As a medical assistant, you have the opportunity to work directly with patients, play an active role in community health, and manage several aspects of a clinic’s operations. What’s more, MAs now play a pivotal role in the healthcare system, meaning that choosing this profession can grant you a great salary and financial security.
But what if you are looking for a career path that will allow you to develop professionally? Medical assisting offers this too! With no shortage of career advancement options, becoming a medical assistant is the first step of a successful career journey in healthcare.
Managing the Medical or Clinical Office
If you have successfully gained your MA diploma or certification and you love your job, you don’t need to switch to another field to enjoy a higher salary or greater responsibilities.
Becoming the manager of a medical or clinical office allows you to focus on the administrative side of healthcare, hone your managerial skills, lead a team of medical assistants, and support the primary medical staff. Some of your key responsibilities will include monitoring budget and billing, managing office supplies, and developing office policies.
Pro tip: If you have decided to go back to school to access managerial roles within your clinical office, remember to start studying as early as possible and ask for help when needed!
Seeking Continuing Education in a Specialty
Another great option to advance your career as a medical assistant is to pursue continuing education in a certain specialty.
Depending on whether you prefer to work in the clinical or administrative side of medical assisting, gaining specialist knowledge in a specific field can be an extremely rewarding way to access higher salaries and greater perks.
Some of the most lucrative specialties worth considering as your next career step include:
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Medical Administrative Assistant
- Transcription specialist
- Electrocardiogram (EKG) or Cardiology technician
- Holter monitor specialist
- Podiatry
- Phlebotomy
- Ophthalmology
- Obstetrics/Gynecology Specialist
- Pediatric Medical Assistant
- Chiropractic Medical Assistant
Taking On a Leadership Role
If you have a managerial flair and are experienced in leading teams, you might consider the benefits of becoming a medical assistant supervisor or manager.
This role mainly consists in managing the medical assistants working in specific healthcare settings, such as within a hospital, clinic, or laboratory. For this role, you will need to undergo separate training courses and hone your leadership skills.
Becoming a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
If you have successfully completed your medical assistant training and externship, you might be able to immediately kickstart your career by taking the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.
This exam allows you to specialize in clinical tasks rather than administrative ones and is a great solution for those candidates who prefer to work directly with patients and medical staff.
If you are looking to take this exam, consider choosing a training provider that is internationally accredited and based in the location where you wish to work.
For example, if you wish to take advantage of the higher medical assistant salaries offered in Jersey City and Newark, choosing a medical assistant program in New Jersey can help you build a network of connections and complete your externships in the best clinical settings the state offers.
Training Other Medical Assistants
If you have always loved teaching and sharing your knowledge with others, becoming a medical assistant trainer or tutor can be endlessly rewarding.
While you might need to share your time at work between clinical settings and the classroom, choosing this career path will allow you to work with the top medical assisting schools in the country and assist new talents as they prepare to enter the workforce.
Advancing to RN
If your dream is to become a Registered Nurse (RN), obtaining an MA diploma is a great starting point.
However, once you have gained the necessary skills, experience, and knowledge to be a successful RN, you might consider attending an accredited nursing program and taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
And, don’t forget that, even if you have your dream job, a career in healthcare will require youtube to continue studying, training, and investing in yourself!
