How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More
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perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
[extra href=”#example” title=”The Helper” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”People with this personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.”]The Helper[/extra]
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Post-Secondary Certificate
One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become Medical Assistants or what courses do I need to take.
We also asked Medical Assistants what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.
| Medical Office Assistant |
| Medical Reception |
| Medical Insurance Coding Specialist |
| Medical Administrative, Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary |
| Medical or Clinical Assistant |
Medical assistants typically graduate from postsecondary education programs, and employers may prefer to hire assistants who have completed these programs. Programs for medical assisting are available from community colleges, vocational schools, technical schools, and universities and take about 1 year to complete. These programs usually lead to a certificate or diploma.
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Featured Schools
You may need some previous work-related skill, knowledge or experience to be a Medical Assistant. For example, an electrician must complete three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Careers in this difficulty category will usually need 1 or 2 years of on-the-job training and informal training with experienced workers. These careers usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Similar careers include hydroelectric production managers, travel agents, electricians, court reporters, and medical assistants.
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Medical assistants are not required to be certified. However, employers prefer to hire certified assistants. Several organizations offer certification. Some require the assistant to pass an exam, and others require graduation from an accredited program. In most cases, an applicant must be at least 18 years old before applying for certification.
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We asked other Medical Assistants if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.
| 1. | [icon type=”fire” style=”color: #B1090F; margin-right: 5px;”] Speaking [extra href=”#example” title=”Speaking” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Talking to others to convey information effectively.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 2. | Reading Comprehension [extra href=”#example” title=”Reading Comprehension” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 3. | Active Listening [extra href=”#example” title=”Active Listening” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 4. | Social Perceptiveness [extra href=”#example” title=”Social Perceptiveness” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 5. | Monitoring [extra href=”#example” title=”Monitoring” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
[icon type=”fire” style=”color: #B1090F;”] = Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for
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Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. Medical Assistants are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.
| 1. | [icon type=”fire” style=”color: #B1090F; margin-right: 5px;”] Customer and Personal Service [extra href=”#example” title=”Customer and Personal Service” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 2. | Medicine and Dentistry [extra href=”#example” title=”Medicine and Dentistry” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 3. | English Language [extra href=”#example” title=”English Language” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 4. | Clerical [extra href=”#example” title=”Clerical” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
| 5. | Computers and Electronics [extra href=”#example” title=”Computers and Electronics” info=”popover” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.” style=”font-size: 12px; float: right; margin-left: 5px;”]what does this mean[/extra] |
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| [icon type=”home”] | Summary |
| [icon type=”list-ul”] | Job Description |
| [icon type=”dollar”] | Salary |
| [icon type=”graduation-cap”] | Requirements (You are here) |
| [icon type=”heart”] | Quiz |
Related to Medical Assistants Requirements
Medical Assistants requirements, how to become Medical Assistants, degree required to be a Medical Assistant, Medical Assistants license and certifications, majors to be a Medical Assistant, is it hard to become a Medical Assistant and how long does it take