How To Become A Medical Administrative Assistant – UMA’s Health Blog deals with information on the intersection of health, education and employment. Our contributors are familiar with a wide range of professional development, professional advancement, health sector-specific topics, and education topics.
Do you want to pursue a career in the medical field but don’t want to commit to years of medical school? Do you want to make a difference in patients’ lives, but prefer office work to hands-on care?
How To Become A Medical Administrative Assistant
Medical administrative assistants are often the first face a patient meets during a healthcare visit and help keep the healthcare system running smoothly. Read on to learn more about what a healthcare administrative assistant does, what the work environment is like, what an assistant can expect, and what it takes to become one.
Administrative Assistant Job Requirements In Canada
Medical administrative assistants work at the intersection of customer service and healthcare, providing support to patients and colleagues alike.
It can be rewarding work and help keep the healthcare world going. Most offices would struggle without an organized assistant to ensure daily operations run smoothly!
This professional can perform a variety of clerical duties, from greeting and checking patients in when they walk in the office door to working behind the scenes with patient files and computer programs.
Keep in mind that pay for this type of work varies depending on where you live, where you work, what type of work you do, and your experience.
Medical Administrative Assistant Career Info
The US According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the mean (median) salary for medical secretaries and administrative assistants is $35,870 per year or $17.25 per hour. The top 10% in this field can earn more than $50,340 in annual income.
Most assistants work full-time in an office environment. Their exact role depends largely on the specific workplace; For example, a medical administrative assistant working in a busy emergency department may have a very different experience than one working in private practice.
In large departments, especially emergency or intensive care units, assistants must be prepared to act quickly and perform well under pressure when accepting critical cases. On the other hand, private practices are quieter and allow for more personal interaction with patients.
Hospitals require around-the-clock staffing, so medical administrative assistants may work day, evening, or night shifts on weekdays and/or weekends. In contrast, private practices and clinics often only open during regular business hours, which means workers usually have weekends and holidays.
Top 6 Reasons To Become A Medical Assistant Infographic
While medical administrative assistants in hospitals and large clinics often have more specialized roles, such as admissions and scheduling or recordkeeping and billing, those in private practice may experience more of an “all-hands-on” philosophy because they have fewer employees. have On staff.. Because of this, office-based medical administrative assistants can perform tasks that are usually left to a medical coding and billing specialist.
Because of this, when considering your future as a medical administrative assistant, it’s important to consider the type of work you want to do on a daily basis. Do you thrive under pressure? Are you a night owl who wants to work night shift? Or would you prefer a more relaxed environment with normal working hours?
According to the BLS, employment of health secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow 22% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the national average for all occupations.
According to the BLS, this is largely due to the aging of the baby boomer population, which will continue to increase demand for preventive health services, chronic disease care, and treatment of falls and other injuries. This means doctors and hospitals will need more staff to manage the flow of patients and health data.
Is A Medical Assistant And A Medical Admin Assistant The Same?
You may be able to improve your employment prospects by obtaining certification and experience in electronic health records and billing systems.
Looking at the days in the life of a medical administrative assistant, what skills can help a candidate stand out from the crowd?
Because this role involves clerical work in a healthcare setting, the best assistants excel at administrative tasks and have specialized knowledge of healthcare.
Like most administrative assistants, professionals in this role require excellent office skills, which may include:
How To Become A Medical Assistant
You will also need to have excellent organizational skills as you will often be multi-tasking while keeping up with everyone’s schedule. This can include everything from data entry and invoicing to meetings and front desk operations.
For example, you may be responsible for scheduling a patient’s appointment at a doctor’s office or planning a hospital admission.
You may also be responsible for ensuring that medical records are accurate and up-to-date, which requires careful attention when recording or transcribing a patient’s medical history.
Some medical administrative assistants handle billing, which means you’ll need to process insurance claims, negotiate co-payments, resolve billing issues, and advocate for your patients with insurance companies.
Medical Administrative Assistant
Receptionists and admissions assistants often spend most of their time working directly with patients. As such, you must use a combination of customer service skills and a reassuring manner to reassure and reassure those dealing with a medical emergency or difficult diagnosis.
On the one hand, you must explain medical information, instructions and procedures to patients in a clear, informative and non-technical manner. But you may need to support or comfort difficult or distressed patients.
You must maintain strict patient confidentiality at all stages of the process to ensure your employer complies with federal and state laws and regulations.
In summary, this position requires a combination of people skills and a detail-oriented mindset, as well as the ability to multitask with consistent empathy and patience. Must be able to problem solve and prioritize independently and be highly adaptable to manage changing priorities in emergency situations.
How To Become Administrative Medical Assistant
In other words, you must be able to provide the comfort your patients need while working with the efficiency your supervising physician, nurse or office manager needs to keep things running smoothly.
The good news is that the entry requirements for medical administrative assistants are not as time-consuming as those for physicians, nurse practitioners, and other medical practitioners. Some employers may only require a high school diploma and are willing to train medical administrative assistants for the job.
However, if the local job market is more competitive, or if you want to prepare for a position with more responsibility, you can enroll in a post-secondary education program to train you as a medical administrative assistant.
You have few options to prepare your career in this field. Some community colleges and medical schools offer two-year programs that lead to an associate’s degree. Alternatively, if you’re eager to start your career and want to train in as little time as possible, consider enrolling in a certificate or diploma program that you can complete in a year.
Administrative Assistant Job Description: Salary, Skills, & More
Your curriculum typically includes classes in medical terminology, computers, medical law and ethics, diagnostic and procedural coding, and medical billing. If you earn an associate’s degree, you’ll also take general education courses like math, science, and communications.
After completing your training, you may want to upgrade your qualifications by obtaining an industry certification, such as the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) offered by the National Healthcare Association (NHA).
Once you have your qualifications, you can add them to your CV and start applying for jobs.
Are you ready to start your career as a Medical Administrative Assistant? Ultimate Medical Academy can help you get started on the right path with an online medical administrative assistant degree or associate degree that will also prepare you for the CMAA exam.
Certified Medical Administrative Assistant With Medical Billing And Coding (vouchers Included)
If you’re just starting the process, visit our admissions page to learn how to begin your training and certification preparation today.
The views expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ultimate Medical Academy.
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How To Become A Medical Assistant As A Premed — Shemmassian Academic Consulting
Kelsey Tressler is an award-winning author and journalist with years of experience in the health and education fields. He has contributed to dozens of journals, publications and blogs and specializes in providing well-researched and thought-provoking content. Medical administrative assistants play a valuable role in any healthcare team, often performing a variety of organizational tasks that facilitate patient flow. . 100%
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