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News & Info

On The Fence About Becoming A Medical Assistant? These Four Facts May Help Change Your Mind

Let’s cut to the chase. You’re here because you’re thinking about getting your Medical Assistant Certification but aren’t sure it’s the right choice for you?

Becoming a medical assistant offers a variety of career benefits and growth opportunities – including an above-average job growth rate1, opportunities for career advancement2, and a chance to learn the ins and outs of both the administrative and clinical sides of healthcare.

Still on the fence? Here are five key facts you should know before making your decision.

You will learn fundamental healthcare skills

Being a MA isn’t just about taking vitals and drawing blood – while those aspects are essential, they often accompany one of the critical parts of being a medical assistant, patient experience. As a medical assistant, you will learn administrative and clinical skills that will assist you in delivering safe, accountable, and ethical patient-centered care. Here are some of those skills:

Administrative
  • Greet patients & answer telephones
  • Schedule appointments
  • Update medical records
  • Submit insurance claims
  • Arrange laboratory services

 

Clinical
  • Preparing & assisting medical examinations
  • Recording medical histories
  • Explaining treatment procedures
  • Removing sutures and changing dressings
  • Performing basic lab tests (i.e., blood work)

 

Our courses will prepare you to sit for the National Credentialing exam

A requirement of becoming a MA is passing the certification exam. Our courses prepare you to take the National Healthcare Associations Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (NCA-CCMA) exam3. Our online coursework and preparatory training will teach you the skills you need to know to pass the CCMA exam and enter the workforce as a Certified Medical Assistant.

Working as a Medical Assistant can expand your career pathways

As a medical assistant, you must be proficient in a variety of clinical and administrative skills – expanding your opportunity for career advancement in the future and working as a MA opens the door to different career pathways in the medical field, like nursing, leadership roles like healthcare administration, or advanced nursing careers like an Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Education.

You will get firsthand training through skills labs and practicums

While learning over the computer is convenient, in-person, hands-on training helps cement procedure and refined skills. As part of our program, you will receive direct training through in-person skills labs and practicums. Designed for working professionals, our skills labs take place once per semester, taught by CMA’s or RNs. In addition to our skills labs, you must complete a 160-hour unpaid practicum where you will apply your skills in an actual patient care setting.

 

Don’t wait; start your journey to becoming a Certified Medical Assistant today

Applying to UP has never been easier.
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Citations:

  1. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  2. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  3. NHA-CCMA Certification
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