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Medical Assistant Schools in District Of Columbia

Health care is changing more in recent years than it ever has in the history of the United States! If you want to be at the center of this exciting change and see how it affects patients, starting a medical assisting career in Washington DC may be the perfect career move for you. This busy metropolitan area is home to many health care employers that look to medical assistants to reduce patient wait times, keep doctors’ patient loads reasonable, and let doctors do the advanced work they’ve been trained for.

If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant in Washington D.C., start by checking out your program options. Send a request for more information to the medical assisting schools in D.C. that are listed below to begin.

Working in the nation’s capital can let you be a major part of the American Association of Medical Assistants. In Washington DC, you can help advocate for legislature that affects medical assistants and network with major leaders in the field.

The Affordable Care Act has led to a significant increase in health insurance signups, according to Business Record. This includes signups in the Washington DC area, where federal laws tend to take root faster and have a greater impact.

If you’re interested in working in mental health care, medical assisting in Washington DC could be the ideal field for you. ThinkProgress reports on a movement to reform mental health care at the national level. Medical assistants, who perform patient intake services and patient evaluations, may be a prominent part of this.

Medical Assistant Education in District Of Columbia

Education is important in any health care field, and the same is true for medical assistants! Medical assistants may be some of the first people that patients interact with, which is why it’s so important to know your skills and make a great impression on patients. Plan on spending at least one to two years in school to get all the education and hands-on training you need to succeed. Programs are often offered through community colleges, technical schools, and hospital schools.

Part of your training may occur in the classroom. Your classroom hours can give you a good foundation of medical understanding, terminology, and procedural skills. Your education may begin with classes like Medical Terminology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Ethics in Medical Assisting. Expect to be rigorously tested, since you must prove yourself at each step of the process before moving onto the next set of classes.

The other part of your training takes place in a medical setting. Local nursing homes or hospitals may collaborate with your school to offer you the chance to gain experience. Your record-taking, patient examination, and laboratory skills can be tested in your clinical hours.

Washington D.C. is home to numerous health employers and medical organizations that provide scholarships for medical assisting students. Try to begin your application process as early as possible, since you don’t want to miss any deadlines. The Kellogg Health Scholars Program may financially assist those that want to continue their education. Another possible option is the Louis Stokes Health Scholars Program, which awards up to $8,000 per year, depending on costs. MedStar Health awards the John L. Green Scholarship to students in different health care fields.

Medical Assisting Careers in District Of Columbia

O*Net expects the job outlook for medical assistants in Washington D.C. to remain relatively stable through 2022. Between 2012 and 2022, they anticipate a 14 percent increase in job openings in this field (O*Net, 2012). There are quite a few employers in the Washington D.C. area that may contribute to this great job outlook, including Med Trans, Fujifilm Medical Systems, and MedStar Health.

Listed below are all of the schools offering Medical Assistant programs in District of Columbia. As a rule, you should contact at least 3-5 schools during the course of your research, and ideally more. There are important differences between the programs in terms of cost, admissions requirements, and other characteristics, and, as with many things in life, the way to find the best Medical Assistant program for your needs is to spend some time shopping around.

Here Are The Medical Assistant Schools…

Salary numbers provided are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.