Top 5 Ways To Prepare For The Medical Assistant Exam

By Daryl B. Chapman

Being a medical assistant is not easy. It takes strength and courage for you will be facing intense physical and emotional challenges. You should be capable of multitasking because of the wide scope of duties and responsibilities you will be handling. You should be able to do administrative tasks and clinical tasks as well. Furthermore, you need to be patient and calm while in emergency situations. At the same time you must be well versed so that you can communicate to other healthcare professionals and patients clearly.

Despite of the challenges of the medical assistants are facing, still this kind of healthcare career is very in demand. It will continue to be the most promising career for the coming years. A medical assisting career is definitely a perfect stepping stone for those people who want to pursue career advancement.

One way to increase one’s earnings in this career is to pass the certified medical assistants exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Passing this exam will improve your proficiency in the career.

To help you pass the certified medical assistants exam, here are some of the tips on how to prepare yourself for the big day.

1. Prepare yourself emotionally, physically and mentally
Taking medical assistant exam is not as hard as taking other medical board exams. Still, this exam will make you anxious and nervous. So the first thing you should do is to relax and sleep well. This way, reviewing will be easier for you because you will be able to focus to your studies.

2. Determine the time of review that will suite your schedule
Find a study time that is suitable to your schedule or the time when you are at ease. Some people find it easier to study in the morning. This time of the day is when their thoughts are clear and they are more relaxed.

3. Know the coverage of the test
It is best to get as many information as you can on what the test will cover. There are several resources that you can download at their website for free or for a price. This will not only give you an idea of what lessons to study but it will also give you an idea on how the test will be like.

4. Practice and determine you weak and strong subjects
Take a practice exam and determine your weak and strong areas. You can also time yourself to see how well you will do under time pressure. Do this as often as possible until you are confident enough that you can perfect the exam.

Furthermore, write down the things that you are having trouble memorizing such as formulas and other stuffs. Stick them into your room or anywhere you may often see it. This will help you master your weak points without trouble.

5. Prepare everything you need the night before the exam
If possible prepare the things you will need including the clothes you will wear ahead of time. This is to prevent panic attacks.

Indeed a certified medical assistant has greater advantage to get hired and earn higher salary compared to others. Follow the tips above and you will certainly not panic on your big day. Remember that panic and stress will not produce good results. Good preparation for the exam is necessary for you to get positive results in the medical assisting certification exam.

For more information about the certification examination go to http://www.NHAnow.com. For information about training for a career in healthcare go to http://www.BostonReedCollege.com.

4 Main Differences Between a Veterinary Technician and a Veterinary Assistant

By Rowena Fernandez

Within the veterinary career field, many often assume that the position of a veterinary technician and a veterinary assistant is the same thing. But it actually isn’t. There are many differences between these two despite how similar they may seem.

The biggest difference would be the job scope. A veterinary technician has a broad array of task and duties. They play the role of the nurse, anesthetists, and laboratory and radiology technicians. They also administer jobs and do the basic hands on work. A veterinary assistant on the other hand, serves as an extra set of hands with the daily clinical work. They help keep the surgical tables and tools clean and also handle most of the front desk work such as scheduling appointments and such. If there are overnight patients, they assist in feeding, exercising and cleaning as well.

In addition to that, another difference would be in education. As a veterinary technician you would be able to graduate within two to four years from an accredited program depending on the depth of the course. On the other hand, as a veterinary assistant, a higher education isn’t really necessary as you can just go through a short course or training program by the employer.

Furthermore, there is also a vast difference in benefits such as salaries. Although the sum of income depends on the location, a veterinary technician makes about $26,000 to $40,000 annually while a veterinary assistant make about $14,000 to about $25,000 at the most.

Also, there is a difference in job opportunities as well. As both jobs are at high demand, there is no doubt on job security. But it varies on locations. In example, a veterinary technician could work in hospitals, zoos, animal shelters, biomedical facilities and diagnostic research laboratories. Whereas a veterinary assistant is grounded to clinics, hospitals, pet stores and shelters.

In conclusion, there are many differences between veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants, aside from the 4 main ones mentioned above. So if you’ve been assuming the jobs are similar, think again.

For more information about veterinary assistant programs in your area go to http://www.BostonReedCollege.com.

