Medical Assisting Concentration
Medical assistants are highly valued as multiskilled practitioners able to perform a variety of duties, both administrative and clinical, in medical settings. The Medical Assisting concentration within the Medical Office Management associate degree program prepares you to perform basic administrative skills, including scheduling appointments, telephone communication, medical records, medical terminology, billing and insurance coding as well as clinical skills such as preparing patients for exams, taking vital signs, assisting in various procedures and performing basic laboratory tests.
What can I do with this degree?
Employment opportunities exist in a variety of health care settings including:
- Private physician practices
- Immediate care offices
- Group practices
- Family medicine centers
Job Outlook
According to the U.S. Department of Labor and Industry, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the health care industry expands because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. In fact, medical assistants is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004–14 period.
Employment growth will be driven by the increase in the number of group practices, clinics and other health care facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel, particularly the flexible medical assistant who can handle both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, a rapidly growing sector of the health care industry.
In view of the preference of many health care employers for trained personnel, job prospects should be best for medical assistants with formal training or experience, particularly for those with certification. Mercyhurst North East is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs in conjunction with the American Association of Medical Assistance. Our graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assistant Exam offered by the AAMA Certifying Board in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners.
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