Medical Assistant Schools in Atlanta
If you’re good at working with people and you have an eye for detail, you may thrive as a medical assistant. Medical assistants perform lower-level tasks to free up doctors’ time and help the entire healthcare system move more smoothly. With over 400,000 people living in Atlanta, there’s a huge base of patients that you can serve.
Prior to beginning a career in this dynamic field, you have to get a thorough education! Atlanta is home to many technical and community colleges with this degree. Look through our school list below and contact any schools you are interested in.
As a medical assistant, you may work at private clinics or community clinics. However, the largest employers in Atlanta are typically hospitals. You may work for large hospitals like Emory University Hospital, Shepherd Center, and Piedmont Hospital.
By taking advantage of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, you can get to and from class and work very easily. They offer bus and rail service. With a monthly pass, you can travel as much as you want without ever having to pay additional fares.
Medical Assistant Education in Atlanta
The path to becoming a medical assistant in Atlanta starts with a one-year certificate or two-year Associate’s degree from one of the many accredited schools in Atlanta. Tuition varies from school to school, although it is generally much lower than tuition at four-year colleges and universities. A good example is Atlanta Technical College, where tuition is $89 per credit for Georgia residents and $178 for non-residents.
Regardless of which type of program you decide to complete, you may be expected to complete courses in the same subject areas. By the time you graduate, you should know how to perform basic medical procedures, maintain health records, process coding, and take care of simple billing tasks. Some of the required courses include Medical Ethics, Healthcare Informatics, Basic Life Support, and Clinical Competencies.
Clinical hours are one of the most important parts of becoming a medical assistant. You can plan on getting clinical experience throughout the duration of your program; however, much of your experience is completed in a last-semester practicum. During your practicum course, you can plan on completing over 100 hours of work experience at a local hospital or clinic.
You may want to consider working towards certification as you study. Certification is not required for medical assistants, but it does have many benefits. You can apply to take the certification exam via the American Association of Medical Assistants as soon as 30 days before graduation.
Career Outlook for Medical Assistant Graduates in Atlanta
There are two main ways you can use your medical assistant education after you graduate. Of course, you can pursue a career as a medical assistant; in fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Atlanta has the sixth-highest employment level in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a medical assistant in Atlanta is $32,210
per year (BLS, 2016).
As an Atlanta medical assistant, you can consider joining the Georgia Society of Medical Assistants. There are many benefits to joining this group. You can network with potential employers, learn about legislative changes in the field, and learn about new job opportunities in the field.
Salary numbers provided are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.