There is plenty of research showing the healthcare industry is growing and expanding quickly. That means jobs within the industry are in high demand. This is great news for those of you looking to start working in a medical setting as soon as possible.
All you must do is obtain the right amount of education that will allow you to apply for jobs. One of the quickest career paths is through the medical office administration training program at your local college.
Medical office administration certificates and degrees make you available for numerous career options in a variety of medical settings. Whether you choose the fast-track training certificate program or an associate level degree program, you will be qualified to work in urgent care centers, hospitals, physician practices, nursing homes and many more facilities.
Just as varied are the career options you will have upon completion of your studies in medical office administration. Below you can learn more about these career options.
Medical Records
Working in the medical records career means you will deal with health information daily. You will analyze, coordinate, compile, and organize patient medical records. You will open files on new patients and close files of those who are being discharged.
Other duties include updating and maintain patient treatment and medical histories. Preparing files and reviewing them to keep them in compliance is another major requirement.
Working in the medical records field you can expect to make over $13 an hour, depending on your area and the agency in which you work.
Medical Office Receptionist
As a medical office receptionist, you are one of the first persons the patient will encounter. You can expect a lot of patient interaction in this career.
This is one of the most important roles within an agency. You will greet the patients, provide answers to their questions, and make sure they are comfortable while waiting to see the doctor or for other services.
Other duties can include scheduling patients, bookkeeping, answering calls, and maintain a positive environment within the office.
The average pay for this position in around $13 an hour. This can be higher in some geographic locations and lower in others.
Medical Assistant
If you prefer working on the clinical side rather than the administrative side, you can choose a career in medical assisting. This career allows you to assist doctors and nurses with certain tasks. You can take medical histories and check vital signs.
You can also give good explanations to patients about what they can expect during their visit and help them prepare for their exam. You can also assist the doctor during the exam.
In some states, you will be allowed to draw blood, remove sutures, change dressings, and administer medications. However, this can be done only under the supervision of a doctor or nurse.
Medical assistants can expect to earn close to $15 an hour on average.
Billing and Coding
If you like working strictly with data and are organized and detail-oriented, billing and coding may be the career for you. Those with two-year degrees and certifications can earn around $17 an hour, on average. The more certifications and experience you have, the higher your pay.
The tasks related to coding can include reviewing patient information and serve as a liaison between your office and the billing office in order to secure payment for services provided. You must know the coding guidelines
As a biller, you will need to understand the different types of insurance companies, as well as their billing practices. You must be able to submit claims successfully, following all policies correctly. And when a claim doesn’t go through, you will need to know how to properly follow-up on denied claims.
Both billing and coding staff will need to understand the rules and regulations of the healthcare industry, like HIPAA and The False Claims Act.
Caregiver
This career allows you to work directly with patients, one on one, in their homes. The average wage for a caregiver is around $12 an hour.
Caregivers have many responsibilities that include helping patients get dressed for the day. Depending on your hours, you may be helping them prepare for bed also. You will also help them with some of their personal care routines, such as brushing their hair, taking their medications or keeping good hygiene.
Because you are the connection between family members, patients, and their doctors, it is key you keep great records of progress or lack of progress on the patient. You need to record patient improvements, as well as any health issues or changes.
Lab Assistant
This career path allows you to perform duties required to medical testing. You will have little interaction with doctors or patients. You will have a great deal of interaction with several types of samples from patients.
Samples refer to the blood, urine or other fluids taken from a patient for testing. Your duties as a lab assistant is to prepare these samples for testing. You will need to know the right lab equipment to use for testing each sample.
You need to ensure the labels match the correct sample. This prevents patients from receiving the wrong test results.
You are also responsible for the properly labeled samples and results get returned to the correct physician for review.
Other duties include performing quality control checks, keeping the lab clean and organized, and excellent record-keeping.
Completing all these duties helps you earn an hourly wage of $13, on average.
In conclusion, these are just a few of the careers you can strive for upon graduating with a certificate or associate degree.
Other areas include working for chiropractors as an assistant, in school districts as an assistant to the school nurse or assisting military medical teams.
Reports show this industry is expected to grow by 29 percent over the next decade. If this is true, you will have many options when seeking a career. Until then, reach out to your local college for information on both the fast-track and associate degree programs in medical administration.
**Average wages and salary information were found at Payscale. This article in no way guarantees wages or employment.
