It is advisable to complete a medical assisting program to ensure advancement in this career.
Medical assistant training programs generally last from nine to 24 months.
After this time you will be granted a certificate or an associate's degree.
The programs are devised for the student to gain job-related skills.
This includes basic sciences, medical procedures and the terminology required for this job.
The programs are offered at trade schools, career colleges as well as health care institutes.
Most of these programs cover both clinical and clerical aspects of the career, although there are programs available for either one or the other.
The courses vary depending on the school one attends.
Typical subjects include medical terminology, minor clinical procedures, anatomy and physiology, as well as skills like medical transcription and bookkeeping.
Those who have taken similar courses at high school or who have volunteered in health-care environments, will have a distinct advantage in this program.
The program will include a classroom portion where students will be involved in lectures and note-taking.
There is a laboratory portion where the students will apply the content of the subjects they take.
This will aid them to learn in a simulated clinical setting and apply their knowledge in a practical way.
The program will normally end in a clinical internship.
During this period the student is required to work in a medical environment.
They will also perform the job functions of a medical assistant.
This will be done under the supervision of a nurse or a physician.
Students can opt to get certified professionally.
This will require writing a certification test.
Eligibility for this certification requires graduation from an accredited program.