Giving Assistance: Online Training for the Flourishing Medical Field

by Joe Cooper
Online Degrees Columnist

From scheduling patient appointments to giving shots, a medical assistant's responsibilities are numerous. You can learn the necessary skills efficiently and affordably through online degree and certificate programs.

Education for a Growing Occupation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects medical assisting to be one of the fastest-growing occupations in the next decade. All medical assistants need training of some kind, and while some can be done on the job, most medical assistants earn their credentials before starting their career.

The most popular types of education for medical assistants are one- and two-year programs. This is one of the great things about medical assisting: you can begin your career sooner.

Medical Assisting Education Online
Another way to save not only time, but cost on your medical assistant training is to earn your education online. Online training is generally available in 12-, 18-, and 24-month programs, allowing for the flexibility many students need in order to complete their education.

Online training in medical assisting consists of a series of online classes that focus on medical recording, billing, and office management. Online programs will also build students' clinical skills in explaining medical diagnoses, working in a laboratory, drawing blood, and performing other diagnostic tests.

Working as a Medical Assistant
Multi-tasking is one of the chief skills of medical assisting. Most medical assistants work 40-hour weeks, though some also work part-time. The average salary of medical assistants was $24,610 in 2004.

Medical assisting often requires ongoing education. This training can also be done online, making your career path smoother and easier.

About the Author
Joe Cooper is a freelance education and technology writer and edits medical literature. He holds a bachelor's in American Literature from UCLA.

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