As Summer ends, why not START your new career?

Is the Medical field an exciting career?

Figuring out what type of career you want to pursue is not an easy decision. It’s important to take a lot of things into consideration. If you’re thinking about a career in the medical field, you should consider the advantages it offers. Consider some of the awesome things about working in the medical field.

You’ll Be in Demand

Certain jobs in the medical field, such as Medical Assistants Home Health Aides, and nurses, are in high demand in different parts of the country. It’s nice to know when you graduate; you have a strong job market to go into.

Stability

The world may change but there will likely always be medical jobs. Unfortunately, for the foreseeable future, there will continue to be illness and disease, which means there is a need for healthcare professionals. In addition, a change in the economy does not affect medical jobs in the same way it affects other fields.

Meeting Interesting People

Many jobs in the medical field, such as Medical Assistants, Therapists, and Nurses involve patient care. As a healthcare professional, you’ll have the chance to meet all types of people in various situations. If you’re a people person, a healthcare career might be for you!

Make an Impact

If you’re looking for a job where you can help people and make an impact, healthcare is a good choice. From helping bring a baby into the world to treating patients, medical workers make a difference every day.

Think you might have what it takes, but are 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.

Conact Allen School today to learn more.

Medical Assistant Qualities

Medical assistants perform many important tasks in the course of their day-to-day work, including recording medical histories, measuring vital signs, giving injections, preparing blood for laboratory study, helping physicians with physical examinations and scheduling patient appointments. Depending upon the specialty, they might have other responsibilities as well.

Important traits of a medical assistant

In order to do well in this fast-paced position, applicants must have certain important characteristics that ensure they can keep up with the steady workload, respect the privacy concerns of patients and display a firm grasp of the many responsibilities the job entails. If you have the following qualities of a good medical assistant, you might find that this job is a perfect fit for you.

Grace under pressure. Work in a physician’s office can be fast-paced, with numerous patients waiting to be seen, many calls to make, lab results to check, and other responsibilities that keep you running. This job requires the kind of person who is cool under stress, who can handle a serious workload, and can change quickly as the situation dictates.

Attention to detail. In any medical profession, serious attention to detail is very important — in fact, it could mean the difference between a healthy patient and a bad outcome. Every little detail matters; this fact cannot be stressed enough. If you are the type who makes sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed, being a medical assistant could be the right fit.

Excellent problem-solving skills. Critical thinking is absolutely necessary when dealing with patients, physicians, other office staff, and the day-to-day work that requires you to figure things out quickly. It might be as simple as ordering the proper amount of supplies, or it might be as complex as figuring out what is wrong with a patient — why are their vital signs off the chart? The more analytical you are, the better you might do in this position.

Independence. Physicians are busy. They don’t have time to hold your hand. That means that you must be able to see what needs to be done and do it, without having to wait for permission or instruction. Independence in this role means that you are ready to step up and do your job without asking a lot of questions, and you can take charge in a situation where a leader is needed.

Good communication. Since you will be in regular contact with patients and a variety of health care professionals, being able to get your point across clearly and quickly makes a big difference in how smoothly things go for everyone. Excellent communication skills are an absolute must when you work in a job that requires you to be in contact with a wide variety of individuals with very different needs.

Thinking on your feet. Things move fast in the medical world, and sometimes you must be ready to make changes at a moment’s notice. This is especially true when you are dealing with patients who might be very sick. Thinking clearly and being able to make changes in mid-stride means that you can handle the challenges of those who are very ill.

Social savvy. As a medical assistant, you are part of a team that works with patients — and with each other. Just as with any other job, sometimes personalities rub the wrong way and people just don’t get along. It is very important to recognize social issues in the office setting, adjust as best you can, and head off problems before they become bigger.

Integrity. Medical assistants are constantly working with patients and their medical histories, and sometimes those histories can contain sensitive information. It is vitally important to be honest and trustworthy in every aspect of your job, but especially when handling privacy concerns. Be an upstanding person of impeccable integrity, and others will notice and respect that.

Compassion and empathy. As a medical assistant, you might work with patients who are going through a very difficult time. Sometimes, you might be right there with them when the doctor delivers bad news. At that life-changing moment, simply listening to them, holding their hand, and keeping your own emotions appropriate for the situation becomes the most important part of your job. In order to work as a medical assistant, you absolutely must have compassion and empathy for what someone else is going through.

Working as a medical assistant can be a very fulfilling job, and it might also open doors to other exciting opportunities in the health care field. Do you have the necessary medical assistant characteristics to do a great turn in this job? Do you think you have what it takes to become a medical assistant?  If so, contact the Allen School today! We are currently enrolling for our summer classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about a rewarding career as a medical assistant.

