Medical assistants add invaluable aid to healthcare teams in hospitals, urgent care centers, clinics, and plenty of other healthcare facilities. With so many medical assistant specialties to choose from, you could end up working with a cardiologist, an oncologist, a pediatrician, or other types of physicians. But how are you supposed to make the right specialty choice? As a part of our commitment to your success, Prism Career Institute wants to help you work through the decision-making process. That’s why we’ve put together this quick guide that outlines different types of medical assistant specialties and the types of people who’d flourish in them.
Patient-Focused
If you value patient interaction, then consider choosing a specialty that emphasizes this element above others. For example, if you love working with children, then specializing in pediatrics would be a great option for you. Not only would it allow you to examine patients and perform routine medical tasks, like checking vitals and giving immunizations, but you would also play a key role in making young patients feel secure and comfortable. If you delight at the thought of helping children, then this specialty might be right for you.
Similarly, specializing in geriatrics would position you as a liaison between your patients and the physician. In this specialty, your duties would range from collecting lab data to checking patients’ vital signs to providing education about your facility’s services. Consider this specialty if one of your career goals is to work closely with patients, especially ones who require a high degree of care.
Medicine-Focused
Patient interaction is not the only element of an exciting medical career. For some, the practice of medicine, itself, is the most attractive part of being a medical assistant. If this sounds like you, then consider choosing a surgical specialty such as orthopedic, as well as other specialties such as allergy or pain management.
As a medical assistant specializing in orthopedic surgery, you will have many opportunities to assist orthopedic surgeons in their patient care. If you are interested in the musculoskeletal system and want to learn more about wound care, suturing, casting assisting in orthopedics, and more, then orthopedic medicine might be the specialty for you.
Another specialty that places a large emphasis on the clinical side of medicine is transplantation surgery. Under this specialization, you would assist with lab specimens and results, organ transplant procedures, patient recovery, and more. By providing the opportunity for lab as well as surgical work, this specialization is a desirable option for those who prioritize medicine in their medical assistant career.
Clerical-Focused
If you like working on computers, then taking a more administrative approach to your medical assistant career would be ideal for you. Plus, if you value both spoken and written communication, then you’d be well suited for this route. Administrative medical assistants often manage the front desks at medical facilities, facilitating the smooth operation of their entire office, allowing physicians and other medical staff to focus on providing quality care.
Making the Right Choice with Prism Career Institute
At Prism Career Institute, our commitment to our medical assistant students is to give them the tools they need to be successful in the medical field. Not only do we help our students become highly skilled medical assistants, but we also aid them during their job placement process. If you have any further questions about what specialty you should ultimately choose, contact us online or visit our locations in West Atlantic City and Cherry Hill, New Jersey.