New Year New Career: Medical Administrative Assistant

New Year New Career: Medical Administrative Assistant

If you’re looking to break into the healthcare field without years of schooling, become a medical administrative assistant, also referred to as medical secretary. The need for qualified workers in healthcare is rising, and the medical administrative assistant field is no different.

When you consider the good salary, low level of education needed to enter the career, great opportunities for advancement, and stellar flexibility, it’s easy to see why U.S. News and World Report has placed medical secretary on its list of “25 Best Jobs that Don’t Require a College Degree”. It also ranked #7 in “Best Health Care Support Jobs” and landed on “The 100 Best Jobs” list.

This is a career where you will help others on a daily basis. You’ll manage the inner workings of a medical office and interact with patients to improve service and quality of care. A career in healthcare as a medical administrative assistant could be just the job for you. If you’re considering the move to healthcare, these are some of the top reasons to start training for medical assistant certification:

A medical secretary doesn’t need a lot of education to get started.

If college isn’t on your radar, that’s ok. Most medical secretary and medical administrative assistant jobs can be landed with just a high school diploma and some medical office training that can be found in online courses. You’ll learn the importance of multi-tasking to direct the flow of patients, improve office efficiency, increase revenue, and provide positive patient experiences.

Earning your Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) designation, a nationally-recognized certification offered by the National Healthcareer Association, helps you break into the field.

There will be high growth in jobs for medical administrative assistants.

The healthcare industry is growing rapidly as the population ages and new medical advances are made. This will increase the need for skilled medical administrative assistants and medical secretaries. These professionals play an important role in hospitals, doctors’ offices, outpatient care centers, and in other health practitioners’ offices, such as optometrists and chiropractors. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the employment growth in this profession will be around 23 percent by 2026 which is much faster than average. During this time, an additional 129,100 new jobs will be added!

A medical administrative assistant has great salary potential.

Along with great job stability and a low barrier to entry, a medical secretary can also earn a good salary. The median salary in the profession is just under $34,000 ($33,730 to be exact).

Top earners in the field are earning $49,730. With a little experience and your commitment to becoming a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, you can expect career advancement.

Medical administrative assistants report high satisfaction with their jobs.

You want to like the work you do, especially since you’ll be doing it every day for a long time. Most medical administrative assistants report liking their jobs. People in these jobs report a high level of flexibility. As a result, many report they have a great work-life balance and room for alternative schedules.

Medical administrative assistants also have above average opportunities to advance within the profession. Typically, they earn higher salaries with certification and added responsibilities. The job can get stressful due to the demanding and fast-paced nature of the work you will do. However, many medical administrative assistants state they have a satisfying career in healthcare.

A medical secretary performs a variety of tasks.

We already mentioned that you will manage the flow of a medical office as a medical secretary. Your specific duties will vary. This could include scheduling appointments, entering demographic and insurance information for patients, and managing check-in and check-out. Furthermore, you’ll maintain electronic medical records, assign medical codes, process insurance claims, and collect payments.

Some medical administrative assistants may even take medical histories, arrange hospitalization, and order medical supplies. Your job will never be the same two day in a row. But this makes for an exciting, fast-paced career.

Medical administrative assistants help others.

Just because you aren’t directly providing patient care doesn’t mean this career in healthcare won’t allow you to help people who are sick and hurting. You’ll often be the first person to greet a patient as they enter a facility, and it will be your job to put them at ease and start their experience in a positive way. Moreover, your work behind the scenes will also help doctors and nurses more quickly and accurately treat patients.

Make 2019 the year you finally begin a career in healthcare. Take the first step by registering for a class that will teach you the skills you’ll need to be a successful medical secretary in any type of medical office.

If you’re ready for a good salary, great growth potential, variety in your activities, and a way to help others in a job you love, resolve to make your goal of landing a job as a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant a reality.

Learn More About Certification