-Allen School

Why Medical Assisting May Be a Better Choice for You

If you’re searching for a healthcare career that goes beyond drawing blood, and where there’s greater job opportunity for fresh graduates, it’s worthwhile considering enrolling in a medical assisting training program. There is so much versatility in the skills of medical assisting,

Medical assistants check in and prepare patients for the doctor; take patient’s medical history; perform vitals and EKGs, administer injections; undertake suture removal and dressing changes; answer phones; schedule patient appointments; provide patient education and explanation of treatment procedures; and assist the doctor in office procedures.

Graduating from a medical assisting program that offers medical assisting, phlebotomy, and EKG certifications makes you a highly sought-after and competitive job candidate.

Unlike phlebotomy employers, hospitals and physicians’ offices seeking to hire medical assistants are usually open to hiring fresh medical assistant graduates with only their externship experience boosting their resume work history.

Which Healthcare Training Is Going to Provide You with the Career You Want?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that medical assisting occupation in 2016 consisted of 634,400 jobs nationally, much higher than for phlebotomists at 122,700 jobs. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the medical assistant job market having 29% growth, much faster than the average (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm). With this kind of job market, does training to become a medical assistant make more sense to you? If you’re considering a phlebotomy career because of the shortness of the course, realize a quicker healthcare training course doesn’t necessarily mean quicker healthcare employment. Other hiring factors are in play. As with any career, there’s no such thing as an overnight success. And often the more work you put into an endeavor, the greater the rewards (or outcome). Is it a good time to ask yourself: which healthcare training is going to provide you with the healthcare career you want? The choice is yours.

Do you think you have what it takes to become a medical assistant?  If so, contact the Allen School today! We are currently enrolling for our summer classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about a rewarding career as a medical assistant.

-Allen School

Medical Assistant Career Advancement Benefits

Medical assisting is a solid career choice in a field expected to grow at an astounding 29 percent through 2026. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm. There should be no shortage of jobs for those looking to work in this career, but what do medical assistants have to gain by advancing their careers? There are several reasons, but the number one reason, not surprisingly is to increase earnings.

• Higher Pay

As with most careers, the more advanced the work, the higher the pay. Medical Assistants who advance their career through specialized expertise, additional classes and more targeted training may be more likely to get that coveted pay raise.

• Better Job Security

One of the woes of staying in an entry-level job while not increasing skills is that workers may be more likely to be downsized or replaced. But those who have made a point of advancing their career through greater knowledge and skills can become quite valuable to employers, who may then make a point of keeping them on the payroll.

• Broader Skill Set

Learning new skills isn’t just about job security and higher pay – it’s about patient satisfaction, and that translates into recognition from employers and coworkers. That broader skill set can hold a medical assistant in good standing as they look into other careers in healthcare. For instance, someone who wants to be a nurse can learn a great deal of hands-on skills while working as a medical assistant.

• More Prestige

Turning to specialized training to advance medical assistant careers can mean that in the end, the person who has the widest variety of training is more in-demand. The prestige that comes from being able to handle various patient populations can change an entry-level medical assistant into a must-hire advanced candidate.

• Wider Career Options

Medical assistant careers aren’t limited to physician’s offices or hospitals. Those who have significant training in a particular field can move into more challenging careers, such as office management, or clinics that support a particular population or focus on a particular illness or medical issue.

Do you think you have what it takes to become a medical assistant?  If so, contact the Allen School today! We are currently enrolling for our summer classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family.  Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about a rewarding career as a medical assistant.

-Allen School

Public and private hospitals, the VA, clinics, retirement homes, specialty providers — the scope of the healthcare world can be overwhelming, but that’s exactly what makes it a viable industry in which to pursue a career. These facilities are staffed with far more than doctors and nurses. With countless professionals carrying out endless duties in the office and during medical procedures, it can be hard to determine exactly what role best matches your skills.

If you know you enjoy working directly with patients without spending eight years in college to become a licensed physician, then it’s possible you’ve thought about working as a Medical Assistant. Depending on what program you enroll in, you could begin making an impact in the healthcare field in less than one year. While you know Medical Assistant job duties match your abilities and passions, there’s still one concern on your mind: Where do Medical Assistants work?

The good news is that there are tons of places you could work. When you’ve completed your Medical Assistant courses, you can begin searching for an employer in the setting that feels best for you. Here are five environments you could find yourself working as a Medical Assistant:

