you will need a whole set of skills related to customer service and what is loosely known as “bedside manner.” You will need to explain medical instructions and information in a clear, non-technical way and be able to receive, interview, and sometimes triage patients. You’ll also need to remain calm and supportive with distressed or difficult patients. Fluency in a second or third language is helpful and of course, you’ll have to maintain confidentiality

Being personable, upbeat, and positive can make a difference as a Medical Assistant. Your personality and how you handle patient care can make a difference to them and their loved ones. Be respectful to anyone and everyone.

Communication skills:

Among the most important qualities of a medical assistant are communication skills, which are the basic characteristics of this profession. An MA should listen to the patient without interrupting them as they explain their concerns but at the same time, still ask appropriate questions when needed. Communication skills involve clearly narrating any vital instructions given by the doctor to each patient as well. These are some diplomatic ways to obtain essential information from patients to help the physician treat them efficiently.

Stay Organized:

Whether you’re keeping office areas and exam rooms clean or patient information and medical records organized, you’ll rely on your organizational skills every day as a Medical Assistant. Staying organized is essential to providing a good patient experience.

Handling stress:

A physician’s office or a hospital is full of activity. This type of workplace can make a Medical Assistant feel a bit stressed out if things get a bit unorganized. With lots of administrative and clinical duties to perform every day, getting centered can prove very helpful. At times, all these work-related stresses can contribute to confusion and anxiety so a Medical Assistant should have the capability to overcome daily stresses.

Reliability

A Medical Assistant is expected to be a reliable person: The physician, healthcare group associates and the incoming patients depend on them which is why as a Medical Assistant you should be punctual, career-focused and value the conventional code of behavior.

Honesty

Among the many Medical Assistant traits, ‘honesty is the best policy’ for this lifetime career. The personal information that a medical assistant collects must be maintained confidentially in a healthcare setting. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a confidentiality rule that requires vigilance and care to maintain a patient’s information. Every Medical Assistant will be introduced to circumstances where they need to prove their ethical and moral characteristics on a daily basis, hence, honesty is an important quality to becoming a professional Medical Assistant.

Willpower and Politeness

Sometimes, there is an urge to react in response to a physician who is bursting with questions or to a distressed patient who is in a lot of pain. It’s for this reason that having strong willpower towards your personal feelings in a health care environment while remaining polite, is the unique trait that is necessary for you as a good professional.

Are you ready for a new career in healthcare? The Allen School of Health Sciences is enrolling now for classes starting soon! To find out more, contact the Allen School today! Visit www.allenschool.edu  We look forward to you becoming part of the Allen School family.

Article updated November 2024

What Are Some of the Challenges of Being a Medical Assistant?

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Working in the healthcare field can be emotionally and physically challenging, but it can also be incredibly rewarding and satisfying! While you decide on a new career, why not learn more about the role of a Medical Assistant?

Challenges of Being a Medical Assistant:

A Medical Assistant is a healthcare team member that can work both the front office as well as the back office at any medical clinic. From electronic health records to injections and blood draws, MAs are invaluable to a successful medical clinic. Outside of the day-to-day responsibilities, the most difficult parts of being an MA are related to the unexpected clinical and administrative “emergencies” that can arise during a shift. It is important to remember, however, that these situations can seem much more stressful to the untrained eye than they are to a medical professional. In other words, after finishing the Allen School of Health Sciences Medical Assisting training program, you will have the necessary skills to get you through your workday. There are some trying situations that a Medical Assistant will encounter. Her are a few:

  • Difficult Patients: Medical Assistants interact with many patients each day, and not all those patients will be pleasant. A patient will experience any range of emotions, so as the first, and sometimes last person they see at their appointment, Medical Assistants can face the brunt of their frustration, anxiety, or stress. Even in these unpleasant situations, an MA must maintain their professionalism and exhibit patience.
  • Medical Emergencies: The most common types of emergencies in a doctor’s office are asthma attacks, seizures, and cardiac arrest. These situations can be scary, but as a Medical Assistant, you’ll have the training and confidence to assist with any office medical emergency that presents itself.
  • Emotional Closeness: Medical Assistants often build close relationships with regular patients. Because of this, it can be extremely hard when a patient receives upsetting news or passes away after a long fight with a disease. However, Medical Assistants also have responsibility to other patients and will need to stay professional and composed throughout the workday because all of your patients need you.

