Whether you’re a medical assistant looking to step into a leadership role or looking to become an instructor to new medical assisting students, there are opportunities for all medical assistants to advance and thrive in a long-term career.
Prism Career Institute offers a comprehensive Medical Assistant training program to better prepare our students for the many career opportunities available to them. Here, we describe some of the positions you can step into or fields you can specialize in once you’re established as an entry-level medical assistant.
Lead Medical Assistant
If you’re looking to work with patients and also serve as a leader in some capacity, then a lead medical assistant may be the right fit for you. As a lead medical assistant, some of the responsibilities you’d be assuming include:
- Assisting with advanced patient care
- Liaising between office staff members and management
- Performing more advanced administrative duties
- Serving as a mentor to new colleagues
Medical Assistant Instructor
Another great opportunity you can take hold of is a position as a medical assistant instructor. You would be expected to:
- Teach specific subjects to medical assistant students
- Prepare lectures
- Review curriculums that will be taught to students
- Administer tests that assess student comprehension
- Perform student evaluations
- Serve as a mentor
If you’re looking to participate in the education of future medical assistants, then the medical assistant instructor may be the best choice for you.
Pick a Specialty
As a medical assistant, you can also pursue a specialty. Oftentimes, people find that this is the appropriate course of action, as it exposes them to a higher degree of responsibility and better prepares them for positions of leadership. Here are a few areas that medical assistants can specialize in:
- Ophthalmology: This field focuses specifically on the eyes, and as a medical assistant that specializes in this field you’ll be working closely with the medical professionals that provide these services.
- EKG/cardiology technician: If you choose to specialize as an EKG or cardiology technician, your focus will shift more towards the conditions and diseases that adversely affect the cardiovascular system.
- Medical billing and coding: If you’re more inclined to ensure that documentation is filled correctly to prevent miscommunication and lengthy waiting periods, then a specialization in medical billing and coding would be best for you.
- Phlebotomy: In this specialty, medical assistants draw blood from patients and prepare the samples for laboratory testing. Phlebotomy is necessary for a variety of healthcare settings, providing a broad range of opportunities for medical assistants interested in this area of care.
These are just a few of the specialties available to you as a medical assistant, so be sure to research additional ones until you find one that suits you. To learn more about advancing your career as an entry-level medical assistant in New Jersey, contact Prism Career Institute today.