Learn How To Become a Certified Medical Assistant
From Enrollment To Employment
There are many ways one can become a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant. It makes sense to want a career that will supply you with a steady income while allowing you to have room from growth through a stable environment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job outlook in the occupational field of Certified Medical Assistants between the years of 2016 and 2026 will grow 29%. This rate is much faster than average and will have an employment change of 183,900 more job placements. With this heightened opportunity, it makes it easier to get on the right path and make sure you are getting the most out of a career you benefit from.
To become a Certified Medical Assistant, the first step is to get the formal training you need and to get certified. An excellent way to achieve this goal is to go straight to a professional school or a post-secondary training school. This can be done by researching schools in your area or anywhere you feel fit to travel to and attend. One option would be the Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi) located in Reseda, California. SOCHi has more recently paved the way for a flourishing Certified Medical Assistant program to supply its community with the proper training and skills to pursue the field of Medical Assistance. The following is a step by step guide that will assist you in pursuing your goal of becoming a Medical Assistant all the way from enrollment into a training program at a school like SOCHi and employment in the ever-growing field of health and wellness.
Enrollment Process
The enrollment process begins with you contacting the school and getting in touch with an admissions adviser. That adviser will then walk you through all the applications and enrollment forms once they, of course, make sure that the school is a good fit for your goals. After that, you will meet with the Financial Department and an adviser will assist you in organizing your financial obligations and looking at your best options for resolving them. Once the paperwork in the Financial Aid department is finalized, you will then officially be enrolled. You will then receive your student ID and a schedule. Just about a week before school begins, you will have an orientation in which you get the chance to meet with your program directors, classmates, and key administrators.
First Week of Class
Your first week of class is where you will begin to get acclimated. Once you are enrolled, you can officially start your learning process and bust out all your pens and notebooks. In your first week of class, you will not only begin to get to know your instructor, but you will also receive the tools needed advance in your career training. These tools include supplies such as textbooks, equipment necessary to the Medical Assistant field, your uniform, and a locker to place your belongings. At this point, you would go over your program schedule and look into what subject you are going to focus on. Once you’ve looked over your plan and began your training, you can then discover your study habits and types of learning styles that suit you best. You can even start to create study groups with some of your peers. Most importantly, it is important to remember to have fun.
Learn & Develop Your Skills
Throughout your training, you will begin to learn and develop your skills over time to master the practice of being a Medical Assistant. You will cover the basics of medical language as well as the structure and function of the human body. Paired with that knowledge, you will gain competency in the areas of administrative and clinical procedures through hands-on training. Your skills and expertise will progress increasingly throughout the program you are enrolled from. This preparation is not only for when you are out on the field, but it is also to assist you in studying for your certification exam upon program completion.
Prepare For The Workforce
Most schools you will attend have you complete a certain amount of hours of externship to solidify the hands-on training portion of your education. Medical Assistant programs will range around a 125-150 hour externship hour range. Completing hours out on an externship site is primarily an internship in which you can begin to get a taste of the professional world by working for an employer in an office. A lot of the times, students make a good impression at their externship sites, and those employers offer them positions for when they get officially certified upon finishing training.
Once those hours of service are completed, you will then sit for your exam to be a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA). You will apply through the National Center for Competency Testing here at the Southern California Health Institute, but every institution will vary regarding how they assist their students with certification. While preparing for the workforce, you will also perfect the soft skills and professionalism necessary to function in an efficient clinical setting. After all, is done, you will then meet with your career services department if you haven’t yet and finalize your path to working in a place that you love!
Graduate & Start Your New Career
Once you are all done with your formal training and the steps above you will graduate and make your friends and family proud. It would then be time to pick up your certificate and become a vital part of the world of health care. Start a career helping others optimize their health and wellness all while enjoying life.
Why wait?
The steps to becoming certified are often overlooked because they may seem intimidating. On the contrary, the process is not as complicated as people think and can fulfill one with a sense of accomplishment once they are finished. We are hoping this guide can give you that boost of confidence and knowledge that will allow you to start your journey to becoming a Medical Assistant.
Since you have been enlightened with a sense of clarity regarding the steps needed to pursue your career goals, what is stopping you? Why wait when you can contact us at Southern California Health Institute now and start your journey from enrollment to employment.