Oregon offers great job potential for those wanting to start a career as a medical assistant. As Oregon’s population has increased over the past several years, so has the demand for qualified health care workers. Combine this with the increase demand for health care professionals across the country, and you can expect to see this need for health care workers, including medical assistants to rapidly increase by the year 2020.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 7,940 medical assistants employed in Oregon in 2013. With the anticipated demands, you could expect this number to rise by as much as 31% over the upcoming years. This will create a lot of new job opportunities for medical assistants in the state. Although, certification is not a state requirement, those students who take the time to earn this certification can expect to earn more than those who do not have a medical assistant certification.
Medical assistants in Oregon also receive higher wages than the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported that the average medical assistant earns nearly $34,000 per year, or $16.30 per hour. Keeping in mind that certified medical assistants earn a higher salary and have great job opportunities, your first step to becoming a medical assistant should be to attend one of the accredited medical assistant programs in Oregon.
There are several good Oregon medical assistant schools that offer both on campus and online programs. Online medical assistant programs are perfect for those students who require flexible scheduling or do not live near one of the Oregon medical assistant schools. If you hope to go on to earn your certification, you must make sure the training program you select is accredited and approved by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Without this accreditation, you will not be able to go on to earn your certification as a medical assistant.
After you graduate from your training course, you can take the medical assistant certification exam and become a Certified Medical Assistant. This exam will cover information that you learn during your training and will prove you have the skills necessary to become a Certified Medical Assistant. You will then be able to perform a variety of both administrative and clinical duties, such as greeting patients, updating patient files, gathering patient’s medical history, preparing the examination room, taking and recording patient’s vital signs, and assisting the doctor with patient examination.
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