The US Department of Labor rates careers in the health care industry as one of the fastest growing careers in the country. This demand is being caused by a combination of more people having access to health care and the fact that the baby boomers are now entering their retirement years. This has caused a growing need for many different health care positions, including medical assistants.
One of the unique aspects of medical assistant positions is that they can provide both administrative and clinical supportive services. While medical assistants are required to work under the direct supervision of either a doctor or nurse, they can still perform a wide variety of medical services. Some of these services include taking blood samples, administering certain injections, answering patient questions, scheduling appointments, cleaning medical equipment, and recording various vital signs.
According to a 2013 report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 14,000 medical assistants employed at medical facilities like hospitals, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes across the country. The state of New Jersey does not require you to complete any type of training or certification program to be a medical assistant. However, this is not the case for employers. The majority of health care employers in New Jersey will only hire those who have completed one of the medical assistant programs in New Jersey and/or earn their certification.
There are several New Jersey medical assistant programs that offer great training programs. It is best to find a school that offers a medical assistant program that has been accredited by the Department of Education, American Association of Medical Assistants, or Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. By attending an accredited program, you will be able to take the medical assistant certification examination once you have graduated.
These training programs are designed to teach you the skills, techniques, and knowledge that you will need to work as a medical assistant. You can select to attend a traditional on campus program or take one of the online medical assistant programs. Once you successfully complete this training, you can take the certification exam.
You can expect to find a good paying job as a medical assistant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2013 report, medical assistants in New Jersey make an average annual salary of $32,400. This is a bit more than the national average salary for medical assistant of $30,780. Many of these positions also offer plenty of benefits like paid holidays and health insurance.
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