Are you passionate about healthcare and eager to start a rewarding career that directly impacts patient care? Becoming a medical assistant could be the perfect allied healthcare path for you!
While they often fly under the radar, medical assistants play a pivotal role in the quality of healthcare patients receive. This career offers many benefits, making it a highly sought-after position. One of those advantages is the opportunity to become a traveling medical assistant.
What is a medical assistant?
It’s important to note that a medical assistant's exact duties and responsibilities can vary depending on the healthcare setting. For example, medical assistants may have more specialized roles in larger facilities. Meanwhile, in smaller practices, they may be responsible for a wider range of tasks.
Regardless of the specific responsibilities, medical assistants are crucial in delivering patient-centered care and ensuring the smooth operation of healthcare practices.
A medical assistant is responsible for clinical and administrative tasks in medical offices, clinics, and hospitals. This dual role ensures the smooth operation of healthcare facilities and enhances the overall patient experience. Travel medical assistants have the same workload and perform similar duties to standard medical assistants.
These assistants will be expected to complete a variety of clinical and administrative tasks for clients, such as:
- Assists physician during patient exams, including collection and testing of samples and measuring vital signs
- Meets with patients to gather medical history and prep for examination
- Discuss treatment plans with patients, including medication and diet
- Administers medications and submits prescriptions and refill orders as directed by the physician
- Administering injections and medications to patients as directed by the physician
- Collecting samples of blood and other bodily fluids for testing
- Assisting with patient examinations
- Helping prepare patients for medical tests
- Performs basic wound care and removing stitches
- Scheduling appointments and collecting patient information to keep on file
- Answering patient’s questions
- Submitting refill requests
- Aiding with billing and insurance claims
What is a travel medical assistant?
A travel medical assistant is a healthcare professional who uses their skills and knowledge on travel assignments to assist clinics or hospitals experiencing staffing shortages. Traveling medical assistants can work in hospitals, medical centers, nursing facilities, clinics, government institutions, and schools. This is an excellent way to build your resume and obtain hands-on experience.
They travel around the country or the world to visit local offices to experience different healthcare settings. Traveling medical personnel can help clinics with temporary vacancies or shortages and ensure proper patient care. Your duties differ depending on where you are on assignment, but you typically assist with charting, patient care, clerical work, and other support tasks.
A traveling medical assistant works under a doctor or nurse and handles support responsibilities in various locations. They often work at a location for a few weeks or months, generally signing a four- to 12-week contract. When the contract ends, traveling medical assistants can either sign another contract with the same medical facility if offered, look for a new contract elsewhere, or return home to take time off.
Why consider becoming a travel medical assistant?
Great job outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for medical assistants is growing much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment is projected to grow 14% from 2022 to 2032. This equates to about 114,600 job openings each year. The healthcare industry is also expanding due to an aging population and increased access to healthcare services. Since becoming a medical assistant is a great way to get started in healthcare, it makes a great building block for a stable career.
Opportunities for specialization and growth
As a medical assistant, you can tailor your career to your interests by specializing in pediatrics, ophthalmology, oncology, or cardiology. Plus, the experience and skills you gain can serve as a stepping stone to other healthcare roles and careers. Whether you’re eyeing positions in healthcare administration, nursing, or another specialized medical field, starting as a medical assistant provides a solid foundation.
Rewarding
One of the most rewarding reasons to pursue traveling medical assisting is the vital services you provide patients. As with regular medical assistant jobs and other roles within healthcare, this occupation allows you to help people realize better health and wellness. This provides a unique opportunity to make a genuine difference in people’s lives daily. Whether through the reassurance you provide during a procedure or the empathy you display in understanding a patient’s concerns, the human connection is deeply gratifying.
Flexible
Job flexibility is a major draw with this position, as well. As a traveling medical assistant, you can choose when you would like to work. Because job contracts are relatively short-term, you can explore other career opportunities once contracts close.
Being a traveling medical assistant also allows you to choose where you work. Many healthcare companies and facilities require these services, meaning a remote medical assistant may have a wider selection of job opportunities. Additionally, trying out different medical environments is an excellent way to make meaningful contacts and gain experience that you can use to enhance your resume.
How to become a traveling medical assistant
This career is one of the fastest ways to break into the industry. Many clinics and medical facilities expect traveling healthcare professionals to jump into their roles immediately, sometimes with a brief orientation and minimal training. Before seeking remote medical assistant jobs, you must obtain the proper qualifications. To become a traveling medical assistant, you must first become a certified medical assistant. You can earn these credentials through the American Association of Medical Assistants after passing an exam and completing an accredited program. You can become a licensed assistant as well.
To successfully acquire a travel assistant contract, candidates will need to complete the following:
- Earn a high school diploma or GED
- Graduate from an accredited medical assistant program
- Obtain medical assistant certification
- Have at least two years of experience as a medical assistant
Additional qualifications include reliability, a flexible schedule, excellent communication skills, a positive and outgoing personality, and the ability to work in various assigned situations.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant?
You can become a medical assistant in as little as 9 months with a diploma or certificate program or up to 2 years if you pursue an associate degree.
Remember that actual program lengths may vary depending on the institution and whether you attend full or part-time.
How much does it cost to become a medical assistant?
The cost of becoming a medical assistant can vary based on many factors. For example, a diploma or certificate program is often less expensive than an ADN program.
Here’s a brief overview of some of the costs you are likely to pay or incur in becoming a medical assistant:
- Tuition. Diploma and certificate programs can cost between $5,000 and $15,000, while associate degree programs at community colleges may range from $8,000 to $20,000.
- Books and supplies. Be sure to budget for textbooks and other supplies, which can add up to several hundred dollars.
- Certification exam fees. If you choose to pursue certification, there will be additional fees for the exam, typically ranging from $125 to $250.
- Additional costs. Consider expenses for transportation to clinical sites and any required immunizations or background checks.
Financial aid, scholarships, and grants are often available to help offset your education costs. Explore these options to make your college degree and medical assistant training more affordable.
Start your journey to becoming a travel medical assistant
Becoming a medical assistant is a fulfilling and accessible path to a career in healthcare. The time and cost investment is relatively modest compared to many other healthcare professions, making it an attractive option for those looking to enter the field quickly. With the right education and certification, you can enjoy a stable and rewarding career as a medical assistant. You can take pride in supporting healthcare teams and improving patient care. You will find many advantages in the role regardless of why you wish to pursue a travel medical assistant job.
If you’re looking to begin your travel nursing journey in 2024, look no further than Prolink’s selection of top travel medical assistant jobs. Click below to get started.
