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Career Colleges    » Virginia    » Health, Medical, and Nursing     » Medical Assistant

Virginia Medical Assistant Degrees

Medical Assistant Degrees: Virginia Colleges

Looking for accredited career colleges, technical schools, and universities in Virginia offering Medical Assistant degrees. Medical and Dental Assistants work in hospitals, doctors offices, dental offices and clinics to ensure the best care for patients.

Virginia is a great state in which to go to college. Virginia college students enjoy close proximity to Washington, D.C., but also the opportunity to live in a more rural or suburban setting. Virginia is home to many colleges and universities. Virginia is still a surprisingly rural state, with tobacco as the primary cash crop. It was the birthplace of our nation, as the very first European settlement in North America was established at Jamestown in 1607. Virginia is a state of contrasts: not only do you have historic Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, you also find the home of the Pentagon and of Mae East, the major East Coast internet hub. Whether you enjoy hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, wandering along its beaches, or enjoying a quiet dinner in its many fine restaurants, you are likely to find attending college in Virginia to be an excellent choice.

Virginia Colleges: Medical Assistant Degrees

If you are thinking of training for a new career, then why not enroll in a college program to train as a Medical Assistant? The Bureau of Labor estimates that this is the fastest growing career between 2002 and 2012 so opportunities should be plentiful, especially if you have a college education and certification. Many people have learned ?on the job' in the past; however, employers are increasingly looking for individuals who can land running'.

As a Medical Assistant you would perform routine clinical and administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of the Physician's office; freeing up the Physician's, Chiropractor's, Podiatrist's or Health Practitioner's time which can be spent on duties requiring higher clinical expertise. You may find that in smaller clinics, with fewer personnel, your range of duties and responsibilities will be greater than those in larger clinics or hospitals.

Your day-to-day tasks may include filing, billing, greeting patients, making appointments, completing insurance claims or arranging laboratory tests. The level of clinical duties you may be allowed to perform varies between States according to State law. You may be required to take medical histories, explain treatment procedures, or take vital signs such as blood pressures. Other duties may include carrying out basic laboratory tests onsite or arranging for these to be sent to a specialist unit. You may also be required to decontaminate and sterilize equipment or dispose of contaminated supplies.

Your education will generally last about 1 year for certification or 2 years for an associate's degree. You may learn about subjects such as anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, transcription, book keeping, and insurance processing.

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