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Ceete Sheekels, PhD
Copyright (c) 2011 Ceete Sheekels, PhD You will need your CMA(Certified Medical Assistant) in order to get started with MedicalBillingAndCoding. Medical assistants are needed in all branches of the medical profession. A pediatric medical assistant is one that assists pediatricians with a number of tasks either medical, administrative or both. Focusing on a particular concentration in the general field of medical assisting can be a good idea. You may be more likely to get hired if you can demonstrate a certain specialty on which you have focused your educational attention. The following are some steps you can take to become a pediatric medical assistant. Find and Enroll in Training Program Training programs in medical assisting are common and can be found at community colleges, career/vocational schools, and technician schools. Common program lengths are 1 year programs that result in degrees or diplomas and 2 year Associate's degree programs. Many of these programs offer specializations in various areas of focus within the field such as pediatrics. Look for programs that offer these specializations - not all do, so don't automatically assume that any program will be suitable in this way. Accreditation is also important. Nationally or regionally accredited programs are usually the most well respected. In addition, graduated from accredited schools looks good on a resume and entitles a person to take national certification exams. The two main national accrediting organizations in the field are the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Look for schools with these or other accreditations if at all possible. Get Certified after Graduation The best certifications to get are national ones. Two organizations - the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT) are the main ones that handle certifications at the national level. These associations offer certification exams that are fairly easy to pass as long you have completed an educational program and/or done adequate test preparation. Getting certified, especially by one of these national organizations, is a good idea and results in a useful and widely respected credential. This is perhaps especially true in the case of a pediatric medical assistant. Employers and others want only the most professional, competent, and morally upstanding individuals working with children. They cannot afford to hire somebody of questionable judgment or education, since causing harm to a child either intentionally or through negligence is such a serious issue. These national certification organizations attest to the fact that their certified members are high caliber both in terms of professional competence and moral character. So becoming a nationally certified medical assistant is a definite advantage when seeking a job as a pediatric medical assistant. Create an Effective Resume Once you have graduated and become certified, you need to put together a good resume. Try to emphasize your strong points and demonstrate that you are highly qualified in your field of focus - in this case pediatric medical assisting. The resume should be brief and to the point while at the same time making a strong case for th4e fact that you are a very responsible, qualified, and moral individual. You also want to get the point across that you work well with people and have reasoning and problem solving skills. Find a Job The final step is to find a job as a pediatric medical assistant and begin working. Places to look for jobs are online job listing and search sites, the local newspaper, and your local employment office. Another idea is to call pediatric practices from out of the phone book and ask either if they are hiring medical assistants or know of practices that are. Once you have gotten your first position as a pediatric medical assistant, you can begin accruing experience and you are on your way. Pediatric medical assisting is a good career to get into if you like children, like the medical field, and may wish to advance to other facets of the medical profession later on. The key is to get well prepared in terms of education, certification, and experience, then find a job where you feel comfortable and which you enjoy.
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