Benefits of becoming a Medical Assistant

Tips for Single Moms Going Back to School

Going back to pursue your degree as an adult poses its own set of challenges. Going back to school when you’re a single mother can be more difficult. However, daunting it may seem, though, it’s certainly possible. With some extra planning and a bit of know-how, you can achieve the medical assistant education you need to get ahead and do it on your terms. Here’s how to make it work:

Do it on your time.

The Allen School of Health Sciences accelerated program is an advantage when your free time is at a minimum. The Allen School of Health Sciences in particular let you schedule your studies around your existing responsibilities and routine. Plus, you have the added benefit of being able to attend classes during the day or at night day or night. By scheduling your studies and schoolwork around your existing career and children’s commitments, you can reach your goals– and potentially do it sooner than you think.

Know that it takes a village.

For single mothers, it goes without saying that a support network is integral — especially when considering the prospect of returning to school. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Rally your family, friends and neighbors, whether it’s for carpooling, childcare or Internet access in a pinch. Additionally, don’t rule out your school as a source of support. The Allen School of Health Sciences dedicated enrollment advisors, faculty and staff are available to answer your questions and assist single mothers achieving their goals. All can be a great resource in terms of camaraderie, tips, encouragement and support.

Make it a family activity.

Kids are sponges when it comes to learning. And since they have homework to do, consider doing it at the same time. It’ll not only spark conversation but also set a positive example. What’s more, it’s an opportunity for you and the kids to support each other — and that’s a win-win.

Take time to recharge.

Sure, you’re Supermom, but even you have limits. Unless you give yourself permission to regroup and regain your strength and mental stamina, it’s impossible to sustain the rigorous schedule required of a juggling your life, studies and career. Besides, exhaustion makes it difficult to retain information. Although it may seem counterintuitive to take breaks and treat yourself when you’re busy taking care of everyone else, you need to — regularly and as a priority. Sometimes, that means taking an afternoon off to spend at the movies or with a good book or simply getting an extra hour of sleep. You deserve a professional position that makes it easy for you to provide for your family. If you’re ready to pursue a successful career in the healthcare field and interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a medical assistant. 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.

-Allen School

Medical Assistants Working in Hospitals:

What do medical assistants do? That depends. Particularly in hospitals, some medical assistants (MAs) work primarily in clerical settings, while others perform clinical jobs. In other hospitals, MAs do both. 

Clerical MAs

In a hospital’s clerical positions, MAs can perform many of the same tasks as those in a physician’s office, with one important difference: The specifics of a hospital MA position vary by department within most hospitals, and there is plenty of variety. Whereas one MA might be auditing medical records, another works as a unit clerk on an orthopedics floor.

Clerical and administrative tasks in a hospital are generally similar to what MA’s encounter in other medical settings. Some of these tasks include:

• Scheduling patient appointments
• Managing electronic health records (EHRs);
• Assisting with insurance claims;
• Gathering and providing information to other providers;
• Communicating with patients and families;
• Working in billing departments;
• Handling mail;
• Managing unit supplies and inventories;

Clinical MAs

What do medical assistants do in a clinical hospital setting? This, too, depends on the department where they work. Some practice in laboratory settings and rarely have patient contact. Others provide for a variety of patient care needs directly. You might see a MA working with patients in the emergency department, receiving basic information on a pediatric floor or even taking vital signs on oncology patients. Still other MAs feed less-mobile patients on a surgical step-down unit.

Hospital-based MAs normally play a more abbreviated clinical role in hospitals than in physician practices. In the latter, much of what a MA does depends on the needs of the physician he or she is assisting. In these settings, their roles are often divided between both clerical and clinical work.

Universal Tasks

Nevertheless, hospital-based MAs perform tasks that reflect the needs of their unit. Many are generic across multiple settings, but others are more specific to the hospital. The range of clinical tasks allowed by a MA varies from state to state: Some clinical tasks are off-limits to MAs practically anywhere. For example, they should never make diagnoses, administer anesthesia or inject anything intravenously. More universal MA tasks include the following:

• Administer oral medications;
• Transport patients within the hospital;
• Assist nurses as directed for a variety of needs;
• Help physical and occupational therapists;
• Take vital signs;
• Call in prescriptions to pharmacies;

Think you might have what it takes, but afraid to ask? Take part in one of our career planning sessions and discover the many healthcare pathways available to you. 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.

