Reasons for Earning an Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting
An associate's degree in medical assisting will prepare students to work with doctors and other medical professionals in a physician's office or hospital. Medical assistants do everything from running tests on patients to organizing patient files. They often screen patients before the doctor sees them. An associate's degree in medical assisting is not only an avenue to pursuing a career in the field of healthcare, but is an excellent way for a student to determine how much more training he or she wants in the medical field. A student may continue on and become a medical specialist assistant and become qualified to administer additional tests. Medical assistants can also enroll in medical or nursing school to become a doctor or nurse, respectively.
Career Related Information
Occupational Outlook for Medical Assistants
The field of medical assisting, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov, is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations through 2014. The bureau advises these professionals receive as much specialized training as possible to boost their compensation potential.
Salary Information for Medical Assistants
The salary for medical specialists is modest. The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the median average salary of these professionals to be $20,650. However, if one becomes a specialist within the field, he or she can expect to make nearly double that amount.
Degree Specifics
Typical Courses for a Medical Assisting Associate Degree
A good medical assisting associate degree program will give the student a broad-based education in subjects such as science, math and the social sciences. In addition, students will take in the classroom and hands-on training in medical assisting. The curriculum for medical assisting may typically includes the following:
- Pharmacology
- Computers and Applications
- Administration for Medical Assistants
- Anatomy and physiology
- Communications
- Medical terminology
- Lab procedures
- Medical technology
Skills Obtained in a Medical Assisting Associate Degree
Students pursuing a medical assisting degree will learn many skills that will help them day-to-day at work. Many of these skills are cross-industry and will serve them well no matter what career path they find themselves on. These skills include:
- Medical principles
- Communication skills
- Critical-thinking skills
- Decision-making skills
- Business skills
- Organizational skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Computer skills
- Sterilizing technical skills
- Transcription skills
- Office skills
- Exam room procedural skills
- Laboratory skills
