A career in the medical assistant field puts a student into one of today’s fastest growing careers. The ten year job forecast projects that the demand for medical assistants will grow by an astounding 31%. The projected number of job openings in this field will be 243,800. This accelerated growth rate is much higher than that predicted for other fields, even within other medical professions. Medical assistant schools in New Mexico are helping to meet the growing demand for medical assistants.
Most medical assistants are employed full time. Since some medical facilities, like emergency rooms, need medical assistants during non-traditional hours, some medical assistants may also work evenings, nights or weekends.
Someone who is interested in becoming a medical assistant should have some of these characteristics: be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and enjoy a job that offers something different every day. They should also be able to work both independently as well as cooperatively in a team situation. Prospective candidates should also be comfortable maintaining medical confidentiality. A medical assistant’s primary job is to interact with patients, so excellent inter-personal skills are a must.
A medical assistant’s job is a unique blend of clinical and administrative duties. On the clinical side, a medical assistant’s basic clinical tasks are to assist medical personnel in the healthcare setting. Each day will offer its own challenges and rewards. A medical assistant must work closely with the medical office team to provide quality patient care. A typical day may involve taking a patient’s history and vital statistics, collecting laboratory specimens as directed by the physician, and explaining physician instructions to the patient before they leave the facility. Administrative duties will involve filling out medical paperwork and proper billing and coding for insurance purposes. A medical assistant would also be responsible for cleaning and sterilizing exam rooms and equipment to ensure patient safety.
While on-the-job training is available, most medical facilities prefer to hire candidates who have already completed one of the formal medical assistant schools in New Mexico. At this time medical assistants are not required to be certified, most facilities do prefer to hire certified medical assistants. Trained and certified medical assistants find it easier to fit into a medical office than untrained assistants.
The healthcare industry is fast-moving and always evolving field. People who are attracted to the medical profession are passionate and caring individuals. Medical assistants do an important job across a wide range of specialties and healthcare settings. Contact us today if you are interested in learning more about medical assistant schools in New Mexico.
New Mexico Healthcare Organizations:
Medical Assistant Society of New Mexico: www.nmsma.org
New Mexico Hospital Association: www.nmhanet.org
Medical Assistant Programs in New Mexico
Carrington College
Locations: Albuquerque, NM
Outcome: Diploma
Pima Medical Institute
Locations: Albuquerque, NM
Outcome: Certificate
Accreditation: ABHES
Santa Fe Community College
Locations: Santa Fe, NM
Outcome: Certificate
Accreditation: CAAHEP
Vista College
Locations: Las Cruces, NM
Outcome: Diploma
Are we missing any schools? Please let us know! We aim to be the most comprehensive directory of medical assistant programs. Please send us an email at info@medicalassisting-edu.com to have a school added to our website.