If you have recently graduated from high school and are searching for a career instead of working a dead-end job you hate, then medical assisting may be the career for you! If you aren't sure what it takes to become a medical assistant, then here's some information to help you make your decision:

Who are Medical Assistants and Where Do They Work?

Medical assistants are licensed healthcare professionals who work in medical offices and hospitals assisting other medical professionals with patient care.

What Tasks Do Medical Assistants Perform?

Medical assistants are licensed to perform a wide variety of different tasks in a medical office or hospital, including the following: 

• take medical histories
• take vital signs
• update patient records
• clinical tasks
• office tasks

In addition, many medical offices utilize medical assistants to book their appointments because they have the knowledge and skills to book an appropriate appointment to match each patient's needs.

What Kind of Training Do Medical Assistants Need?

Since medical assistants must be licensed before they can work in a healthcare setting, they must attend either a trade school or a community college for training. Once training is completed, then the graduate needs to pass a state licensing exam before they can legally work in this field.

There are a variety of different medical assisting programs available. One option is to attend training at your local community college and get a 2-year medical assistant associate degree.

Many people who want to go on to become nurses will go this route and use their AA degree to help them get into a bachelor's in a nursing program at a local 4-year college or university. While attending college, they can use their medical assisting training to get a good-paying job.

Alternatively, there are also trade schools that offer medical assisting programs. These programs are a lot shorter and don't require all of the same general education courses community colleges require for graduation.

People who want to go to work more quickly as a medical assistant often choose to go to trade school so they can get licensed and start working.

Who to Contact for More Information About Medical Assisting

If you think you might want to become a medical assistant or would simply like more information about this career, then you should contact an organization that offers medical assistant programs near you today in order to learn more or get started on your own career path.