Medical Assistants and Growing Opportunities in Eldercare and Pediatrics

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that through the next decade, over 160,000 new medical assistants will be needed to fill this important healthcare role. An aging population means that medical facilities must expand to accommodate the need. As a result, healthcare establishments are hiring medical assistants to help process paperwork, complete initial patient consultations and tend to the routine office tasks necessary to keep practices running smoothly.

As the Federal mandate for electronic medical record keeping unfolds in early 2014, medical assistants are also needed to help with the transition. For medical assistants looking for a shift in their career, the need for health informatics specialists to complete medical coding tasks is also growing. According to BLS data, billing and coding specialists will remain a growing component of the healthcare sector throughout the decade.

For medical assistants looking to develop a specialty area in direct patient care, family practices are steadily growing. This means that both the elderly and the very young are often being seen in the same office. Medical assistants that can set themselves apart with additional training to better understand the needs of pediatric and senior patients may be able to leverage the competitive edge in a job search.

Medical assistants who are looking for more responsibility and bigger challenges can further their education and become an LPN or RN and advance their careers in a variety of directions. Others may choose to try their hand in a research field and continue higher education which can prepare them for work as a laboratory assistant or laboratory technician.

With many reputable online programs to choose from, busy professionals can take advantage of flexible programs which can be completed while remaining fully employed. With so many expanding opportunities, the time has never been better to broaden professional horizons.