Before you can start your new career in the health care field you need to obtain the proper credentials in order to be hired. If you have a local Community College in your area that would probably the best place to start.
Once you have been accepted to the learning institution of your choice, you will have to obtain the funding to pay for it. This process can be a little overwhelming at first, but if it gets to you at any time don't worry it's just how these things work. Stop what you're doing and give things a rest for a day and then go back at it.
In a short time you will have gotten the finances worked out and you will be showing up for your first class. Just take things one day at a time and remember Rome was not built in a day. Becoming a health care professional is not for everyone because not everyone is willing to do the work to become one. Your whole life can change in just one or two years because you did what you had to do now.
Good luck to you,
Kevin
Medical Record Technicians are like the Librarians of the health care system. They must be familiar with both paper and electronic record keeping in order to keep countless patient files in order. As a medical records technician you will not be involved in direct patient care. Instead you will be helping nurses and others keep up with patient records, medical history, prescription usage and more.
Most employers will expect you have some type of certification before starting work, such as the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) program - and the Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR) program. Courses in Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology and Coding Systems are all an important part of the program. Knowledge of the financial and technical side of the health care profession will also be necessary.
Part of your daily activities will be transferring paper records to digital as more and more hospitals and doctors change over to electronic health records. No matter where you work (hospital or doctors office) you will be expected to handle detail oriented work and have the necessary people skills to communicate with a variety of other health care professionals.
Surgical Technologists are employees of a hospital and they assist surgeons before, during, and after operations. First you will set up the operating room for surgery and pass the instruments to the surgeon during surgery. The average shift will be eight hours starting as early as 6:00 AM to as late as 3:00 PM.
If you are interested in becoming a Surgical Technologist, you need to look for a two year program. This type of program is offered by many Community Colleges in your local area. During the program you can expect to work for three months in a hospital where you will scrub in and participate in actual surgeries.
At the end of the course you will have to take and pass a certification exam to become a "Certified Surgical Technologist". People who are successful in this field must be able to stay calm in stressful situations. Having a sense of humor is helpful and being able to not let things get to you is very important.
This job is not boring and each surgery and each new patient will have it's own unique twists. The OR Staff is a close knit group and you will become like a family within a short period of time. On the downside of the job, you can expect to be on your feet for long periods of time without any breaks. Remember when you start a surgical operation, it may not always go smoothly or as planned.
A Medical Assistant is a person who completes administrative tasks in a doctor’s office or hospital. Medical assistant jobs are growing much faster than most professions in America, with an estimated increase of 31% in available jobs between 2010 and 2020.
As the demand for medical assistants increases, so does the medical assistant salary. Between 2002 and 2004, medical assistants earned an average of $25,000 a year. In 2008, the average salary jumped to $29,000, then again to $30,000 in 2010. As of 2013, the average salary of the top-earning medical assistants was $35,500, plus benefits. Considering that the demand for medical assistants and the related salary is predicted to keep growing at this rate, there has never been a better time to become a medical assistant.
The National Average Salary is $32,500 with a suggested education requirement of Associate of Science in Medical Assisting. In addition, those who have received certification through the AAMA as a Certified Medical Assistants can expect to receive a higher hourly rate. This is due to the fact that employers prefer CMAs because they fear that improperly trained assistants may lead to malpractice suits and other issues. Certification ensures that candidates have met rigorous training standards, demonstrated knowledge through testing, and are capable of providing high quality services.
JOB DETAILS:
Performs a complete range of basic clinical, billing and clerical services in a medical office under the direction of a registered nurse or physician. Responsibilities include: greeting, receiving, and preparing patients; maintaining the examination areas; receiving and screening telephone calls; scheduling appointments; and coordinating patient flow.
The rate of growth in the medical billing and coding industry is expected to increase at a faster rate than most other occupations? Skilled medical billers and coding technicians are in high demand. Online training in billing and coding can help you find work in a variety of medical settings whether a private medical office or healthcare facility, a hospital or clinic, or even a claims examiner for insurance companies.
MEDICAL BILLING AND CODING - Salary Range $30,000 TO $38,000
Hospitals and doctor’s offices are the two main places where most of medical billing experts work. These are the places that pay the best and most attractive remuneration for medical coders. About 30 percent of medical billing professionals in the United States are employed in the hospitals which pay them an average salary of $38,000. On the other hand, doctor’s offices which are the second biggest employer of medical billing and coding experts pay an average salary of $30,000 per year.
JOB DETAILS:
A medical biller performs many duties for medical institutions such as submitting claims, answering questions regarding claims, calculating charges and reviewing patient records. These institutions may include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, nursing homes or physician offices.
