October 16th – 20th is National Medical Assistant Recognition Week!

Each year, National Medical Assistants Recognition Week (MARWeek) is observed during the third week of October. Also, National Medical Assisting Day falls on the Wednesday of that week. At Modern Technology School, Medical Assisting is the core of our school and Diagnostic Healthcare programs. Furthermore, if you caught our latest interview with Adam Cooper, XT, who is an X-Ray Instructor/Radiation Safety Officer at our school, then you know that in order to be a good X-Ray Technician, you’ve got to be a great Medical Assistant. The MA is the heartbeat of Healthcare in America and there are many great career options for medical assistants.

Medical assistants provide support to physicians and other clinic professionals. They handle many jobs, both clinical and administrative (where the terms front & back-office come from).  Jobs can vary, depending on the type of clinic or facility an MA is working at. However, Medical Assistants are at the core of the clinic’s front-lines:

“We’re a small clinic; I’m the only full-time medical provider, so my two medical assistants are central our operation, from check-in to discharge. I couldn’t function administratively or clinically without them. Their attention to detail when registering patients, strong versatility with clinical skills, and ability to explain things to patients in ways they truly understand are invaluable. To say they multitask is an understatement. Best of all, I can always count on my medical assistants to provide empathetic care to our patients.”

–Madonna Ferris, RN, FNP, BC (Health Center Mgr, Jefferson City, Missouri)

Modern Technology School Promotes Transitions & Career Options for Medical Assistants

On Medical Assistant’s Recognition Week, Modern Technology School wants to take time to thank our MA professionals for their service and hard work. We also want to make ensure that people know there are some great career options for medical assistants. The core of the medical assisting profession relies upon working with clinical staff, physicians and patients. Some of their job duties include preparing and scheduling patient appointments, performing injections & venipuncture, recording vital signs, assisting the physician during exams, collecting/prepping lab specimens as well as recording patients’ medical histories.

Something that doesn’t get discussed often are all of the career options for medical assistants. While medical assisting is a solid career choice within Healthcare, and isn’t going anywhere, it also provides you with many options for transition. Moreover, Healthcare professionals love working with people who started as medical assistants because they know you’ve got a great foundation. But learning the basics is just part of the profession. As a medical assistant, you also get a great tool-kit for professional patient care. You also learn all of the ins-and-outs of interacting with patients and the clinical staff. This is important as you begin to think about transitioning into other roles within the Healthcare ecosystem.

Let’s explore some of the other career options for medical assistants…

Career Options for Medical Assistants – What’s Out There?

Because Healthcare is one of those few multi-dimensional fields, where there are many career options for medical assistants. Starting as a medical assistant gives you a wide range of places you can both begin and end your journey. Some of these career options for medical assistants include becoming a clinical team leader, clinic manager, medical records mgr, transcription manager, back-office clerk, executive healthcare assistant, or working in corporate administration.

There are also several medical specialties which you can delve into when exploring career options for medical assistants. Some of these areas of focus may require some additional certification, while others are experience-based. When you meet a medical assistant who has an area of focus or specialty they’ve spent their life cultivating, it’s usually based on where they work — the type of clinic they’ve spent most of their time at. For instance, some of these clinical specialties include:

  • Podiatry: Assist with splints, casts, non-threatening surgeries
  • Chiropractic: assist with front/back office, set appointments, maintain insurance docs, patient care
  • Ophthalmology: handle diagnostics, assist with eye treatment, administer medicine, minor surgery assistance
  • OB/GYN: help physician with women’s health procedures; certification via AAMA is often required by employers
  • Pediatrics: assist pediatricians provide care to infants and children (both front & back office roles)
  • Medical Billing: focus in either hospital or ambulatory coding; work with Medicare
  • Executive/Administrative: work with clinical managers, medical staff and physicians in an office setting

Career Options for Medical Assistants: Transition to X-Ray Technician

For many medical assistants, the transition to X-Ray Technician simply makes sense. Moreover, it’s a great opportunity to take the knowledge you’ve earned as a medical assistant and put it towards enhancing your career as an X-Ray Technician. X-Ray Technicians earn a great living and have steady workflow with plenty of options for further advancement. For the most recent X-Ray Technician salary in California check with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or contact the school.

