Why I Want To Be A Medical Assistant Essay

Journey to Medical Assisting

When I was in high school, my great-grandmother took sick and came to live with us. Before school, after school and during the weekend I would help take care of her. This gave me a sense of pride and during that time, I realized how fulfilling it is to help people. I have always wanted in a profession where I could help people. I did not go on that path but I always had the desire. I am on my way to become a medical assistant (MA) because of this reason.

What is a medical assistant? According to Wikipedia, “a medical assistant is an allied health professional that supports the work of physicians and other health professionals, usually in a clinical setting.” Becoming a medical assistant is often the first step

for many aspiring nurses and physicians, because it allows them to gain valuable experience while continuing their education, and in the healthcare profession, continuous education is a necessity.” The job growth is much faster than average for occupations. Employment is expected to grow twenty three percent by the year 2024. In 2014 the annual median wages for a medical assistant was $29,960.
As more of our population grow older, there will be an increase need for medical services.

Medical assistants perform clinical and administrative duties, this can allow the physicians to have the time to see a much larger degree of patients. MA duties can vary depending on the location, the specialty or the office size. As stated by the American Association of Medical Assistants, “medical assistants are instrumental in helping patients feel at ease in a physician’s office and often explain the physician’s instructions.” Porter and Chester Institute states that, “medical assistants often acts as a liaison between the patients and other members of the healthcare

team.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” medical assistants typically do the following: Record patient history and personal information. Measure vital signs, such as blood pressure. Health the physician with patient examinations. Give patients injections or medicine as directed by the physician and as permitted by state law. Schedule patient appointments. Prepare blood samples for laboratory test. Enter patients’ information into medical records.”
Today the job market is very tough and it is competitive. It will be a blessing to find employment after receiving my degree. In 2014 there were 591,300 jobs in medical assisting. By 2024 that employment number is expected to be 730,200. The Bureau of Labor Statics stated that, “medical assistants who earn certifications and have familiarity with electronic health records (EHR) may have better job prospects.
Fifty nine percent of medical assistants work in physician offices. Fifteen percent work in private, state and local hospitals. Ten percent work in other offices and seven percent work in outpatient care facilities. To work in this field, you must have interpersonal skills. Technical skills are important to have because you need to be able to use instruments in the office or hospital. You should also analytical skills.
I possess all of these skills.

I would love to be able to use these skills at any private care physician office or at any hospital. One company that I wouldn’t mind working for would be Doctor’s care. As stated on their website, “Doctors Care opened in 1981 as the first minor emergency medical center in Columbia, S.C., offering urgent and family care services with flexible evening and weekend hours. Today we are a multi-state network, with more than 50 offices providing timely, convenient health care services. Our team has grown to include 1,100 dedicated health care professionals. We have nearly 200 providers focused on urgent care, family care, occupational medicine and employee wellness. And we serve more than 2,000 employers regionally through our Occupational Medicine

services.”
There is a rise for urgent care centers such as Doctor’s Care.” Over the last two decades, urgent care centers (UCCs) have proliferated, growing to 9,000 facilities in the United States. The recent, rapid expansion of urgent care centers is often attributed to such factors as long wait times for primary care appointments, crowded emergency departments and patient demand for more accessible care, including after-hours appointments. Urgent care centers provide care on a walk-in basis, typically during regular business hours, as well as evenings and weekends, though not 24 hours a day. UCCs commonly treat conditions seen in primary care practices and retail clinics, including ear infections, strep throat and the flu, as well some minor injuries, such as lacerations and simple fractures.”
The downside to the job would be how psychological factors can affect the medical assistant. “Practice assistants who worked part-time rated their psychosocial factors at work and health-related outcomes more positively than full-time employees. Furthermore, the two scales of health related outcomes ‘burnout’ and ‘job satisfaction’ showed strong associations between different psychosocial factors and socio-demographic variables.” In other words, the high stress of the job can drain the medical assistant. However, one of the pros would be medical assistants are an available resource for patient care.