The bottom line: Medical assisting can be a challenging career. Can it be stressful? Sure. Is it so stressful that you should pursue another line of work? Absolutely not.

Find out more about a career as a Medical Assistant at the Allen Schooling of Health Sciences. We are currently enrolling for classes starting soon. www.allenschool.edu

Can I Learn Phlebotomy at the Allen School of Health Sciences?

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Medical testing is often required to diagnose a patient. One of the most common tests performed by a Medical Assistant is a blood test. Blood tests can check for a wide range of conditions such as thyroid disorders, complete blood count totals, liver function, and kidney function. In some cases, a condition isn’t necessarily seen or felt by the patient until a blood test confirms that it is present. This is where the Medical Assistant and their phlebotomy skills come in handy. It is their job to draw the blood of patients who require routine blood testing as well as handle a wide range of other medical tests to keep the patient healthy.

What is Phlebotomy?

Phlebotomy is a procedure in which a medical professional draws blood from a patient for testing. Most blood draws are done via venipuncture; This requires either a Vacutainer that contains a syringe and holder for the test tube or a butterfly syringe which is ideal for thinner or hard-to-reach veins. Blood cultures are done similarly to all other phlebotomy procedures, but a larger tube or bottle is used to collect a larger portion of blood. Blood cultures are required if a patient is thought to have septicemia or bacteremia.

Medical Assistants Process in Working with Patients.

One of a Medical Assistant’s duties is to provide care to patients who need phlebotomy testing performed. First, the doctor will order the required test for the patient. It is the Medical Assistant’s job to know which tubes are needed to perform the blood draw. For example, a CBC (complete blood count) requires a purple tube, and an SST (red with gold top) is needed for testing of thyroid conditions and other illnesses. Once the order has been placed and the vials chosen, the Medical Assistant will need to label all the vials to ensure that the patient’s information is valid and easy to read after the blood draw.

A Medical Assistant needs to wear proper protective equipment to protect both themself and the patient. This includes a fresh pair of gloves, lab coat and protective gloves. Next, they need to make the patient comfortable, educate them on the procedure, give each patient at least five minutes to fully relax and understand what is going to be done, and ask the patient if they are well-hydrated to ensure that proper blood flow is assured.

By using a tourniquet and the proper syringe with the vial, the Medical Assistant will locate a vein via palpitation and draw the blood. It’s very important to ask the patient if they are comfortable or if they feel faint. Next, a major step is to remove the tourniquet before taking out the needle from the patient’s arm to prevent blood spurting. After the blood draw, the Medical Assistant will then cover the wound with a clean piece of gauze and skin-safe paper or plastic tape.

Above all, your job as a Medical Assistant is about patient care. If you become a Medical Assistant who wants to be more involved in direct medical care, then having the knowledge and skill set of hands-on training in phlebotomy will give you the opportunity for more medically involved procedures, as well as the chance to work with patients during those procedures.

 If you are interested in becoming a Medical Assistant and want to learn more, contact the Allen School of Health Sciences today! The Allen School teaches phlebotomy in a 50-hour theory and clinical based lab class as part of our Medical Assistant program curriculum.We are enrolling for classes now! www.allenschool.edu

What to wear to a Medical Assistant interview

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You don’t get a second chance at a first impression, and at job interviews, first impressions are vitally important. In just an hour, employers will get an idea of who you are, what your work ethic is, and whether you’ll fit their team, and it all comes down to how you carry yourself, and how you look.

One of the most important aspects of job interviews is looking the part, and dressing in a manner that makes you look like the competent, professional person you are, and someone your potential employer would be proud to have in their workforce. Remember to dress for the job you want.

Here are some tips on how:

Appearance

First off, it’s important to be clean and fresh overall. Make sure there are no visible stains or tears on your clothing, and that you’ve showered before the interview. Make sure your hair is well-brushed and in place. For an interview at a health facility, one of the best strategies is to go for business or business casual. For men, this can mean a full three-piece suit, or at the very least, a crisp button-up and tie. For women, this can mean a pant or skirt suit, or a dress with a conservative neck and hemline. Your hem should be no shorter than knee-length. Go for neutral colors like black, grey or navy. Avoid flashy colors or patterns. For jewelry, go for studs or small hoops with a small, non-distracting gem, or a tasteful chain and small pendant.

