Medical Assistant Schools in Memphis
As the largest city in Tennessee, Memphis offers many opportunities for students seeking to become medical assistants. You can find several different options to study, live and work in the city, known fondly as the Birthplace of Rock and Roll. Before embarking on a course of study in Memphis, it is important to know what becoming a medical assistant will entail.
Some of the tasks you may perform as a clinical medical assistant include recording medical histories, preparing treatment rooms, interviewing patients, preparing or administering medication, collecting blood or other specimens for testing, explaining treatment procedures or sterilizing instruments. Tasks of administrative medical assistants include answering phones, taking appointments, working reception or the front desk, organizing medical records, and performing general accounting and billing procedures.
Take some time and review your options for medical assistant schools in Memphis. Request information from the schools that interest you by clicking on the schools at the bottom of the page.
Medical Assistant Schools in Memphis
There are 14 medical assistant schools in Tennessee, and of these schools, many have campuses in Memphis. Different schools offer different types of programs, which may be categorized as either certificate or degree programs. Certificate programs typically take one year to complete and prepare you for basic medical assistant jobs. Degree programs typically take two years to complete and result in an associate’s Degree, which prepares you for most medical assistant jobs and may be used as a stepping stone to more advanced degrees.
Going to school as a medical assistant can prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities. Medical assistants can range from clinical assistants, offering direct patient care help, to administrative assistants, helping to run offices and hospitals behind the scenes. Specialty assistants may require additional certification but provide assistance in special procedures.
A medical assistant degree may also prepare you to be a nurse or a licensed practical nurse in the future, though these jobs typically require additional schooling.
Medical Assistant Programs of Study in Memphis
Whether for a certificate or an associate’s degree, programs of study typically involve learning all the necessary skills to succeed on the job as a medical assistant. You will have to take several different classes including anatomy and physiology, office management, medical terminology, billing and billing codes, and basic clinical procedures, among other things.
Longer courses of study may go more in-depth about particular aspects of being a medical assistant such as administrative details or clinical work. An Associate’s degree program also demands some level of general education, which may make it possible to carry over credits into a bachelor’s degree program should you wish to continue your education sometime in the future.
O*Net provides a glimpse into the necessary skills that medical assistant jobs in Memphis will require. Degree programs will help to strengthen these skills, which include speaking and active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, service orientation, caregiving, computer skills and organizational skills. Jobs demand attention to detail, dependability, tolerance for stress and flexibility.
Getting Around Memphis
Memphis is car-friendly and offers a robust public transit system for students and workers to get around. Public transportation is provided by MATA, or the Memphis Area Transit Authority. MATA includes both buses and vintage trolleys through the city and surrounding areas. Standard fare for one ride is $1.75, with additional fare required for out-of-city travel. Reduced student fare is $1.35, which requires a current Student I.D. Bus passes may be purchased at transit centers around the city.
You can also join the American Association of Medical Assistants through the Tennessee chapter, which has local chapters in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville and Cherokee.
Finding a Medical Assistant Job in Memphis
Jobs in the field of health care are expected to be in high demand in the near future. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates, the job outlook for medical assistants is expected to rise by 29 percent between 2012 and 2022, meaning that there will be 29 percent more jobs for medical assistants in 2022 than there were in 2012.
The salary information for medical assistants in Memphis provides a key glimpse into the sort of lifestyle one can expect with this job. According to the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, there are about 3,270 medical assistants in the Memphis metropolitan area (2016). The average annual salary of a Medical Assistant is $30,700 in Memphis (BLS, 2016).
If you want to learn more about how you can start your career in medical assisting, submit a request for information to the medical assistant schools in Memphis below.
Salary numbers provided are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.