According to the chancellor, Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) provides students with college-level preparation for more than 80 careers. According to the BRCC website, two of these careers are medical assistant and registered nurse. While both professions work in healthcare settings these programs differ in terms of wages, educational requirements, and advance opportunities. By examining these factors, we can gain a better understanding of the unique contributions each profession makes in the healthcare industry.
According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, registered nurses earn a median salary of $61,274, which is slightly higher than the median of $27,834 for medical assistants. Students in the medical assistant program are prepared
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Both the medical assisting and nursing program at BRCC require a brief college education, but the number of course hours vary greatly. The medical assisting program requires only 24 course hours to become certified, whereas the nursing program requires72 course hours. While medical assistants can earn a good living wage, nurses can earn $33,440 more per year on average. Nurses are paid more based on more extensive education and training because of this significant difference in earnings, it is worthwhile to consider the additional courses required to become a nurse. An additional 48 course hours are required for a medical assistant who wishes to advance their career and become a registered nurse. To meet the requirements a medical assessment student must complete three semester credit hours. While this may appear to be a lot of work, the impact on salary and opportunities for advancement could be …show more content…
While both professions offer fulfilling careers in the healthcare industry, there are significant differences in wages, educational requirements, and advancement opportunities. Registered nurses earn a median salary of $61,274, which is substantially higher than the median salary of medical assistants. Additionally, the nursing program requires 72 course hours, compared to just 24 for the medical assistant program. However, medical assistants can advance their careers by pursuing additional education and training, such as becoming a registered nurse or pursuing a bachelor's degree in fields such as radiology technology, medical billing and coding, or nursing. For those who choose to become registered nurses, there are even more opportunities for career advancement, such as becoming a nurse practitioner or nurse manager. Ultimately, the healthcare field offers limitless opportunities for growth and development, making it an excellent choice for those seeking a fulfilling
To become a Health Care Assistant you do not need to have a high school diploma or a pass job but you can still take online classes to excel your knowledge in that certain field. A Home Care Assistant makes at least $21,830 per year.
Professional credentialing is required throughout the health care field for pertinent positions that require intricate decision making, it is verified they have the proven knowledge and are competent to perform their duties. The Medical Assistant (MA) credentialing consists of becoming a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) obtained from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) or attaining a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification from the American Medical Technologist (AMT). The eligibility requirements for credentialing are as follows. Upon completing The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or The Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) accredited medical assisting program,
Internship Most physician assistant programs require anywhere between 500-1,000 hours of shadowing a physician assistant and direct patient contact. Direct patient contact can be considered to be working or volunteering as an EMT, Medical Assistant, Medical Scribe, Nurse, Nursing Assistant, etc. In order to fulfill these requirements, I will be taking a Nursing Assistant course over this summer to receive my certification to begin working towards the hours I will need to apply to a program. Once I am a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), I plan on shadowing physician assistants over the summer from different specialties.
Becoming a medical assistant is also perfect for those who want to work in healthcare but don’t want to spend several years in college obtaining a medical or nursing degree. You can become a medical assistant in less than a year. Jumpstarting your new career quickly isn’t the only benefit of becoming a medical assistant. This exciting fast-paced career is packed with positives. In-Demand Career Medical assisting is a great career path for those seeking job security.
There is not one element, but rather a confluence of factors that is driving the healthcare field to grow so fast. Some of the factors driving the increased demand include, the physician assistant shortage and cost effectiveness. Students recognize this trend and pursue careers in healthcare by enrolling in healthcare programs. For physician assistants specifically, the demand is very high due to the fact that physicians cannot be produced fast enough. Due to the lack of physicians, ?
Firstly, prospective students need to complete the prerequisite courses required by physician assistant programs. According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, some of the required courses include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and organic chemistry. Most physician assistant schools will also require previous patient care hours for admissions. The number of patient care hours required may vary based on the program. There are many ways to acquire patient care hours.