-Allen School

Create a ‘Why Statement’ to help fight the fear of going back to school

How do you feel about going back to school? Do you dream where it might take your career as a medical assistant?  If you fear that because you are a working, you won’t have the time or energy to go back to school. But fear has this funny way of holding us back from things that could be exceptional for us. You can think of many reasons not to take on this challenge like the additional workload, the time and energy it’ll take, and, the biggest one is the fear of failure.

How can you put these fearful thoughts aside and truly judge if it’s time for you to go back to school? School should give you something you’re missing. Why do you want to go back to school?  What is missing in your life right now that school could provide? What will furthering your education bring you? A promotion, growing your competency about the work you do, or perhaps changing your career track?  When you can articulate your reason or your “Why statement” you can use it to fight back your fear. When you begin to doubt yourself, remember your “why statement” to leave your fearful thoughts behind.

Get your support system to back you up 

There will be times when you need help with your home life responsibilities. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the extra workload think about who is your support system and how they can help you accomplish your goals? Identify what you need help with. Will you do homework at night, early mornings, or on the weekends at the library?  

Next, get your support system on board. People in your support system are people like ​your spouse, partner, parents, neighbors, kids, and friends. Share with them why you’re going back to school. Then share any areas you need help with. You’ll feel less fear knowing that your support system has your back.

Find extra time in your day

Do you feel like you won’t have enough time or energy to do homework? Then try this.  Throughout your day tomorrow make it a priority to look for small blocks of free time. Did you spend too much time surfing the net during lunch? You could do work then. 

Keep a lookout for these blocks of time where you could give up something to make room for school work. School won’t last forever and making some sacrifices will be worth it. 

It’s hard to contain excitement and anxiety over what will happen once you get that degree or certificate. But all good things come to those who wait or work hard. 

When fearful thoughts creep up when you think about going back to school, take a deep breath and put them aside. You have many options for making it work for you and you could reap some big benefits if you go for it. Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile”. If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to going back to school. 

Ready to start working towards a new career? 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.

-Allen School

Medical Assistant School in the New York Area

If you’re thinking of launching or continuing a career in Medical Assisting, you’ll need to plan out and make some important decisions regarding your MA education. In particular, you’ll need to decide where you want to receive your MA training and eventually seek employment. While a formal education is not always required to practice Medical Assisting, the completion of a standardized program will likely increase your chances of obtaining employment and advancing your career. In this exceptionally competitive field, it’s important to consider a formal education.

Typically, Medical Assistant training includes courses in anatomy, physiology, medical office management, and other related subjects. These classes can familiarize you with real-world situations and provide you with valuable experience before graduation. Overall, graduates of The Allen School of Health Sciences may have an advantage over candidates who did not complete formal training. Not only will they have an understanding of the clinical and administrative aspects of the role, but they may complete externships and accumulate experience for their resumes.

One of the most appealing aspects of Medical Assistant training is that The Allen School accelerated program can be completed within less than a year, providing graduates with a set of marketable and in-demand skills. If job security is important to you, Medical Assistant training equips students with a skillset that allows for work in a doctor’s office, hospital, clinic, retirement center, or other healthcare setting. In addition, the Allen School’s career services team can teach students how to market themselves in a competitive job market. For instance, the Allen School provides their MA graduates with career development assistance, offering access to a team of career service advisors who can assist with resume/cover letter preparation, networking, and other job search strategies. As well as job placement after graduation.

Location matters for a few different reasons. First, the campus must be located within a reasonable distance, as you might be working while you attend school. You might also have family obligations or other time constraints. Location can also make a difference for future job prospects. If you successfully graduate and aim to market yourself in the New York Area, then attending a New York area Medical Assistant program will likely strengthen your job prospects. In many fields, it is often critical to seize networking opportunities whenever possible. Doing so can get your foot in the door and allow you to develop more professional contacts.

If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, you can earn your certificate in less than a year. We are enrolling now for our fall classes.  As always, we would love to hear from you!

Contact Allen School today to learn more about an exciting career as a medical assistant.

What is a Medical Assistant?

Ask yourself what you imagine a Medical Assistant does. You will be surprised how many people get it wrong. If you expect medical assistant schooling to prepare you for changing bed pans or carrying out menial administrative tasks, your impression of this role doesn’t go deep enough.  The Clinical Medical Assistant is a true chameleon of the healthcare industry. As a group, Medical Assistants demonstrate a range of talents that involve clinical as well as administrative tasks.

