Medical Assistant Programs in Florida
You can train to become a certified medical assistant in Florida in just under a year. While Florida does not legally require any certification or specific degree to work in medical assisting, becoming certified would more fully qualify you for any medical assisting position and give you a head start on your career. Becoming a certified medical assistant (CMA) in Florida can be done by enrolling in either an associate degree program, which requires two years, or in a certificate or diploma program, which requires about nine months of courses. You can earn one of these credentials via online medical assistant programs, or in one of many of Florida’s vocational schools or junior or community colleges. When choosing a medical assistant program in Florida, just be certain that it is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) if you later plan to be eligible to take the certified medical assistant exam.
Medical Assisting Programs in Florida Offered Online or On-Campus
Medical assistant training in these programs covers many areas of medical assisting duties, including clerical and administrative duties as well as technical and clinical skills. Medical assisting can be a very varied occupation, depending on the clinic, office, or hospital you work in, on your experience, and on whether or not you work for a specialist. You will be trained in taking injections, phlebotomy, medical techniques, urinalysis, and electrocardiography, for example. Billing, record keeping, communicating with patients, insurance companies, and other administrative duties are also important skills and will be covered.
The majority of medical assistants are employed in physicians’ offices, but they can also work in public or private hospitals, outpatient centers, and other specialist offices such as in the offices of podiatrists or chiropractors. Support positions in the medical field are some of the fastest growing professions, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. The growing aging population is putting a strain on the country’s healthcare workforce, and this healthcare worker shortage is even more dire in the state of Florida. This can mean many job opportunities and great job security for you in Florida. Additionally, the growth of outpatient centers is creating more demand for medical assistants who possess clinical and clerical skills that can help an office run efficiently and cost-effectively. According to salary.com, salaries in Florida can vary depending on the city and employer, but they average around $27,000, with the top ten percent earning over $30,000. Health benefits are also usually good. Get started today in a promising career with a secure outlook by finding the right CMA program for you.
Check out the medical billing and coding programs in FL. This is another popular health care career entry pathway with a lot of potential.
