How to Become a Medical Assistant in Salt Lake City
Have you been toying with the idea of working in the healthcare field? As a Medical Assistant in Salt Lake City, you would provide valuable services to patients, doctors, a healthcare team, and your whole community. To become a Medical Assistant, start with a training program that will teach you the skills you need and give you an opportunity to practice what you learn before you work with actual patients.
With an average of 1,400 medical assistant jobs opening across the state per year—including more than 500 in the Salt Lake City metro area—it’s a good time to begin a medical assisting career in Utah. Here’s how to get started:
Enroll in a Salt Lake City Medical Assistant Training Program
To succeed as a Medical Assistant, you need to understand patient care, healthcare rules, medical records, and basic billing and coding. You can learn all this and more in a Medical Assistant Certificate program. Your instructors will introduce you to the healthcare delivery system, teach you about healthcare laws and compliance, and show you the fundamentals of running a medical office.
In the lab, you can put your knowledge into practice and hone your skills with medical tools, exam room setup, patient care, and medical record management. Through an externship, you can gain experience at a local medical facility, where you work under the supervision of someone already in the field. Once you complete the requirements of your training program, you graduate with a Certificate of Medical Assistant that validates your knowledge, skills, and abilities as a Medical Assistant.
Earn a National Certification
The State of Utah doesn’t require you to have a Medical Assistant license or certification, but individual employers may. Employers may also prefer candidates who have a national certification on their resume. National certification provides you with an industry-recognized credential that verifies your knowledge of your profession. The Certified Medical Assistant credential offered through the American Association of Medical Assistants can help you stand out from the crowd when you apply for jobs.
To be eligible for certification, you must complete a Medical Assistant training program and apply for the exam no more than 30 days prior to completion. You can apply online, and schedule your exam at a local test center online once you are approved. The fee for the exam is $125. The test includes 200 multiple choice questions on topics such as patient intake and discharge, inflection control, medical procedures, legal and ethical issues, and medical billing and coding. Once you pass the exam, you receive a print wallet card as well as digital badges with your Certified Medical Assistant credential.
Look for a Job in Salt Lake City
As a Medical Assistant, you can find work in hospitals, doctor’s offices, group practices, or long-term care facilities. In Salt Lake City, you might consider working at places like Intermountain Medical Center, the University of Utah Health Center, the Salt Lake Clinic, Holy Cross Hospital, Primary Children’s Hospital, or Memorial Clinic. You can look for jobs on these facilities’ websites, or you can search national job boards. You can also set up a LinkedIn profile, which allows you to search for jobs by location for free.
What makes a career in healthcare so rewarding is your ability to make an impact. As a Medical Assistant, you help patients and physicians through your everyday duties. Medical assisting is a fast-growing occupation, so if you’re ready to begin training for this career, contact Charter College today. We offer a Certificate in Medical Assistant that can be completed in a blended learning format for convenience and flexibility. Our instructors have years of experience in the field and are dedicated to helping you succeed. Call 888-200-9942 or fill out the form to learn more.