Top Skills Needed To Be An Effective Medical Assistant

By Daryl B. Chapman

Nowadays many are enticed to get into the medical assisting career. This is because the medical industry is rapidly expanding and growing that it needs a lot of healthcare assistants to sustain people’s medical needs. Another reason why people pursue this kind of career is because the program course is very easy and convenient. It only takes six months to one year to finish the entire course. Furthermore, students can conveniently enroll online. People use this kind of healthcare career as a stepping stone if they want to pursue medical career or administrative career. A lot of them enroll in this kind of career to finance their education in medicine or other administrative courses.

Contrary to how easy and comfortable finishing its trainings and program courses, the duties and responsibilities of being a medical assistant (MA) is a daunting task. There are skills that one must master in order to be well equipped in this line of work. They cover a wide scope of work from administrative tasks to clinical tasks. These are:

– Filing paperwork, lab slips, insurance forms and billing statements.
– Retrieving and reviewing patient’s medications and medical history, complaints if any and interrogation of patient’s complaints.
– Stocking and purchasing of office and medical supplies.
– Coding medical and office supplies and procedures.
– Answering telephone calls, arranging doctor’s schedules.
– Greeting and interviewing patients.
– Participating in training of aspiring assistants
– Helping doctors examine and treat patients.
– Drawing of blood
– Checking of height, weight, temperature and blood pressure of the patients
– Preparing and administering medications, instructing patients in taking medications
– Changing the patients dressings
– Removing sutures
– Acting as the doctor’s liaison
– Keeping the patients feel at home and comfortable in the hospital

The above mentioned tasks are only a few from the massive duties and responsibilities of medical assistants. To be able to fulfill these tasks, an aspiring assistants must possess these following skills:

Administrative skills – Medical assistants will do a lot of administrative tasks and one should possess skills on this area. Medical assistant should have skills on keeping the files organized and intact. Moreover, it is advisable to have skills on bookkeeping as well because handling finance records are included in their tasks.

Clinical skills – This is one major skill that a MA should posses. Clinical skills are gained through hands-on training and practical experience. During program courses, a lot of lessons are taught such as anatomy, physiology, medical ethics and terminology but these are just theories and should be put into practice before a student will be able to gain skills on these areas. For instance, giving patients medicines through injections, theory is not enough to be able to master it. Medical assistants should experience performing injections to patients with direct supervision of a licensed health care provider.

Good communication skills – Medical assistants are also responsible for keeping the patients feel at home and comfortable, they should possess good communication skills. They are the ones who answer phone calls and sometimes explain the procedures that are being done to the patients. With that said, they should know how to communicate not only to patients but to the other medical staffs in the hospital as well. They should have the ability to converse clearly, concisely, precisely and calmly most especially in emergency situations.

Indeed medical assisting is very in demand these days. It is very easy to finish trainings and program courses and very effortless to find a job. They have so many duties and responsibilities and without the right skills, one will not be able to fulfill these enormous and daunting tasks.

Learn more about Medical Assisting now! 

Health Information Technician: Career Profile and Job Outlook

Would you like to work in the health care field in an administrative role? Are you interested in data analysis? If so, read on to find out more about a career as a health information technician!

What are the Duties of a Health Information Technician?

As a health information technician, you gather patient data, evaluate its accuracy, and organize the data to make it easily accessible to patients, doctors and insurance companies. Medical history, symptom information, test results, diagnoses and related data make up the vast archive of information in a patient’s medical record. You may assess medical records for completeness and correspond with other medical professionals to obtain extra information as needed.

Because most technicians are employed in a hospital setting, you will need to become increasingly familiar with electronic health care records, which are beginning to be used with more and more frequency. Additionally, there are several specialty areas within the health information technician field, such as cancer registry and health information coding.

What Is My Occupational Outlook?

Employment opportunities in the health information technician field are excellent. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 172,600 technicians employed as of 2008; the number of available positions was expected to increase to 207,600 by 2018 (http://www.bls.gov). This is an estimated growth rate of 20% and is faster than the national average for all professions. The growth in this field is due to insurance companies demanding that medical treatments become more scrutinized and health information technicians having to keep more accurate and detailed records.

Click here to learn more about this in-demand profession!