What to Avoid

Stay away from heavy colognes or perfumes. You want to smell clean, but avoid smelling like a department store! For ladies, a bit of makeup will make you appear fresh and well-groomed, however, stay away from the outrageous lip and eye colors that are more suited for a night out. Neutral shades like peach and tan will give you the perk you need. If you have removable facial jewelry, it might be best to take it out for the interview process. Make sure to cover any outlandish tattoos, if possible. Avoid jeans, sneakers, flip-flops, overly high heels and t-shirts at all costs, for these are all overly casual and will not give your interviewer a good impression.

Interviewing properly is the first step to a promising career in the healthcare field, and the first step to a successful interview is looking the part. When you look your best, you’ll feel your best, and be able to answer all questions with confidence and ease, and prove that you’ll be a valuable member of any facility you interview with!

How to manage stress as a Medical Assistant!

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How to manage stress as a Medical Assistant!

Stress at any job is inevitable. In healthcare, you could come across all sorts of stressful situations. For instance, you may encounter a person who has a severe disease, or disability. You may deal with patients coming from diverse cultures or work with new technology; have a demanding workload, or even combat the continuing need for creative problem-solving.

Medical Assistants’ tasks are obviously coupled with uneasy challenges and that is the reason why they are also prone to stress. We all know that stress can cause symptoms to arise both physically and emotionally. To cope with stress at work, here are some excellent tips:

Arrive early

  • Review the patient charts for the day; notice any special problems or needs.
  • Be sure that each exam room is well-equipped and ready for patients.

Personal care

  • Get plenty of rest.
  • Exercise and eat balanced meals.
  • Dress appropriately. Clothing or shoes that are too tight cause stress.

Laugh

  • Learn to laugh at life’s little problems.
  • Laugh at yourself.
  • Establish an appropriate level of humor with other members of the staff.

Music/Color/Light

  • Soft background music has been proven to soothe and promote relaxation.
  • Use color and light to create a calm atmosphere

Breaks

  • Build morning and afternoon breaks into the schedule, even if only five or ten minutes.
  • Close the office during the lunch hour, and if possible, leave the facility.

Work smarter, not harder

  • Prioritize tasks
  • Do not procrastinate
  • Be motivated
  • Be a team player but also learn to work independently
  • Plan your work, then work your plan
  • Positive thoughts plus positive action are equal to positive results.
  • Never panic. Take every situation as an opportunity for you to show that you can handle challenges and make things happen in a positive way.

Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our fall classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

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Medical Assistant Internship Expectations

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The Allen School of Health Sciences has an internship component that can set you apart from the crowd. We offer an 11- week internship which provides our students with 275 hours of clinical based training. You can learn a lot in the classroom, but you can’t learn everything, especially if you are studying to be a medical assistant. It’s a job that requires extensive medical knowledge as well as skills and professional attributes that can only be gained through hands-on experience. We want to prepare our students for all aspects of the job. As such, we have developed an outline of what to expect from your Medical Assistant internship.

Working under Supervision

The greatest benefit of a medical assistant internship is the opportunity it provides to practice skills and duties while being supervised. In your classes, you’ll learn what and why medical assistants do what they do. However, the moment you apply that knowledge in the real world with real patients, even the simplest tasks like taking blood pressure can be daunting. The good news is that you are not alone.

Your supervisor will work with you closely, especially at the beginning, to ensure you remember everything you’ve learned in class. This will enable you to feel comfortable administering your duties. In addition to acting as a guide, of sorts, your supervisor may also serve as your safety net to ensure you don’t miss anything. This aspect of supervision can and should relieve a lot of pressure. It is common to feel nervous before you’ve gained your skill, practice, and habits, but a supervisor’s presence should assuage your fears.

You will also be able to observe others perform procedures that you will eventually do yourself. It’s one thing to read about medical assisting in a textbook and quite another to witness it in a working environment. The example your supervisor and others set will give you more opportunities to gain experience before you perform a task yourself.

Asking a Thousand Questions

Your medical assistant internship should be a time to unleash your curiosity. The 275 hours may be training hours, but they are also an opportunity to learn all aspects of a job from the professionals who are doing the job. In class, you will learn about best practices and may have already asked why different medical procedures are done a certain way. In your internship. you can ask the less technical questions such as “How do you help nervous patients calm down?” and “Why do we put away the files like this?”

Asking questions that interest you will make all aspects of the work more personalized and will help the answers stick.

