Registered medical assistants are incredibly important in the healthcare industry.
Without them, healthcare facilities would be a mess, as there would be no one to sort out the administrative duties related to healthcare.
In this article, we will provide you with all of the information you will need if you are interested in a RMA job. You will also explore how to advance further in the field, and the challenges and rewards the role brings with it.
Importance of RMAs in Healthcare
Registered medical assistants are responsible for many things, but they often help with patient care and ensure that patients are satisfied.
Unhappy patients that feel that they aren’t being looked after often won’t return to the same doctor’s office or hospital. So, it is the responsibility of a registered medical assistant to ensure that patients are cared for and dealt with appropriately.
A RMA can improve healthcare outcomes through:
- Keeping updated medical records – This helps healthcare professionals make informed decisions about how they should go about treating a patient.
- Effective communication – A medical assistant is the connection between healthcare professionals and patients. This means that they need to accurately communicate with these two parties to ensure that patients understand their medical conditions, medications, and treatments.
- Proper patient care – Medical assistants can help in this regard by making sure that patients are adequately educated about and prepared for procedures and examinations.
A medical assistant is also able to help reduce healthcare costs by helping patients with health insurance claims and streamlining administrative processes. Streamlining these processes reduces the amount of time and resources that need to be spent so that they can be used for other tasks.
How RMAs Can Find a Job?
To succeed as a registered medical assistant some of the qualities you will need include:
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, administration skills, organization skills, time management skills, and basic medical knowledge.
These skills will help you succeed in a registered medical assistant job, as you need to be able to communicate well with patients, organize their medical records, and help medical professionals with some light procedures.
Registered medical assistants can often find work at:
- Doctor’s offices
- Medical research centers
- Diagnostic laboratories
- Outpatient clinics
- Hospitals
There are currently many job opportunities in the medical assisting industry, and the number of available jobs is only expected to increase. The BLS has projected a 16% increase in medical assistant jobs from 2021 to 2031.
On average medical assistants tend to earn around $37,190 per year. However, this will differ depending on who you are employed by, and the amount of training and experience you have.
Advancement Opportunities
Medical assisting is by no means a dead-end field. There are quite a few ways for a registered medical assistant to further their career.
The first way to advance is by completing a specialty certification program, that will allow you to work as a medical assistant in fields like podiatry and ophthalmology. Medical assistants in these fields tend to earn more than standard RMAs.
The second way to advance is by seeking continuing education in advanced subjects. Supervisory and management courses may allow a medical assistant to become an office manager or a billing supervisor.
Your final option is to return to school and earn an associate degree in a related clinical or administrative field. These fields include medical coding and billing, registered nursing, and radiology technology.
Challenges and Rewards of the RMA Career
Unfortunately, no job is perfect; any medical assistant should be able to tell you this. The main challenge that a registered medical assistant will face is dealing with difficult patients. Medical assistants are often the first and last people patients see, so if they are feeling frustrated after their appointment, they will often take it out on a medical assistant.
Stress can also be a challenge that a medical assistant can face. This is because ensuring that medical records are organized and that both patients and healthcare professionals are happy can be a difficult task sometimes.
However, medical assistant jobs aren’t all bad, and they definitely have some benefits. Some of the benefits include the fact that it isn’t difficult to find medical assistant jobs, training doesn’t take very long, and there are a number of ways you can advance in your career.
Working in healthcare also offers a high level of job satisfaction. A medical assistant can often be directly involved with patient care, and it can feel very good when you are able to successfully help a patient. So, you should consider becoming a medical assistant if you are after more than just a salary and want to feel fulfilled by your work.
How to Succeed as a Registered Medical Assistant
If you want to succeed in your role as a registered medical assistant, you should keep these tips in mind:
- Arrive at work early – By arriving early, you will have time to organize your tasks for the day, and won’t have to deal with patients straight away.
- Learn to multitask – Medical assistants have many duties, and unfortunately, many of them need to be completed at similar times. This is why learning how to multitask can be very beneficial.
- Try to establish a routine – Things can quickly get out of hand when a doctor’s office gets busy. This is why it is important to try and create a routine that you can stick to when it is possible.
- Pay attention to your colleagues – Find out how the other medical assistants at your workplace complete their duties and learn from them to help streamline your own processes.
If you want to grow in your career as a medical assistant, you will need to work hard and consider branching out and getting further clinical or administrative certifications. By specializing, you will open yourself up to new job opportunities, and be able to earn more money.
You should always try to seek continuing education as a medical assistant. Otherwise, you will find that you will not grow in your career at all. Some other important things to keep in mind are both professional standards and safety protocols. Following these procedures will ensure that both healthcare professionals and patients trust and respect you.
FAQs
What is the job outlook for registered medical assistants?
The job outlook for medical assistants is very good at the moment. There are many job opportunities, and the number of jobs in the field is only expected to increase.
What is the average salary of a registered medical assistant?
The average salary for a medical assistant is $37,190 per year.
What are the advantages of working as a registered medical assistant?
The advantages of working as a registered medical assistant include being able to work anywhere in the US, career stability, job satisfaction, and opportunities for growth.
Conclusion
You now know the duties of a medical assistant, why they are important in the healthcare industry, the challenges and rewards of their careers, and some tips to succeed. So, are you ready to take the next steps?
Overall medical assistant jobs can be fulfilling and rewarding, so if you are interested in working in healthcare, but currently aren’t able to study to be a registered nurse or doctor, you should consider becoming a medical assistant.
If you want to learn more about medical assisting, you should check out the AAMA website. You can find plenty of information there to help you start your career as a medical assistant.
