Medical Assistant Schools in Georgia

If you want to work in the health care field, getting a medical assisting degree in Georgia may be one of the career options you’re looking for. Medical assistants perform a wide range of duties that allow them to become indispensable in health care institutions across Georgia. From front desk and administrative duties to caring for patients in the exam room or hospital room, you can get lots of experience in the medical field with this job. One of the growing medical assisting programs in Georgia are Billing and Coding schools. You can quickly get a 2 year associate degree in medical assisting programs and start earning money. Start your medical assisting career today by finding the right school for you!

The recent growth of the health care industry is one of the biggest benefits of pursuing a career in this field. The Albany Herald reports that insurance costs are dropping significantly in Georgia, allowing more people than ever to get health insurance. As these people begin seeking out care, doctors may be looking for ways to make the most of their time and still provide excellent care. This may involve using medical assistants to get a patient’s history, take their vitals, and prepare them for their exam.

Medical Assistant Education in Georgia

You’re looking for a healthcare career that doesn’t require years upon years of training before you begin working. You’re good at working with people and you’re not afraid of working a variety of hours. If this describes you, medical assistant schools in Georgia may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Medical assistants take on some of the most important tasks in medical offices and hospitals, from patient history and vital signs to support during procedures and tests. If you want to thrive in this field, you should be able to think quickly on your feet, maintain a strong sense of ethics during any situation, and work well as part of a team.

No matter which type of medical assistant program you decide to attend, you can expect hands-on experience to be part of your training. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get as much as possible out of this experience. When you’re observing a procedure, ask questions so you fully understand what’s going on. If your supervisor looks for volunteers to practice a new skill, jump in. The more experience you get, the more prepared you may be for the workforce.

You may be wondering, “Are there any medical assistant classes near me?” Georgia is home to many schools with different assisting programs, detailed below.

Medical Assisting Classes in Georgia

To earn medical assistant certification in GA, plan on earning between 30 and 60 credits. One-year certificate programs include about 30 credits, while two-year Associate’s degree programs include 60 credits. Medical assistants are often the first to see patients once they get settled into their exam room, so you may learn how to take vital signs, get a patient’s medical history, and pass along the patient’s questions to their doctor.

Most medical assisting programs in Georgia combine clinical and administrative skills, so you should anticipate completing rotations in both settings.

Course Requirements in Medical Assisting

• Medical Office Procedures
• Legal and Ethical Concerns in Healthcare
• Pharmacology
• Medical Assisting Skills
• Human Diseases

Billing and Coding Programs in Georgia

If your skills lie in the administrative side of healthcare, a billing and coding degree is an option to consider. Billing and coding degree certificate programs tend to be very short, lasting approximately one year. By the time you graduate, you may have 30 credits from courses that cover health insurance, coding and billing systems, and patient privacy. Through hands-on computing work and internships, you may learn how to process patient information in actual healthcare settings.

Classes Offered in Billing and Coding Programs

• Procedural Terminology
• Medical Terminology
• Health Services and Information Systems
• Medical Procedural Coding

Georgia Nurse Aide and Patient Care Tech Classes

While nurse aides and patient care technicians go through slightly different licensure procedures, the main skills and job requirements overlap quite a bit. While other medical assisting roles tend to combine clinical and administrative tasks, both nurse aides and patient care technicians focus almost exclusively on clinical work.

CNA and patient care tech programs are usually the quickest option for students, lasting between four and eight weeks. They do require a lot of clinical experience, so you should anticipate spending over 100 hours working with patients.

Nurse Aide and Patient Care Tech Course Options

• Healthcare and Body Systems
• Home Health Aide Skills
• Phlebotomy
• Patient Care Skills

Medical Secretary and Administrative Med Assisting Programs in Georgia

Similar to billing and coding programs, medical secretary degrees are in the administrative realm of healthcare. This is an excellent option for those who want to interact with patients and healthcare providers without providing clinical care to patients.

In this type of program, you may learn how to greet patients as they arrive, check them in for appointments, gather medical history as needed, bill insurance, and preserve patient privacy while interacting at the front desk. Your program may also cover tasks like scheduling appointments, following up on billing inquiries, and managing physicians’ schedules. Depending on which school you decide to attend, you may earn an administrative medical assistant certificate in six to 12 months.