Check out Hot Careers in Healthcare for more information about this exciting opportunity . Register today!

Deciding to Start a New Career in Allied Health

By Erik R. Johnson

The term ‘allied health’ is generally used to indicate a cluster of health care professions that covers more than 100 occupational titles, exclusive of physicians, nurses, and a handful of others. Generally, this profession is categorized into two broad categories, mainly – therapists/technologists and technicians (assistants). While technicians perform their duties under the direction of therapists and their education takes less than two years, the educational course of technologists on another hand is more strenuous and their responsibilities primarily revolve around technical skills. They are actually the key personnel who play a vital role in identifying the grounds behind different healing methods that can help them in evaluating the side effects of any therapeutic procedure.

Today allied health is one of the few professions that offer enough room and ample opportunities for career advancement. Talking about the scope of this profession, there are some of the most promising statistics that certainly define the growing popularity of this profession. In fact, it is estimated that there are near about 5 million allied health care professionals who are working in more than 80 different professions. Adding to this, as per the recent study made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is expected that in the next few years almost 36% more health care professionals will be required in the allied health fields. All these facts and studies clearly indicate about the rising demand for allied health workers.

These days, there are even many specialized areas in health care that have been very little to do with being a doctor or a nurse. The key point to note is that these careers like Recreational Therapist, Clinical Laboratory Technicians, Health Information Technician and many more suitably fall into the allied health class and collectively make the health care system succeed. Perhaps, looking at the current situation, it won’t be wrong to state that this field in health care is varied and there is something for just about everyone. However, if we talk in terms of salary then the salary in this field differs largely depending on the kind of employment setting, years of experience, region of the country, occupancy and designation.

Apart from this, the greatest reward of a job in this field is that it is one of the few professions that actually allow you to bring a positive health change directly, which can be both empowering and satisfying as well. At times the change can be immediate, or even the one with the lasting result, but depending on your area of expertise, it can offer a variety of opportunities and avenues in which you wish to practice. It is one of the few fields that can bring a difference to not just your life but other life as well. So, by now if you have made up your mind and planning for making a career in this allied health care field then to get started all you need is the right training from a reputable school.

An allied health care education can help you develop your talents and knowledge in the areas in which you are planning to work. In addition to this, the program supports you, through supervision that further ensures the progress of a personalized learning plan. Contact us today to learn how you can start an exciting career in healthcare!

Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice

By Mark Stout M.D.

Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to assign to a Medical Assistant. It is important to remember Medical Assistants are not licensed to make independent medical assessments or give advice. Although many Medical Assistants may have advanced training in certain clinical areas it is ultimately the responsibility of the supervising physician or other licensed health care provider to assure that their staff and Medical Assistants working in the office are performing duties in compliance with all governing laws.

Physicians must determine the skill level and capabilities of each Medical Assistant they supervise and take into account liability risk and quality control when assigning them their responsibilities. Physicians should provide initial direct supervision and periodically assess the quality of their work. In practices with nurse managers, medical assistants can receive additional supervision coordinated to maximize workflow in a practice. Communicating the Medical Assistant roles to other staff and clearly delineating their responsibilities is important in maximizing the productivity of the health care team.

Although legal requirements addressing the Medical Assistant scope of practice vary by state, the Medical Assistant generally works under the license of their supervising physician or the managed care organization that employs them.

Below are some of the duties that a typical medical assistant may perform (it is important to check with local and state medical boards to determine what duties a medical assistant can legally perform. It is also important to remember that a medical assistant is not a physician, nurse, physician assistant or other licensed health care provider, they must therefore always be supervised by the appropriate licensed health care provider, after all it is the medical practitioner whose license is most at risk.) The role of a medical assistant may be split into both administrative and clinical tasks.

Typical Medical Assistant administrative tasks may include:
Work in reception, answer telephone, schedule appointments, process medical billing, keep financial records, file medical charts, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, transcribe dictation, send letters and triage patients over the telephone using a protocol to determine the acuity of the visit and the visit-length for scheduling purposes.

