Montana Medical Assistant Programs

How to Become a Medical Assistant in Montana and Medical Assistant Programs in Montana

Medical assistants perform many important tasks in hospitals and physicians' offices. These healthcare professionals may help weigh patients and take their vitals, maintain office records, schedule appointments, and administer injections. Depending on the environment that they're working in, medical assistants may help the physician with examinations and certain medical procedures. Medical assistants can choose a clinical or administrative focus. They may also do an assortment of tasks in both areas, especially if they are working in a particularly small office. Keep reading to learn more about how to become a medical assistant in Montana and medical assistant programs in Montana.

There is no required course of study to become a medical assistant in Montana. However, this can be a very competitive field so it's very advantageous to have as much education as possible. Flathead Valley Community College offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in medical assisting. This program includes five semesters of study that can be completed in two years with a summer semester. Courses cover both clinical and administrative tasks including medical terminology, business mathematics, clinical procedures, pharmacology, phlebotomy, medical coding, and medical office procedures. This program will prepare students for a variety of jobs in the field of medical assisting.

The Montana State University Billings College of Technology offers a medical administrative assistant program that focuses on administrative tasks that are necessary in a doctor's office or hospital. This is a short certificate program. Upon completion, students may also go on to pursue an Associate of Applied Science degree as a medical administrative assistant or medical assistant. Though certification is not required, this too will help improve employment opportunities in this field. There are many options for certification in this area including Certified Medical Assistant from the American Association of Medical Assistants and Registered Medical Assistant from the American Medical Technologists.

Medical assisting is a growing career field. Graduates in this area can expect to find very good overall job opportunities. In Montana, the annual mean wage for medical assistants was $29,140 as of May, 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This equates to about $14.01 an hour. Medical assistants with earnings in the bottom ten percent of the field made less than $20,450 while those in the top ten percent made more than $37,680. National job growth for this field is expected to be about 31% between 2010 and 2020, presenting many new opportunities for those interested in becoming a medical assistant in Montana.