Courses Offered in Medical Office Assistant Programs

• Healthcare Accounting
• Computer Applications
• Medical Law
• Medical Transcription
• Health Insurance

As a medical assistant in Georgia, you may enjoy the chance to work with patients while making daily work easier for healthcare providers. Clinical rotations and hands-on training are essential in this field, so attending a great training program is the first step. Contact medical assisting schools near you to get started.

Medical assistant schools in GA have three main degree options to choose from: certificate, diploma, and Associate’s degree programs. Medical assisting certificate and medical assisting diploma programs tend to last about one year, as you take many medical assisting courses with few or no general education courses. Medical Assistant Associate’s degrees take about two years of full-time study, since you must take general education classes on top of your MA classes.

Your curriculum may include a variety of classes that prepare you for a hands-on career in the health care industry. Some of the classes you may take include Pharmacology in the Medical Office, Medical Insurance Management, Human Pathological Conditions, Administrative Practice, and Medical Assisting Skills.
Hands-on skills labs are a crucial part of most medical assistant programs in Georgia. To be a contributing part of a medical office or hospital, you must be skilled in working with patients and taking directions from doctors, nurse practitioners and other providers. You may complete clinical hours throughout the course of your education. Many medical assisting programs in Georgia require an externship at the end of your degree. This experience permits you to get real on-the-job experience while working at a local medical institution. The connections built during an externship may even lead to a job offer after graduation.

There are other types of entry-level medical assisting careers in the medical field to choose from as well. If you want to start your career quickly, you may want to become a certified nursing assistant. This educational course may be as short as one month. Those that would prefer to work in the dental field may choose to become dental assistants. To learn about all of your options, review the schools and medical assisting programs in Georgia listed below. You can request program materials directly from our site to help you decide with career and school is right for you.

As you work on becoming a medical assistant, Georgia may have many scholarship programs that can benefit you. West Georgia Health offers a variety of scholarships, including the Fuller E. Callaway Foundation Scholarship and the George E. Sims Scholarship. Another popular scholarship option is the Marjorie G. Hogan Memorial Health Occupations Student Scholarship, which is awarded through the Georgia Hospital Association. This scholarship is worth $1,000. Many schools also offer grants and scholarships to medical assisting students.

Learn More About Medical Assisting Programs in Your City

• – Atlanta
• – Augusta

Medical Assisting Careers in Georgia

Medical Assistant Career Outlook in Georgia

After finishing your training, you may need to apply for medical assistant certification in Georgia before you begin working. While certification isn’t mandatory in Georgia, many employers prefer to hire applicants who have become certified by the American Association of Medical Assistants. Successfully completing this process awards you the title of Certified Medical Assistant.

Demand is high for all sorts of medical assisting careers in Georgia. In most cases, expected job growth in Georgia is significantly higher than the national average. Job growth tends to be higher in rural areas of the state, since these areas often have a significant shortage of healthcare professionals.

By the year 2024, O*Net expects job openings for medical assistants to swell 37% (2017). During the same timeframe, demand for health information technicians may jump 23% (O*Net, 2017). A 19% boost in jobs for nursing assistants is expected by 2024 (O*Net, 2017). Statewide need for medical secretaries may increase 19% by the year 2024 (O*Net, 2017).

As Georgia’s economy has steadily improved in recent years, healthcare jobs have jumped significantly. Between February 2016 and February 2017, the state added over 18,000 new jobs in education and health services (Valdosta Today, 2017).

When you start looking into jobs, you may find that medical assistants work in an eclectic variety of healthcare settings. You may work for a community clinic that serves low-income residents or look into positions at private clinics. Hospitals and nursing homes are often in need of medical assistants and administrative assistants. In fact, nursing homes are one of the top employment settings for nursing aides and patient care technicians. Some of the largest health systems and facilities in Georgia include WellStar, Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital, and Southeast Georgia Health System.

Listed below are all of the schools offering Medical Assistant programs in Georgia. As a rule, you should contact at least 3-5 schools during the course of your research, and ideally more. There are important differences between the programs in terms of cost, admissions requirements, and other characteristics, and, as with many things in life, the way to find the best Medical Assistant program for your needs is to spend some time shopping around.

Here Are The Medical Assistant Schools…