Medical Assisting is a great career choice for many reasons.
In fact, we have already shared 25 reasons to become a Medical Assistant and written a complete guide to becoming a medical assistant.
Today we wanted to answer the question, “Why become a medical assistant?” or “Why should I become a medical assistant?”
We figure the best way to answer the question is to ask medical assistants in the community and share their answers with you.
So, let’s dive into today’s post to see why people are choosing to become a medical assistant.
We will start with a story of our own and then share some other Medical Assistant’s stories on why they became a medical assistant.
Brian Dickens Story on Why to Become a Medical Assistant
I am Brian, one of the contributors here at medical-assistant.us, and also a program director over 28 Medical Assisting programs. Additionally, I help manage a Facebook group for medical assistants and of course worked as a medical assistant prior in my career.
Here is my story on why I chose to become a medical assistant.
I chose MA over 15 years ago because I didn’t want to keep working in factories or fast food.
I wanted a career that I felt was of value and in air conditioning using my brain.
I wanted a healthcare career with a stepping stone. And at the time, I did not want to limit myself to just one area. My mother died at a young age and my father went MIA.
Therefore I had to do something quick to be able to support myself as I was not born into money.
So over the years, I worked in many areas of healthcare in a clinical setting, and management.
I further branched off into higher education to teach and show the masses what MA can do for a person’s career and utilize my network that I built.
I then wanted a career in the area of healthcare education where God can use me as a vessel to actively change people’s lives which led to a regional position in education. Who I am as a person, I want to be involved in everything on a big scale and build a legacy and be the one to break my family’s cycle of being MIA so I got FULLY involved in my career.
➡️Fast forward, I now oversee 28 very successful college campuses and their MA programs and hold a PhD. 🤓
👨🎓All because I said YES to MA first! ☝️👨⚕️
Drive, motivation, focus, determination will get you there.
“If you know what you want, youll find a way, If you dont know what you want, youll find an excuse”- Warren Buffet
“When you open books, you open doors”- Bill Gates
I hope that my story is inspiring. Sharing how fast and how far I have advanced my career should motivate anyone who is considering working as a medical assistant.
After I shared my story in our Facebook group one of the members, Amie read it and responded with her story.
Amie Markoski’s Reasons for Becoming a Medical Assistant
My story is relatively similar without the PhD. I squandered years of fooling around and doing nothing, failing college courses and going nowhere.
I went to MA school on a whim and ending up loving it.
Fast forward 10 years later I’ve worked in multiple healthcare settings, taught for 5 years, and now have a bachelors and working on a masters degree.
Now I’m doing administrative work for neurosurgeon while I decide what I want my next step to be.
I never stop growing, never stop working and always keep motivating myself for the next step.
Yet another motivational and inspiring story from a medical assistant. There is a reason this profession is so rewarding and attracts hard working caring people.
More members of the Facebook group continued sharing the reasons they chose to become a medical assistant.
Here are some of the reasons why they became medical assistants.
Here are what other members of our Facebook group for MAs said:
Did you know that some medical assisting programs offer 6-week certifications? That is right, you can become a medical assistant in 6 weeks.
One member of our Facebook group talked about this being her reason for choosing medical assisting.
I’ve been in Healthcare for 20+ years. I worked with developmentally disabled adults, CNA and Endoscopy Tech.
My employer required everyone to be certified and I chose MA due to the fast-track program.
I would finish sooner than nursing. I still will finish my nursing, hopefully soon.
In addition to fast certification programs, medical assisting programs are also more affordable than other healthcare education programs. Learn more about medical assistant certifications.
Medical Assisting Education is Affordable
Here is what group member had to say about the cost of her medical assisting education.
I am choosing MA (graduate this summer) because I’m older and do not want to spend $1000’s to be a nurse but still want to be in the medical field.
Plus I hate hospital hours. I am a phlebotomist now and like I said I hate hospital hours.
MA’s usually don’t have crazy early shifts. I’ve done everything, hairstylist, bartender, waitress, lunch lady, cashier, fast-food. It is time for a real career.
The cost of your medical assisting education will vary depending on the program you choose. However, the cost is typically lower than many other healthcare degrees.
Medical Assistants Work With Patients
There are so many great reasons to become a medical assistant, here are a few more.
I became an MA because I wanted patient contact in a clinic setting. In my area, clinic LPNs are hired to do MA jobs and clinic RNs are generally on the phones doing triage.
I didn’t want to be stuck in a desk job as a nurse. So I became a Medical Assistant.
Flexible Schedules
Another great reason to become a medical assistant is for the flexible hours and variety in your day-to-day.
I have just finished MA and I chose MA because of the good hours and I like both administrative duties and clinical work.
I chose MA because of the flexibility of the start times for schooling. It was at night and I started in a couple of weeks. I love being an MA, but am in Nursing school so I can move up at my job.
Now that you know some reasons why to become a medical assistant, let’s talk about whether or not the profession is a good fit for you.
After helping dozens of people enter the field of Medical Assisting, I have prepared this next section to help people determine if this career is a good fit.
After reading this next section you should be able to answer the question, “why should I become a medical assistant?”
How Do I Know If Medical Assisting Is a Good Job For Me?
Medical assisting is a great job with competitive salaries, plenty of career mobility opportunities and it will be prospering well into the next decade.
These health care workers aid professionals with maintaining the efficiency of their health care facilities, ensuring that more patients can be seen in a timely manner without sacrificing the quality of care that they receive.
If you have been thinking about beginning a new career as a medical assistant, then there are some things to consider first.
Work Directly With Patients
Medical assisting involves a great deal of patient interaction.
Medical assistants deal with patients on a daily basis, whether it is in updating medical records, recording vital signs and symptoms, or dealing with health insurance policies, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
This aspect of the job will never change, so if you do not like handling patients and working in a patient care role, then medical assisting is not for you.
However, if you do find enjoyment in helping others and have a great deal of patience and understanding, then you would find medical assisting a rewarding occupation.
You will be responsible for explaining procedures and treatments to patients, helping patients at the front desk with questions and concerns, as well as dealing with bills, payments, and basic bookkeeping.
In addition, you will often be dealing with sick and injured patients, so having an empathetic nature is ideal.
Many Challenging Responsibilities
The job can be challenging at times. You may have to deal with a large number of patients and records, which requires that you stay on top of your duties and responsibilities.
Some medical assistants working in smaller health care facilities will have numerous responsibilities to take care of and may spend a great deal of their time working independently without anyone else to rely on.
This allows them to get a great hands-on feel for all of the different things that go on inside a health care facility, but it also requires a great amount of self-discipline to ensure that all of their duties are completed.
Those working in large health care facilities may have very specialized roles, but will also be part of an intricate team.
For these medical assistants, having the ability to work with others is essential to ensure that the entire health care team functions optimally.
And finally, the ability to be around blood and give shots is required for many Medical Assisting positions, but not all.
MAs are trained to give injections and depending on where you work you may be required to give shots regularly or never have to give them.
All in all, medical assistants must be dedicated individuals who enjoy working with the public. They also must be able to work efficiently independently as well as part of a tight-knit group.
If you possess these traits, then medical assisting would be a great career opportunity for you to consider.
Conclusion
Wow, there are so many great and inspiring reasons to become a medical assistant.
These stories sharing why you should become a medical assistant are truly motivating and will surely speak to people who have the skills to succeed in healthcare.
If these stories inspire you, then you will want to check out our guide on how to become a medical assistant.
Are you a medical assistant? Share your story in the comments below, why become a medical assistant?
Very nice
Thanks, Lawrence! 🙂