Learning the Role

A major part of the job is all about communication. The authority with which you carry yourself and the empathy you bring to patient interactions can’t be taught in a lecture. They are skills, critical to the position, that you can only learn in your medical assistant internship. As you practice and watch the professionals around you, you’ll understand the interpersonal aspects of the work and you will excel at them. When you begin your internship, you may feel like a student. Ideally, by the time you leave, you can expect to feel like you fit the role of medical assistant.

Gaining Confidence

At the end of your internship, you can expect to feel confident in your abilities to be a medical assistant. Self-confidence is a huge part of any healthcare job. This can be challenging for educators as it cannot be learned in a textbook or seminar. Gaining confidence in your ability to perform administrative and clinical duties requires practice, real life experience, and supportive supervision. It requires, in other words, an internship. You won’t just learn how to be a medical assistant: You can become one.

At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we are committed to preparing our medical assistant students for employment as soon as they graduate. This is the reason why internships are such a critical component of our curriculum. If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, you can earn your certificate in less than a year. We are enrolling now for classes starting soon. As always, we would love to hear from you! Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about an exciting career as a Medical Assistant.

-Allen School

  Article updated November 2024.

What is a Medical Assistant?

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A Medical Assistant is a healthcare team member that can work both the front office as well as the back office of any medical clinic. From electronic health records to injections and blood draws, Medical Assistants (MA) are invaluable to a successful medical clinic. A Medical Assistant, or MA, is someone who aids doctors, typically in offices and healthcare clinics, with administrative and clinical tasks, according to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). An MA can check blood pressure, direct patients through the office, and perform a myriad of administrative tasks. Other common responsibilities of an MA include maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments, sanitizing medical equipment, and helping physicians with examinations. Let’s examine a few traits that successful MAs embody in their job:

Medical Assistants communicate with doctors, patients, and each other to keep the office or clinic functioning effectively. Medical Assistants who work more on the administrative side may serve as intermediaries between the doctor and patients or the doctor and health insurance companies.

Medical Assistants are Team Players

Medical Assistants are, in many ways, the glue that holds physicians’ offices and healthcare clinics together. With this in mind, it is important that they are team players and willing to do the work that is necessary to efficiently provide patients with the proper care. Feeding off the prior point about communication, part of being a team player is communicating with those with whom you work. Being a team player can increase synergy among you and your co-workers, in addition to the obvious advantage of completing the work required to run the office or clinic.

Medical Assistants Have Strong Attention to Detail

Paying attention to detail is another quality that successful MAs exemplify in their work. This is not limited to cases in which an MA is permitted to administer drugs to patients and need to accurately measure the dosage. It is also crucial in the maintenance of patient records, scheduling and taking vitals; to name a few other examples.

Medical Assistants Have Compassion

Compassion is another trait that successful MAs embody. Medical Assistants are often responsible for ensuring that patients are comfortable during their visit to the office or clinic. As mentioned earlier, Medical Assistants serve as a point of communication between patients and doctors. Offering compassion and understanding of a patient’s concerns can go a long way towards their overall satisfaction with medical care. Medical Assistants can take comfort, pride, and satisfaction in knowing that they helped change a patient’s life for the better.

Medical Assistants Always Have a Willingness to Learn

Medical Assistants are responsible for performing a multitude of different tasks throughout doctors’ offices and healthcare clinics. They are skilled in both clinical and administrative aspects of running an office or clinic. It is important for an MA to show the willingness to learn new skills as required by the doctors under whom they work. Changes such as new technology used in offices and clinics necessitate an MA to adapt to such updates. Being a “jack of all trades” can provide Medical Assistants with a degree of variety in the everyday happenings of their jobs. In many cases there are things within an office or clinic that an MA can help with, even though they might not be in the job description. Armed with an array of skills, Medical Assistants can work in many different realms of medicine, exploring different disciplines and discovering what they are passionate about. Medical Assistants can specialize in a certain type of medicine, instruct students who also want to be Medical Assistants or even become the office manager. Many also go back to school to expand on what they learned as an MA and land an even better job.

Launch your Medical Assistant career at the Allen School of Health Sciences! Perhaps you feel that the traits in this post describe you and you are now thinking of studying to start your career as a Medical Assistant. For prospective Medical Assistants there is one obvious choice for an accelerated training program: Allen School of Health Sciences.

