Inside Medical Assistant Careers

Biggest Surprises

"Broad Area Of Job Duties...
I was surprised to find that being a medical assistant entails several varied aspects of healthcare, depending on the facility where you are working. For instance, I've worked in billing, registration, surgery scheduling, clinical and pathology environments. When I was in college, I assumed I would work primarily in a clinical setting." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in Texas, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Medical Careers Institute in Virginia; completed Associate degree in 2009

"Wide Scope Of Practice...
People would be surprised to find out that medical assistants do a lot of work behind the scenes. For example, as a patient, you will remember the medical assistant as the one who takes your blood pressure, temperature, weight, etc but when that's over, they do more work than you realize. They do urinalysis, properly chart and document all data received during the patient encounter, check quality of vaccines, and many more important tasks." (Clinical Medical Assisting; 2013)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in California, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Boston Reed College in California; completed Certificate degree in 2010

"Time Dedication...
I was surprised at the amount of time needed to dedicate to this job. To provide the best possible care for your patients, you need to be available from dawn to dusk. Working hard has its payoffs after a while." (Clinical Research Specialist; 2013)

Career: 6 years of experience, currently based in Minnesota, male
School: Studied Biology at University Of Minnesota in Minnesota; completed Bachelor degree in 2007

"Versatility...
I was surprised by just how versatile my field is. I can work in both back office doing clinical stuff or front office doing scheduling or medical coding. I also can work in all types of doctors offices regardless of their specialty." (Certified Medical Assistant; 2014)

Career: 4 years of experience, currently based in Indiana, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Ivy Tech in Indiana; completed Associate degree in 2010

"Still Doing Lower Level Work...
I was surprised at how much front desk work that I do as a Medical Assistant. I used to be a medical receptionist prior to becoming an MA and now I do the same work in addition to taking vitals and refilling prescriptions. It is imperative to learn to communicate with your provider -- doctor, PA, ARNP -- and nurses." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

Career: 4 years of experience, currently based in Kansas, female
School: Studied Medical Assistant at Portland Community College in Oregon; completed Certificate degree in 2009

"Separate Credential Needed For Home Health Aide...
I am surprised that having a certificate for Medical Assistant does not allow include being able to work as a home health aide. I was also surprised that the level of pay is not to good." (Medical Asst.; 2013)

Career: 16 years of experience, currently based in Florida, female
School: Studied Medical Assistant at Concorde Career Institute in Florida; completed Certificate degree in 1994

"Medical Assistants Are In High Demand...
Something surprising is that the need for medical assistants is astoundingly large. Over the years, this need will continue to grow and work in this field will always be in demand." (Medical Assistant; 2014)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in Georgia, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Lanier Technical College in Georgia; completed Diploma degree in 2007

"Know Your County's Hiring Policies And Benefits...
I was surprised that in my county, the school health assistants are employed by the county health department and not the Board of Education. Most counties employ Certified Nursing Assistants through the Board of Education and are given the same benefits and income levels as the rest of the school employees." (Certified Nursing Assistant; 2013)

Career: 7 years of experience, currently based in Maryland, female
School: Studied School Health Services at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland; completed Certificate degree in 2006

"Lots Of Jobs Available...
I was surprised how easy it was to get a job. I was also surprised at how much fun the job was." (Medical Assisting; 2014)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in Minnesota, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Anoka Technical College in Minnesota; completed Associate degree in 2012

"The Need for Medical Assistants has grown astronomically here in the Valley. Every year people come from the Midwest for Arizona's winters to live here to get away from the winters in the Midwest and back east. I am very surprised at how much the need for Medical professionals picks up in the winter for the older people who swarm here yearly. It is great! Finding work is easy." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

Career: 8 years of experience, currently based in Arizona, female
School: Studied Medical Assistant at Lamson Private College in Arizona; completed Certificate degree in 2005

"I was surprised to learn that taking a course and graduating with Honors as a Medical Assistant doesn't necessarily mean you are ready to get a job. Many places would not hire me due to my lack of experience. They recommended I volunteer for 2 years, but my situation did not allow 2 years of no income." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

