Medical Assistant Courses: An Online Answer to Your Job Woes

According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), to be a successful medical assistant you must be:

• interested in helping people
• fascinated by medicine and science
• able to multi-task

Does that describe you? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the need for medical assistants is going to increase 52% by 2014. By taking home learning courses, you could be qualified to fill one of the many open positions in as few as three months. If you've got a very busy home or work schedule, it might take you up to a year to finish your online training. Your online courses will teach you:

• anatomy and physiology
• medical terminology
• how to take vital statistics
• how to record medical histories
• medical computer applications

The courses you'll take are well suited to home learning and many programs are self-paced, which means that you can do the work as quickly or as slowly as you need to. Other programs might have web chats and other assignments that need to be completed in a certain timeframe, as with traditional classes held on a campus.

Online Training for a Career in Caring

The BLS reports that the median salary for a medical assistant is about $24,000 per year. In addition to a steady salary and an opportunity to help others, a job as a medical assistant involves a lot of variety. You can work at a hospital, medical clinic or individual doctor's office. In your home learning courses, you'll learn techniques for keeping a medical office running smoothly.
Working as a medical assistant provides a rare opportunity to combine your ability to put people at ease with stability and a good salary.
Sources:
American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Elizabeth Armentor is a writer and editor living in San Marcos, Texas.