The Allen School of Health Sciences Medical Assistant program thoroughly prepares you to enter the healthcare field as a Medical Assistant. The program can be completed in less than a year.

 To learn more about our health care programs and externships, contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our classes starting soon! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

Allen School of Health Sciences: Benefits of a Blended Healthcare Program

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Blended learning programs provide a safer learning environment

At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we have students complete much of their coursework at home. Only requiring in-person attendance a few times per week creates a learning environment to keep staff and students safe. With fewer students on campus at a time, the Allen School can realistically practice social distancing and ensure common areas are cleaned and disinfected properly between classes.

Blended learning also allows us to be prepared in case a COVID-19 outbreak happens again. With our blended program of combining online instruction with an interactive classroom experience in place, our school can temporarily provide fully online courses until it’s safe to return to campus.

Flipping the classroom improves comprehension

When students are more engaged in the class session, their comprehension naturally increases. Blended learning calls for what many call a “flipped classroom” approach, where students learn theory remotely and practice what they learned at home during in-person class sessions with instructors present to assist. Instead of spending the time students and instructors have together listening to a lesson, the in-person portion of blended learning is spent actively practicing skills and getting hands-on training from instructors.

Students have the flexibility to take the online portion anywhere!

In a blended learning model, students can partake in the online portion of the class and look over class materials anywhere they have internet access, enabling our students to balance schoolwork and external obligations more effectively. For adult learners especially, a sense of autonomy and control over their learning experience is essential for success.

Efficient use of instructor time

Traditional in-person courses require instructors to spend time outside of class completing administrative tasks like printing out handouts, uploading attendance data, hand-grading assignments, etc. With technology in blended learning, many of those tasks can be automated, allowing instructors to spend more time helping students comprehend material and develop their skills.

Access more students with blended learning programs

Many career college students have obligations outside of school that make it difficult for them to commute to campus every day. Prospective students interested in enrolling will look for medical programs with flexibility, giving the Allen School the ability to offer blended learning to attract a wider variety of students.

 The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering our accelerated program of blended learning. Combining online instruction with an interactive classroom experience. Classes are starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu​ to learn more.

Article updated July 2024

Why Medical Assistants love their jobs

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Why Medical Assistants love their jobs

Most people who want to work in the healthcare field likely aspire to become doctors or nurses. However, Medical Assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States. The Medical Assistant career path offers many of the same benefits as other healthcare professions, in addition to perks of its own. For those looking to enter the healthcare field, medical assisting might be a great fit. To showcase some of the reasons Medical Assistants love their jobs, a list is featured below:

Bountiful Job Outlook

Medical Assistant employment is projected to increase to 23% by the year 2028. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics attributes the projection to the increased demand for medical support staff in physicians’ offices and clinics to accommodate the number of aging baby boomers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm 

Medical Assistants are essential cogs that allow offices and clinics to operate smoothly. They facilitate the flow of patients throughout the facility and handle a variety of other clinical and administrative tasks. Doctors in all specializations need Medical Assistants to help run their offices.

Starting Work Sooner

Medical Assistants can begin working in the healthcare field sooner than students who attend nursing programs at a four-year university. Many schools offer programs that can be completed in a matter of months. The Allen School of Health Sciences offers an accelerated medical assistant program that can be completed in less than a year.

Limitless Career Paths

Medical Assistants graduate with the knowledge and experience needed to excel in the healthcare industry. They are trained in both clinical and administrative tasks that are critical to running an office or clinic.

With a vast array of skills at their disposal, Medical Assistants can explore different areas of medicine and discover what they are passionate about. Medical Assistants have the opportunity to specialize in a certain type of medicine, teach students who also want to be an MA, or even decide to go back to school to further their education.

Diverse On-the-Job Experiences

Medical Assistants are capable of performing many different tasks needed to keep any clinic or office running smooth, one of which includes treating patients. Their versatility also ensures they will not be bored on the job because there is always something they can do.

Additionally, the patients who come in to be treated and what they are seeking to be treated for, varies daily. Every day on the job is different than the one before.

Helping People

Medical Assistants help physicians run their offices, but they also provide patients with compassion and understanding while doing so. Like their fellow healthcare professionals, Medical Assistants take satisfaction in knowing they are helping patients and changing their lives for the better.

A quality education is a crucial start to a Medical Assistant’s career.  If you’re ready to pursue a successful career in the healthcare field and are interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a Medical Assistant, contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family! Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.