The X-Ray Technician Program at Modern Technology School cross-trains you as a Medical Assistant. This is very unique, and we do this for several important reasons:

  • Receive a solid medical foundation for building blocks in Healthcare
  • Learn the fundamentals of Healthcare and Professional Patient Care
  • Possibility for more opportunities and are more attractive to employers
  • Provide employers with a Healthcare professional they can depend on and grow with
  • You’ve got different career options and pathways available

For current medical assistants, we also offer a 9-month X-Ray Technician class, also know as our X-Ray Only class. This program allows you to take your existing medical assisting training and apply it toward becoming an X-Ray Technician. When it comes to career options for medical assistants, this is by far one of the best out there. Furthermore, the x-ray technician classes are held evenings in Orange County, CA, which lets you keep your job as a medical assistant throughout the course of your training, up until the clinical internship portion.

Modern Technology School Offers Great Career Options for Medical Assistants

Our ACCSC accredited Healthcare school offers programs which are all-inclusive, meaning you receive everything as part of your tuition and training. You also receive actual clinical internship hours — you’ll be placed in a clinic and work alongside seasoned X-Ray Technicians, many of whom graduated from Modern Technology School and have been in your shoes. Transitioning into an X-Ray Technician role isn’t a small feat, but it’s an option for medical assistants who want more out of their Diagnostic Healthcare careers. We’re proud to offer current medical assistants more options for growth, as well as better job stability, especially in a short 9-month X-Ray Tech course.

Modern Technology School has been here since 1981 and we’ve been making an impact on the lives of medical assisting professionals ever since. Our transitional X-Ray Technician Program a fast-paced option for career advancement. Our onsite Job Placement Assistance & Career Center which is dedicated to our students’ career goals, helping with everything from resumes & cover letters to interviews and onsite meet-and-greets with Healthcare employers. Furthermore, we offer Financial Aid to those that qualify, and accept the Veterans/GI Bill.

Included in the cost of your tuition are books, scrubs and all prerequisite classes. Most importantly, our instructors teach with passion. We keep class sizes small in order to increase focus and interaction. You also work hands-on with instructors within our X-Ray labs. We’ve been blessed with a hard-working faculty that genuinely cares about our students’ success.

Call Modern Technology School to Advance Your Medical Assisting Career Today!

Becoming an X-Ray Tech is one of the best career options for medical assistants in California. Our streamlined X-Ray Technician Program will ease you into a role as an x-ray machine operator and help you transition from MA to X-Ray Tech with ease. Our Orange County Healthcare School is accessible by many major freeways; we serve all of Southern California. Call our friendly Admissions Advisor today and get the scoop on how to make the transition from Medical Assistant to X-Ray Technician today!

We’re here to answer all of your questions and walk you through the process. Curious about financial aid or how job placement works? Wondering about what other career options for medical assistants are out there? We’d love to answer all of your questions and give you a tour of our OC Healthcare School campus. Remember that while there are literally dozens of career options out there for medical assistants, becoming an X-Ray Technician in just 9 months will offer you the biggest value and bang for your buck… especially at a school like Modern Technology School!

Keep in mind that as an X-Ray Technician, you also have other career pathways and options as well, as illustrated in this article!

Call Us to Get Started Today – We’ll Get Your Questions Answered!

Call (714) 418-9100 or Fill Out the Green Contact Form!

 

*To read more stories from Healthcare professionals celebrating National Medical Assistants Recognition Week visit the American Association of Medical Assistants. Don’t forget to use hashtag #MARWeek and #MedicalAssistantsRecognitionDay on social media! Also make sure to follow Modern Technology School using the links at the bottom-right of the page!