Medical Assistants Wear Many Hats

Medical assistant education requirements do not mention the need to be adaptable, but this is an important asset. MAs play many different roles in their jobs. They may be required to discuss medical records with a doctor one moment, and then draw blood from a nervous patient the next moment. The language used for each of these encounters is very different – one is academic, the other emotional. A medical assistant knows that it’s just as important to care for a patient while blood samples are being taken as it is to be responsible for medical records and files. Busy and varied, this is an enthusiastic role that requires flexibility and commitment. MAs have these qualities in spades.

Medical Assistants play a vital role in their team

A doctor needs a Medical Administrative assistant like a hamburger needs fries. Medical assistant classes prepare MA’s for being one of the first faces a patient might see when arriving at a hospital or physician’s office.  The MA is responsible for checking the patient’s vital signs and preparing them for what happens next.  Equally, a doctor is reliant on the information provided by the MA. The MA’s assistance in preparing the patient or clinic is essential for the doctor to be able to start work.  In other occupations, you’ll see company directors who rely on their personal assistants to help make or break a deal, or professional athletes who count on their trainers to help them stay in the best shape possible. These types of professional duos take joint credit for their success stories. For healthcare professionals, the outcome can be life or death. Within the hospital or clinic, both roles are crucial for delivering seamless healthcare to patients.

They Have Hidden Talents on and Offline

MA’s certainly don’t need to be computer geniuses, but there is no shortage of opportunities to utilize their tech skills.  Now that patient records are electronic, healthcare workers are constantly brushing up on their IT knowledge as they go about their everyday work. Workers in medical assistant jobs use computers for all kinds of routine tasks such as scheduling appointments, bookkeeping, or dealing with insurance companies. The use of technology means records are more accurate and the person using it saves a heap of time. In the past, manual entry of patient records was laborious and would slow down the process. Today with the use of electronic medical records, the process is much more streamlined.

Some MA’s relish the use of technology to make work processes faster or more efficient, while others only use computerized systems and tools as required. Much of this kind of training can happen on the job. Using digital equipment becomes another part of the day-to-day activity, like complying with security measures or health and safety regulations. Becoming a medical assistant can mean being as much a part of a digital world as it does to deliver face-to-face, practical, and hands-on assistance.

MA’s Are Everywhere!

Medical assistant programs prepare you for the role, but the job itself can be based anywhere. This is one of the most attractive features of working as an MA. Medical assistants can work in hospitals, a doctor’s office, or in a variety of other healthcare centers. Throughout a career, it’s possible to try out different settings to find out which is the most enjoyable or challenging for you. Being able to move around easily can help with relocation issues or other practical considerations as well.  Working in a large or busy hospital will offer a very different experience from working in a small family practice. For instance, in a hospital, the staff will interact with many different people at all levels and from various walks of life. Working closely with the same group of people at a small doctor’s office lets you get to know your colleagues and patients better.  Which setting is more appropriate will depend on the individual.  Medical assistant courses and networking along the way will help to provide a taste of what each place might have in store, but freedom to choose is a powerful motivator for job seekers.

Medical Assistants Have Options

MA’s will reach many forks in the road. Often, they can take the opportunity to specialize in areas they are passionate about. This may be a lifelong passion or a growing interest during the advancement of a medical career. When certified medical assistant training is over, they may be inspired by a colleague, an establishment, or general advancements in healthcare. If they begin to suspect they’re not yet in the right role, MA’s can specialize in several different areas. Those who enjoy interaction with patients can move into patient care. For some individuals, clinical duties are more inspiring than clerical duties, but others may prefer keeping medical records or managing billing information.  For more hands-on assistants who are fascinated by drawing blood and visiting the lab, phlebotomy is a common choice.

They Set Their Schedule

Medical assistant schools welcome students from all backgrounds, which makes this a popular career choice. You will be amazed at how diverse the range of motivations that lead students to train for this career. Some students might be working towards a medical assistant certificate around full-time work, family, or another study. A young adult may have wanted to work in healthcare for as long as they can remember – this is the first step in that process. A recent high school graduate could be training alongside a seasoned office worker who wants a completely new career.  The beauty of the Allen School of Health Sciences is that there are courses that run both during the daytime and during the evening to accommodate every situation.

How long is medical assistant training?

Medical assistant training does not take as long as you might think. The Allen School’s accelerated program will take less than a year to complete. Anyone in a medical assistant training program is working towards their dream job, so you know these students are determined to get that job.

How to Become a Certified Medical Assistant

With so many MA’s working in such a variety of positions, it’s easy to forget they must all begin with the basics. Training covers a variety of things such as hospital admissions, updating records, using lab services, drawing blood, and monitoring EKG machines.

Interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a medical assistant? Ready to start a Medical Assistant Program? 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.

-Allen School