The clinical tasks of a Medical Assistant vary greatly by state and other local laws as well as the policies of a medical office or the health care setting were they are employed. Some of the supervised clinical tasks of a Medical Assistant may include: escorting the patient to exam room, carry out-patient history interviews, take and record vital signs, prepare patient for examination, provide patient information/instructions, assist with medical examinations/surgical procedures, set up and clean exam rooms, maintain medical supply inventory, restock medical supplies in patient rooms, perform venipuncture (in certain states), administer immunizations (also only in certain states), collect and prepare laboratory specimens, notify patients of laboratory results after evaluation by a physician, schedule patient appointments, translate during medical interviews with non-English-speaking patients, give prevention reminders, instruct patients about medications or special diets, basic patient medical education, perform some basic laboratory tests, prepare medications as directed by the office physician, assist in performing ECGs.

Additional medical assistant duties may include: helping to develop educational materials, educate patients about procedures, negotiate managed care contracts, manage accounts payable, process payroll, document and maintain accounting and banking records, develop and maintain fees schedules, manage renewals of business and professional insurance policies, manage personnel benefits and maintain records, perform marketing, financial and strategic planning. Also, help develop and maintain personnel, policy and procedure materials, perform personnel management functions, negotiate leases and prices for equipment and supply contracts.

There are many laws that govern the function of a medical assistant and other medical office staff members, so a Medical Assistant should never perform any duties or functions unless specifically instructed by their supervising physician or other licensed health care professions.

Although legal requirements addressing Medical Assistants scope of practice vary by state, Medical Assistant generally work under the license of their supervising physician or the managed care organization that employs them. If you have any questions about the legal role a medical assistant may play in your practice please contact your local state medical board for advice.

If you are interested in learning more about medical assisting please call Boston Reed College at 800-201-1141.

How to Start a Career As a Pharmacy Technician

By Keith B. Nelson

Pharmacy Technician is a solid career choice. Health-care jobs are predicted to steadily grow over the next decade. In fact, labor and industry forecasters all seem to agree that most health-care job numbers will keep increasing over the next decade. The aging baby-boomer population reaching their golden years is a major indicator of health-care’s upcoming growth. And, pharmacy is tied into health-care at nearly every level, which means that being a pharmacy technician should prove the be a stable career path over both the short and long-term.

What Do Pharmacy Techs do? Pharmacy Technicians have a wide range of duties since they work in a variety of venues. The majority of techs work in retail stores. Other environments include Hospitals, Long-Term Care facilities, Mail-Order pharmacies and Military bases. Insurance companies also hire experienced pharmacy techs to audit paperwork and adjust claims. Most pharmacy technicians work directly with customers / patients under the direction of a pharmacist. They may perform many of the same duties as a Pharmacist and must have a good working knowledge of the pharmacy operations. Besides counting out tablets and ringing up orders, pharmacy technicians also decode prescriptions, enter data into computers, create labels, make and receive phone calls, rotate stock as well as countless other duties.

Pharmacy Technicians do much of the work in a pharmacy, but they can’t do everything. They may not answer questions about medications or give any advice whatsoever. They can tell a customer where to find “over-the-counter” products and even read the words from the packaging. However, they can never personally advise anyone to use any type of drug product. Overall, a pharmacy technician’s main goal is to assist the pharmacist in helping patients and customers. They are expected to be attentive and accurate, but also friendly and knowledgeable.

Interested in training as a Pharmacy Technician? Register today at Boston Reed College.  For more information attend an online information session or call us at 800-201-1141 x 0 and ask for an Admissions Consultant.

So, How Do You Finance Your Career Training?

By Dana Bernard

At Boston Reed College we speak to hundreds of people each day who would love to take a program but are unsure how to pay for it. Not a big surprise in today’s economy.

Don’t Pay Too Much

Boston Reed College is unique! Unlike other private schools that provide healthcare training, Boston Reed doesn’t have any campuses. You won’t find any buildings with a tower, like you see in the Boston Reed logo. Rather, Boston Reed College partners with other educational providers such as community colleges, universities and adult schools. Without large infrastructure to maintain, Boston Reed is able to focus on delivering affordable healthcare training, designed for busy adults looking to get a foot in the door to healthcare careers. By partnering with local educational institutions in communities where the jobs are, the partnerships seek to meet the need of the local workforce providers quickly and offer training that provides both classroom and ‘on the job’ opportunities through externships that Boston Reed coordinates.

