Participate in Apprentice Medical Assisting Programs

In spite of the current economic situation in the United States, health care training programs in coding and medical assisting continue to flourish.
Medical Assistants can be a lifesaver for a busy doctor whose schedule is packed day after day, and many specialty and internal medicine practices have used a medical assistant from the day their practices opened.
They usually assist the physician by showing the patient to the exam rooms, taking the patient's vital signs, performing testing such as EKG, drawing blood, and noting the patient's chief complaint in advance of the physicians exam.

Without an assistant, the front desk is often overwhelmed by their daily tasks and important issues such as referrals and authorizations may fall by the wayside.  Those physicians who do not utilize the skills of the medical assistant often rely on the front desk staff to prepare the patient rooms, show the patients in and out and keep stock of the inventory for exams and procedures.  

Of course payroll considerations are often the issue when physicians decide whether or not to employ an assistant.  However, this may not have to be the deciding factor.  

All students preparing for their certification in medical assisting must undergo some form of apprenticeship program.   Schools that offer training in this field are always looking for practices to participate in their programs, thereby offering their students experience not only in their craft, but also in the ability to better understand the dynamics of working closely with a physician and what medicine will demand from them as they move forward.

A simple phone call to a school in your area that offers this type of training should automatically enable you to participate as a mentor to an apprentice medical assistant.   These students are usually highly motivated to excel in their field.   They understand that the participating physician will be expected to provide their school with an evaluation of their skills and overall knowledge.  Without the completion of a satisfactory apprenticeship, these students will not receive certification, nor will they graduate from their program.  

Best of all the apprenticeship is an unpaid position and your practice will be able to utilize and help further develop a student's skill set without any adverse financial effects.  Often these assistants will become part of your full time staff when they graduate and have a significant impact on the health of your operation.  I encourage every practice to participate in these valuable programs.