Training is the key to success in any field. The quality of your education sets the stage for professional growth. But not all education options are created equal. Some are a better value and more lifestyle friendly than others. If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant, vocational school diploma programs offer perks you should explore.
What Education Do You Need to Be a Medical Assistant?
Unlike nurses, medical assistants aren’t state-licensed healthcare providers, so no formal training is required. Practically speaking, however, the role has become too complex for on-the-job training. A vocational school diploma is the gold standard for today’s medical assistants.
Diploma programs are the most popular option because they’re a fast track to a steady paycheck. You’ll graduate in months, not years, while qualifying for most of the same jobs as applicants with two-year degrees. And you’ll be eligible for certification, the foundation of opportunity. A vocational education is the smart choice for career-minded students.
What Are the Benefits of a Vocational School Education?
Vocational education offers a broad range of benefits, including:
Job-Focused Learning
Vocational school programs teach practical skills necessary to succeed in a specific field. You won’t waste time on courses that don’t make you a better medical assistant.
Small Class Sizes
The smaller class sizes at vocational schools create a more productive learning environment. With fewer distractions, students are more engaged. And with fewer students, instructors can offer individualized attention. Smaller class sizes can improve academic performance and provide a greater sense of community among peers.
Career Services
Vocational schools provide the tools and resources necessary to transition from the classroom to the workforce. Advisers will help you find job openings that match your aptitudes and interests, you’ll have access to job boards, career fairs and other networking opportunities. It’s a value-added benefit in a competitive job market.
What Do You Learn in a Vocational School Program, and How Does It Prepare You to Be a Medical Assistant?
Without formal training, few people have the experience or expertise necessary to work in a medical office. Even relevant skills aren’t necessarily transferable because healthcare is unlike any other business on earth. There are scientific, regulatory, ethical and security considerations that rarely apply elsewhere.
Vocational school programs provide the knowledge, skills, and advantages you need to succeed as a medical assistant, such as:
Medical Terminology
Medical terminology is a universal language that helps you communicate more effectively with patients and healthcare providers. This course shows you how to decipher complex terms by breaking them down into their parts. Upon graduation, you’ll be comfortable reading doctor’s notes, insurance forms and other documents you’ll encounter daily as a medical assistant.
Anatomy and Physiology
Working knowledge of anatomy and physiology helps medical assistants provide safe and effective care. You need to understand how the body functions to take accurate vital signs, perform diagnostic tests, and administer medications.
Clinical Protocols
Medical assistants have many clinical responsibilities, from drawing blood to giving injections. Programs include the necessary hands-on training through demonstrations, simulations, and externships. Instructors will familiarize you with medical equipment and walk you through procedures step-by-step until you’re work-ready and confident.
Laboratory Skills
Medical assistants perform diagnostic tests, including pregnancy screens, urinalysis, throat swabs, and wound cultures. Vocational school programs cover what you need to know to practice safety in a laboratory environment, from how to protect yourself against infectious disease to how to store hazardous chemicals.
Administrative Procedures
Medical assistants are responsible for administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, and managing inventory. Vocational school programs prepare you for these clerical responsibilities, plus coding and billing.
While most medical assistants have more of a clinical than an administrative role, billing considerations affect their work. Medical assisting programs cover coding, insurance models, and the revenue cycle.
Medical Law and Ethics
Medicine is a highly regulated field in which most responsibilities have legal and ethical ramifications. The failure to comply with the law can result in stiff penalties for both employers and staff.
Understanding medical law and the moral challenges healthcare workers face helps medical assistants identify potential safety and compliance issues on behalf of patients and employers. You’ll learn how to navigate emotional situations while maintaining ethical standards.
Patient Care and Professionalism
Healthcare workers should be courteous and professional, but that’s easier said than done. As a medical assistant, you’ll work with physically and emotionally vulnerable people with different worldviews and expectations. Interactions won’t always go smoothly.
Vocational school programs teach you how to meet the needs of patients from different age, cultural and socioeconomic groups. You’ll learn the basics of customer care and practical skills, such as therapeutic communication techniques, to help you interact with patients professionally.
Certification Preparation
Certification isn’t required to work as a medical assistant, but it makes you a more valuable job applicant. Employers prefer to hire candidates with proven skills, so credentials shine on a resume. Diploma programs cover the topics on certification exams, so students are ready to sit for the test upon graduation.
Soft Skills
Soft skills are personal qualities that help people interact effectively with others. Also referred to as interpersonal or people skills, they’re essential in a healthcare environment. Some, such as therapeutic communication methods, can be taught in a classroom. Others, however, are only learned by engaging with others.
Students learn more from the educational experience than what is taught in the classroom. Every engagement with peers and instructors is another opportunity to sharpen your emotional intelligence. Assignments teach you how to meet deadlines while extracurricular activities promote problem-solving and teamwork.
Networking Opportunities
When it comes to finding work, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Employers seek every advantage when vetting applicants because incompetency and turnover are costly. People who have connections, someone to vouch for their skills and work ethic, find jobs faster than those who don’t. A vocational school education helps you network with others in the same industry.
Many have established partnerships with local businesses. And instructors are well-connected. So, whether it’s through externships, job fairs, mentoring or meet-and-greets, knowing more like-minded people opens doors.
Final Thoughts
A vocational school program in medical assisting the well-rounded education medical assistants need to succeed in the field. With a diploma, you can feel confident in your knowledge and ability to make a meaningful contribution to the healthcare team.
Want to Learn More?
The Medical Assistant Training Program at CyberTex Institute of Technology takes great care of you by providing hands-on training, practical experience and the support it takes to get started in a medical assisting career without spending years in school. You will learn the basics of both clinical and administrative skills, and prepare to work in physician’s offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities.
Contact us today to learn more about our Austin and Killeen campuses.