Medical Office Assisting Programs in South Carolina
Health care is a dynamic and ever-changing industry that offers a wealth of different positions- from those that require years of medical training to those that require the skills of an administrator and businessperson. If you’re looking for swift entry into the health care industry, which boasts extraordinary job growth in many sectors, training to become a medical office assistant could be your ticket to steady employment and career growth.
Get started now by requesting program details from the medical office assisting programs in South Carolina listed below.
If you have an interest in helping people by working in health care, becoming a medical admin assistant is a terrific place to start. If you’re comfortable in social situations, you’ll enjoy working in the front office of a clinic or doctor’s office greeting patients and getting them checked in for care. You may become the “face” of the office as the first person patients see as they arrive for an appointment.
Medical Admin Assistant Programs & