Each generation takes the knowledge and skills it has and does its best to pass those on to the next generation. This occurs especially in trade schools, where hands-on learning is very much the focus. Your instructors in trade school will spend less time lecturing, and more time actually showing you how to do the work. You'll leave each day feeling like you actually improved your skills and honed your talents. This rings true whether you're studying to be an electrician, a farrier, or a diesel mechanic. Learn more about the merits of trade school and its teaching approaches in the articles provided here.
There are lots of different ways to work in the medical field, which continues to grow and is expected to continue that growth into the foreseeable future. One way to get into the medical field is by becoming a medical assistant.
A medical assistant helps with office medical tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing medical records. A medical assistant also helps with patient care, doing things such as taking vital signs, and drawing blood. Medical assistants are an important part of the medical field and work in all types of medical settings, from hospitals to private practices to nursing homes.
There are a few different paths one can take to become a medical assistant, depending on the rules in your particular state.
On-The-Job Training
In some states, you can go through on-the-job training, where you take on a job and learn as you are working.
For this type of training, you usually just need a high school diploma or GED. Many on-the-job training programs will help you prepare for an exam that you can take in order to formally become a medical assistant. This type of on-the-job training is similar to an apprenticeship program.
Associate Degree
You can also become a medical assistant by obtaining your associate's degree. It takes most people between a year and a half to two years in order to get an associate dree as a medical assistant.
With an associate degree program, you will need to take some general education classes in subjects such as writing and math, and you will also have to take subject-specific courses that will teach you all about medical coding and bills and the administrative side of things.
You will also take human anatomy classes and learn about how to take care of the patients you interact with.
Technical Program
You can also enroll in a technical program, where you will focus on learning the specific things you need to learn to be a medical assistant. You will not have to take general education courses that don't relate to your training like you do with an associate's degree.
Technical programs are offered through technical and vocational schools, and there are a variety of online programs you can complete. These programs can usually be completed within a year, with you earning a medical assistant certification through the taking of an exam at the end of the program.
If you want to get involved in the medical field, consider starting out as a medical assistant. You can become a medical assistant through on-the-job training, by obtaining an associate's degree, or by completing a technical program.