This role also involves collecting and documenting patient history information, taking vitals, and preparing patients for a variety of exams by a provider (Premier Nursing Academy, 2023). Certified medical assistants can also be on the administrative side of things. Verifying insurance coverage, processing payments, and organizing patient records would all be something they would do. “A typical day on the job for me would consist of signing off on medication, drawing different labs, working with doctors, and tending to patients' medical needs” ( S. Moodie, personal communication, February 13, 2023). Certified Medical Assistants can work 5 days a week 8 hours at a time or in some cases 3 days a week 12 hours at a time (Registered Nursing, 2021).
Medical assistants learn both administrative and clinical skills, making them versatile and valuable employees. According to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA), medical assistants are trained to work in various healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and private practices. They learn medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical law and ethics, pharmacology, and clinical procedures. This broad knowledge base prepares medical assistants to work in different departments, including dermatology, cardiology, pediatrics, and obstetrics.
Health Profession Education and Career Plan Report Medical Assistants are responsible for providing clinical and administrative roles in the healthcare settings, with most working in medical offices or a hospital setting. They support doctors and patients through a variety of tasks related to patient care management, organization and communication. Most MA’s complete formal education at post-secondary institutions, such as vocational schools, technical institutes, community or junior colleges, or online educational programs. MA training programs most commonly lead to a certificate or a diploma, which can take 9 to 12 months
Lyric James05/16/18/Certification, Licensure and Scope of PracticeWhen learning to become a medical assistant you have to go to school for a certain amount of time. If you choose to go to Remington College the program is twelve months and then you take your certification test through the NHA. After you take your test and past you are now certify as a license medical assistant. You can apply at hospitals, Dr. Office, walk in clinics and etc. As a medical assistant you are require to do certain job duties.
Acceptance rates for medical school are higher than for PA school. “Only 33% of applicants were accepted to PA schools in 2016-17, whereas 41% of applicants were accepted to MD schools” (2). Due to such a competitive application process, I’ve already started building my resume. A very important part of your application is patient care hours. Many schools require around 1,500 hours of healthcare experience to grant an applicant admission.
Working in the medical field are many responsibilities that comes with this career. Medical assistant by law to work in the medical field are not require to be certified. Many medical facility’s requires certified medical assistant today because employers what some form of medical assistant certification and experience. The eligibility for medical assistant certifications required some graduate degree in a medical training programs in order to be able to carry some specific duties in some states, in order to draw blood, EKG, and x-rays that will require to have a certification in which this is accredited either by ABHES or it can be by CAAHEP. CMA stands for Certified Medical Assistant, and it’s awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistant (AAMA).
Becoming an Anesthesia Assistant would allow me to work as a healthcare professional, help people in their time of need, and have an increasingly dynamic career. I know that my attention to detail, creativity, and critical thinking capacity developed over years working in the medical field make me an ideal candidate for the Master’s of Medical Science in Anesthesiologist Assistant program at Emory University. As my life progresses, I have created a desire for a profession that offers a varied assortment of opportunities. I find it gratifying to have a career that is not only rewarding for caring for surgical patients, but also the attraction of a career that is a life long learning process. The attractiveness of a career with different possibilities and education expansion is energizing and motivational.
The courses cover anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, as well as typing, transcription, recordkeeping, accounting, and insurance processing. Students also learn laboratory techniques, clinical diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical principles, the
After completing your education as a medical assistant and you qualify for national certification as a medical assistant, the certifying organizations require successful completion of continuing education credits within a certain time frame to maintain active Medical Assistant certification. Flexible Schedules Another benefit of working as a medical assistant is choosing between part-time or full-time work. For those who thrive on having a stable schedule with predictable hours, many MAs work in clinics that operate during standard business hours. This can be a big plus for working parents with kids in school or childcare. A predictable daytime schedule has perks, like not being called to work in the middle of the night or getting pulled away from your child’s weekend soccer game to cover a shift.