Jobs in the healthcare industry continue to be in-demand, and according to recent reports, career outlook is returning to pre-pandemic levels. If you want to make a difference in people’s lives and are just getting started, re-careering, or unsure of the specific specialty you want, getting started as a medical assistant is a great option.
In addition, as a nine-month program, graduates can be in the workforce making an impact in less than a year.
Medical assistants handle both clerical and clinical duties. They often prepare patients for examinations, take their medical histories, assist during exams, perform basic lab tests and more. In addition, roles and responsibilities also include welcoming and signing in patients, answering phones and scheduling appointments. Medical assistants truly are the utility players of the office or practice.
In addition, for many medical assistant graduates, the certification provides the opportunity to expand their knowledge, seek additional training and the opportunity to pursue other professions throughout the medical field, if they choose to do so.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical assistants is expected to grow almost 20 percent by 2030. The growth of the aging baby-boom population will continue to increase demand for preventive medical services, which are often provided by physicians, [who] will hire more medical assistants to perform routine clinical and administrative duties.
Pima Medical has been educating students in the healthcare field since 1972. Many of our graduates began their careers with a medical assisting certificate, before pursuing additional education.
Yvonne De Los Reyes, is a 2007 graduate of the Medical Assistant certificate program at Pima Medical’s Tucson campus. She is also the Clinical Research Coordinator at Tucson’s Quality of Life Medical and Research Center, which participated in one of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine trials. She had been working as a receptionist in a medical office when she first decided to pursue her certification.
She said, “I was already in the medical field working as a receptionist when I decided to attend Pima Medical for the medical assistant program.”
After Pima Medical, De Los Reyes furthered her education by becoming a certified clinical research coordinator, along with various other trainings. De Los Reyes has coordinated more than 100 clinical trials including a few cancer trials.
She says the vaccine trial has been the most impactful so far. “Moderna has definitely been the trial that may have the biggest impact on my career as a coordinator, more so even during a pandemic,” she added.
Her education at Pima Medical was the foundation she built upon to reach her current role.
Jasmine Zapien Castillo graduated from the Mesa, Ariz. campus with a medical assistant certificate back in 1997. Castillo was a teenage mom who had to drop out of high school and later get her GED. After a traumatic family event, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career in healthcare. She enrolled in the Medical Assistant program.
After graduation, she ultimately landed her dream job at Arizona Heart Institute. After 23 years helping others, Castillo decided she wanted to give back. She became an instructor at the Phoenix campus, teaching other medical assistant students.
She says, “My goal is to help my students succeed. I think my experience as a single mom helps me be a better instructor. I know that pushing through and doing the hard work will pay off. It is so rewarding knowing I am making a difference in my student’s lives.”
Pima Medical offers the Medical Assistant certificate program at nearly all of our ground campus locations. Students can enroll now to begin the first step toward a rewarding career in healthcare.
