Can You Become a Medical Assistant Without Experience?
Jan 21, 2024
Do you need experience needed to be a medical assistant? Well, not always. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, you don't need experience to become a medical assistant. If you want to give yourself the best opportunity to secure a role as a medical assistant then gaining experience can be helpful but it's not always a deciding factor for those who wish to go into this field of healthcare.
If you're considering a career as a medical assistant, this guide will help you understand the benefits of gaining experience, as well as what can be achieved without experience.
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“According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, you don't need experience to become a medical assistant.”
Entry-level opportunities for medical assistants
There are a number of entry-level job opportunities that you can look into as a budding medical assistant and some will require little to no experience.
Of course, experience is always something that can put you in front of other candidates but with plenty of jobs in this industry, you won't be short of job postings available.
A medical assistant clerk takes care of all the administrative duties that keep the medical practice or clinic running like clockwork. Experience needed to be a medical assistant is important for a medical assistant clerk, however, it's not something that's a deal breaker.
A phlebotomist is someone who primarily is responsible for drawing blood to send off for laboratory tests of all kinds. Therefore, this role is a critical part of the medical field. Employers will often require a certification for this role, as well as relevant work experience.
If you're asking yourself, how to become a phlebotomist, experience can be helpful. However, it's not necessary.
EKG technicians are healthcare staff who perform various diagnostic tests to assist doctors offices and doctors in general in identifying cardiovascular problems within parents.
These tests can help discover potential problems, whether underlying or apparent. These irregularities are often what lead to heart disease or a heart attack. Certification is necessary for EKG technicians but experience isn't something that's required.
If you're looking at how to become an EKG technician, then check out our article on the topic.
Advantages of gaining experience to become a medical assistant
What are some of the advantages of gaining experience when it comes to becoming a medical assistant?
While it is possible to achieve a career in this field with no experience - after all everyone has to start somewhere - it's useful to have on-the-job training where possible. Here are some of the benefits of gaining experience beforehand.
Building confidence and competence
Being able to conduct yourself within any workplace requires confidence and competence. That's two qualities that you can stand to gain when it comes to acquiring work experience in medical assisting prior to applying to any post.
By having that confidence, it not only helps you in the interview room but also in navigating the day-to-day situations you'll be put into and that can vary quite drastically.
Networking opportunities in the healthcare industry
As with any career path and industry, it's often who you know that can make a big difference to the success you have. Networking opportunities are in abundance, even in the healthcare industry.
Regardless of the healthcare facility or environment you want to work in, most medical assistants will have got a leg up by knowing someone who speaking to those already in the role.
Enhancing job market competitiveness
In order to ensure your job search results in success it's good to have experience needed to be a medical assistant. Most medical assistants will gain experience in order to enhance their job market competitiveness.
That's why it's useful to look at medical assistant programs and to garner as much experience as possible for a medical assisting job.
Becoming a certified nursing assistant is likely going to prioritize you to the top of the resume pile being looked at by the recruitment team.
Tips for breaking into the medical assistant field without experience
If you're looking to break into a medical assistant career without experience then these tips for new medical assistants are worth knowing.
Make sure you have your high school diploma at the very least. This is going to give you the opportunity to apply to medical assisting programs. With that in mind, make sure you pick a good medical assistants program. Employers prefer to see recognizable courses and institutes rather than those they've never heard before.
Finally, do your own research and build knowledge of what medical assistants do. From knowing the administrative tasks of a medical clerk to understanding medical terminology. All of this information is going to help you get closer to a position as a medical assistant in the future. Of course, it's good to have experience but a medical assistant position can still be achieved without it.
It's worth weighing up the pros and cons of medical assistant as you want to ensure that this is the right job for you.