Career: 1 years of experience, currently based in California, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Everest College in California; completed Certificate degree in 2010

"The Difference Between Theory And Practice...
I'm a program coordinator for academic medical research and sponsored trials in patients with lupus. None of those career areas fit. I was surprised at how difference actually working on research studies is from what you learn in research design and methods courses. You learn the gold standards under perfect conditions, and in real life research things almost never go that way. There are always more variables in play than could ever be taken into account." (Program Coordinator; 2013)

Career: 6 years of experience, currently based in South Carolina, female
School: Studied Psychology at College Of Charleston in South Carolina; completed Bachelor degree in 2005

"I was surprised to find that most of what I do in the doctor's office that I work in, is the same as what Registered Nurses and LPN's do, and that people almost always refer to me as "nurse." I was surprised at the low hourly wage that medical assistants make because the national average is much higher than what I am paid where I live." (Certified Medical Assistant; 2012)

Career: 6 years of experience, female
School: Studied Medical Assisting at Technology Education College in Ohio; completed Associate degree in 2006

"I was surprised when I realized that my line of work was not as difficult as I thought it would be. I have learned so many things from being a medical assistant." (Medical Assistant; 2012)

Career: 2 years of experience, currently based in Alabama, female
School: Studied Medical Office Administration at Virginia College in Alabama; completed Associate degree in 2012

Career Background

Medical Assistant

  Salaries

Career Tips

"Get Your Foot In The Door...
In the beginning things might seem slow, but its all about getting your foot in the door. As soon as you have experience in the medical field, you will be able to have a higher paying job." (Medical Assistant; 2014)

"Look For Advancement Opportunities...
Look for opportunities for advancement. Also working in a private practice sometimes brings better opportunities for higher salaries and more responsibility." (Certified Medical Assistant; 2014)

"Focus On Pharmacology...
I would advise them to study pharmacology the most. You will need to know how to pronounce medications as well as what they do." (Medical Assisting; 2014)

"Following Your State And County Guidelines...
If you chose to work in School health services be prepared to work with parents from different cultures and beliefs. Not all parents may agree with your health treatments so make sure that you always follow your state and county policies." (Certified Nursing Assistant; 2013)

"Treat Your Education And Internship Like A Job...
Absorb as much information as you can and work towards getting a good internship site. Your internship is crucial - take it seriously and apply all the skills you've learned. Don't "phone it in", because that employer might potentially hire a superb worker." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

"Go Beyond The Basics...
If you want to work in the field of medicine, do not limit yourself to courses that only qualifies you to do the basics. Take nursing classes" (Medical Asst.; 2013)

"Take Phlebotomy Class...
Take a phlebotomy and EKG class. Doctors/providers prefer a medical assistant who is well-rounded and can perform many tasks." (Clinical Medical Assisting; 2013)

"Stay Flexible...
Be ready to work extensively to a flexible schedule since it changes often. You cannot predict how your workday will go from one day to the next." (Clinical Research Specialist; 2013)

"Being An Organized, Flexible, Multitasker...
The best thing you can do is learn how to manage lots of information, responsibilities, and job duties as efficiently as possible with the ability to re-prioritize what needs to happen at any given time. This kind of work requires mental flexibility to adapt to the ever changing demands of the job. You may be in clinic with patients one day and have three extra patients show up, or you could have to enter data all day, or you could be responding to data queries, and then asked to do a study visit at the last moment." (Program Coordinator; 2013)

"Good Place To Start But Them Shoot Higher...
I would recommend using Medical Assisting as a stepping stone career into RN, MD/DO, PA, or PT. The pay is not that great and you are really looked down upon by some people. There are many job opportunities though and it is a great way to learn about various fields and to discover if health care is really a good career choice for you." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

"Community College Is The Way To Go...
Don't go to a Vocational school if you can avoid it. Instead, go to a community college. It costs less and is more recognized by Employers." (Medical Assistant; 2013)

"Draw Blood...
Be sure to study Phlebotomy in addition to your specialty. Most practices need an onsite Medical Professional to be able to take a good blood draw and it ups your ability to make more in your field." (Medical Assistant; 2013)