Payment Options

Payment options will vary from school to school. At most locations the following payment options are available. If you are interested in knowing more about an specific location contact us directly at 800-201-1141 and ask for an Admissions Consultant.

BRC Payment Plan – $350 deposit, remaining tuition in two payments ( 1st day of class and 5-10 weeks later).

Credit Based Loan – Our partnership with Sallie Mae allows you to apply for a  loan individually or with a co-borrower. The loan payout comes to Boston Reed College and you make payments to Sallie Mae over a predetermined time period.

Financing Plan – Finance your education through our exclusive partnership with Tuition Options. Get started with a down payment as low as $150 and monthly payments up to 12 months. The plan has a low interest rate of 10% and everyone qualifies!

BRC Scholarship Program – Boston Reed College awards full scholarships for up to three students each calendar quarter. The Scholarship Committee makes its decisions based on student merit and financial need. Applicants must complete an application form and fulfill the scholarship requirements to be eligible. Application due dates are January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.

One-Stop Career Center – One-Stop Career Centers offer free tools and resources to support members of the community who are looking to change or embark upon a career. It is possible you may qualify for funding through your local center. Go to servicelocator.org and enter your zip code to find the One-Stop Center nearest you.

Your Education is an Investment

A solid education can provide you with a wide range of personal, financial and other lifelong benefits. Think of it as an investment in you and your family. Make time to call Boston Reed College today at 800-201-1141 and ask for an Admissions Consultant. Don’t miss your investment opportunity!

Job Seekers Must Change Search Habits to Get in the Health IT Game

March 10, 2011 | Molly Merrill, Associate Editor Healthcare IT News

MARYSVILLE, WA – Job candidates with IT experience or interest are not broadening their searches to include jobs in the healthcare IT field, even though experts say it is ripe with opportunity, according to MedZilla.com. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that healthcare jobs increased by 34,000 in February – more than three times as many jobs created in January. And although layoffs were reported to be up in February, only 1,337 were in healthcare, according to outplacement consulting organization Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

“Healthcare remains a consistent growth industry in the U.S.,” said John Burkhardt, managing director of  MedZilla.com, a website for professionals and employers in pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical sales, biotechnology, science and medicine.

“It’s not just doctors and nurses, though, that are benefiting. As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – health care reform – comes closer to its final effective date in 2014, information technology roles will continue to grow in both scope and number,” he said.

“People who never thought they’d be getting jobs in healthcare might someday be reporting to hospitals or medical technology firms,” Burkhardt added.

February’s candidate search numbers from MedZilla.com speak to Burkhardt’s point – companies seeking qualified applicants increased their search activities by 2.5 percent in February. Companies who increased candidate searches in general were mostly located in California (up four percent) and New Jersey (3.1 percent); however, numbers dropped significantly in North Carolina and Texas – both down 3.3 percent. Job postings by employers and job searches by applicants remained fairly even, month-to-month, with only New Jersey showing a significant change – up 1.3 percent in postings and 1.2 percent in searches.

“We haven’t seen corresponding changes – in New Jersey or anywhere else – with technology-minded applicants looking for jobs in healthcare information technology,” said Del Johnston, MedZilla’s manager of Client Relations. “Our numbers for the past few months haven’t shifted much one way or the other. It’s still very possible to scoop everyone else and try to get in on the ground floor with health care IT.”

HIT:Who are the employers?

Who are the employers? There are many organizations already in and getting into the EHR market place today, due to the government support for EHR adoption.

Some organizations looking for qualified staff includes:

• •Healthcare providers (e.g., Hospitals, Home Health Agencies, Nursing Homes etc.)
• Hospitals are looking for support to help grow their staff to support both hospital-based implementation, as well as support for their owned physician practices
• Physician Organizations (e.g., Independent Physician Association, large scale practices)
• Regional Extension Centers (REC)
• Non-profit organizations funded by the government to work with primary care practices to help them adopt, implement and use EHR systems. In New Jersey, NJIT is the state federally funded REC
• EHR Vendors (There are more than 300 in the current marketplace)
• Value Added Resellers (VARs)
• Companies that specialize in a few EHR vendor products and offer full level support
• EHR Consulting Companies
• Medical Malpractice Insurers • HIT Providers (e.g., clearinghouses, e-Prescribing entities, laboratories, etc.)