Medical Assistant Programs in Alaska
Becoming a medical assistant in Alaska can be done in as little as a year. While the state does not officially require a license or certification in order to work, becoming a certified medical assistant (CMA) would give you a head start in your job search.
There are several accredited medical assistant schools in Alaska. The medical assistant programs require about a year of training, and an associate degree can be earned in two years. Whichever program you choose, it should be accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Programs (CAAHEP) if you plan to later pursue taking the certified medical assistant exam administered by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Completing a medical assisting program accredited by one of these two agencies is an eligibility requirement to sit for the certified medical assistant exam.
Schools Offering Online Medical Assistant Programs in Alaska
The medical assistant programs in Alaska will provide you with technical and clinical knowledge as well as clerical and administrative skills. You will learn how to communicate with insurance companies, deal with patients, and learn about basic procedures like record keeping and billing. Additionally, you’ll learn some clinical skills, medical terminology, basic anatomy, and skills such as assessing patients, taking vital signs, taking blood, and other tasks that would assist the nurses and physicians and enable them to see more patients in less time. Some Alaska programs also offer training for medical coding or other more advanced skills.
The job of medical assistant is one of the fastest growing occupations in an already, fast-growing healthcare industry, with about thirty new openings a year, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Because a majority of medical assistants work in doctors’ offices, you do not need to live near a major hospital or clinic to find employment as a medical assistant. In rural Alaska, they often work for regional health corporations, community-based healthcare programs, and state or federal agencies. With experience, advancement to office manager or other administrative support position is possible. According to salary.com, the mean hourly wage in Alaska for medical assistants is $15.27, with a yearly salary of $31,770, and health benefits are often very good. Get started today on a promising career for you in your state by finding the right medical assistant training program.
A rapidly growing field in Alaska’ s health care sector, that many people have also found of interest, is medical billing and coding. Find medical billing and coding programs in Alaska.