• Clinics — Easily the most common employers of Medical Assistants are health clinics. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm#tab-3) about half of all Medical Assistants work in this sort of environment. For the most part, the duties at a clinic are usually predictable regarding hours and specific tasks. Many of these facilities have set hours of operation and are not as likely to be open on weekends or major holidays as some businesses might. But, of course, not all clinics function in the same way, and there’s truly no typical medical assistant day. Many clinics focus on specialties like optometry, podiatry, or neurology, while others address family practice and internal medicine.
• Primary care facilities — Another common place medical assistant work is in hospitals and private practices. In these facilities, medical assistants help doctors, nurses, and other staff members with administrative and clinical tasks, which are numerous in these types of office settings. Given that doctors’ offices and urgent care clinics can be located almost anywhere in the U.S., and hospitals are just as easy to find, medical assistant jobs are available all over the nation. This will give you more mobility and flexibility in where you live and work since your abilities are needed everywhere.
• Medical labs — All worthwhile medical assistant programs involve tutorials in collecting or processing lab specimens. This basic skill is required by many clinics before you can handle blood samples or other lab specimens, but another benefit is that this skill is beneficial for work as a lab assistant. Universities that conduct research studies rely on medical assistants to aid their faculty and scientists with the experiments conducted in the lab. Many corporations also carry out medical research and development, which presents additional hiring opportunities.
• Chiropractors’ offices — Chiropractic offices often need to employ medical assistants since they essentially function like other types of medical practices. Even though their services are specialized, these offices create the need for administrative duties well suited for medical assistants. Any interest or history you have with chiropractic medicine could give you a distinct advantage over other applicants for this role.
• Retirement communities — The aging Baby Boomer population is going to keep the need for medical assistants at nursing/retirement homes at an all-time high. Nursing homes and other senior care facilities often offer health care services as part of their amenities. Many retirement communities operate more like neighborhoods where senior citizens comfortably enjoy their golden years with medical care services close at hand.

Once you embark on your externship, you’ll have a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the places you’re qualified to work. And when you finish your medical assistant program it’s time to job hunt, you can find an opportunity in a hospital, clinic, or other office setting that’s ideal for you! 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 externships 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 our summer classes.  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 of Health Services

Benefits of becoming a Medical Assistant

If you’re looking to start your career in the healthcare sector, why not consider a career as a medical assistant?  With quick training periods, competitive salaries, dependable job growth, and fast-paced working environments, medical assistant training is an excellent route for people who are fresh to healthcare or who already have hands-on experience.

1. Get into the Job Market Fast

Between an undergraduate degree, medical school, and residency, it can take surgeons more than 15 years to obtain their full licenses. On the other hand, most medical assistant courses take less than a year before you can work in a professional setting. While there are no formal requirements to work as a medical assistant, most employers prefer applicants who have attended and graduated from an accredited medical assistant program. Completing a certified medical assistant program is often a requirement to get hired.

2. This Is a Career That Makes a Difference

Well-trained and professional medical assistants make a huge difference in a patient’s hospital or clinic experience. From administering medicine to helping patients navigate insurance policies to preparing patients for examinations, many professional medical assistants find their work incredibly rewarding.  Medical assistants often mention their wide range of patient-facing responsibilities as a reason why they’re proud to be part of this field.

3. Training Options Are Flexible

Multiple options for medical assistant programs exist throughout the country.  In many cases you’ll be able to fit classes around your schedule. This offers many students the flexibility and opportunities to raise their family, hold a job, or attend extra classes while completing their medical assistant training.

4.  Learn with Exciting and Applicable Classes

Medical assistants are healthcare professionals who work between administration and treatment. During medical assistant training, students will study patient care, anatomy, sterilization techniques, and basic pharmacology.

5. There Isn’t One Standard Work Day

The medical assistant job description is so varied that it’s impossible for your shifts to be boring! Medical assistants are trained to perform a wide range of duties and are required to step in where they’re needed the most. On any day, you could be speaking with an insurance agency, drawing blood, managing the front desk or helping take patient’s vital signs. The job itself teaches you a valuable set of skills, including flexibility, analytical thinking, and the ability to work effectively within a team.

6. Different Working Environments

Some people like the fast pace of a surgical ward, general medical hospital, or trauma center. Others may prefer the quiet setting of a private physician’s office. Smaller practices tend to rely on their medical assistants to handle both administrative and clinical duties, while medical assistants at larger practices and hospitals tend to focus on one or the other. Outpatient care centers, community health clinics, dental practices, and assisted living facilities also require medical assistants to provide quality care. Whichever you choose, if you’re a desirable candidate, you’ll have the flexibility of choosing one that best fits your personality and needs. 

7. A Great Start into the Medical Industry

In the medical world, experimenting with different career paths is a high stakes game. Training as a nurse or a doctor takes incredible time and effort, and it is not unheard of for these medical professionals to later discover that their chosen field wasn’t the best fit. Why not start with a job that allows you to experience a wide range of aspects within healthcare? Medical assistants have an unbelievable vantage point which enables them to quickly learn whether patient care or medical administration is more their speed. Many go back to school to gain their nursing degrees or choose another specialty in the medical field.  If you are ready for more responsibility, many medical assistants move onto careers like sonography, nursing, and hospital management.

Think you might have what it takes, but are afraid to ask? Take part in one of our career planning sessions and discover the many healthcare paths available to you. Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our summer classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

-Allen School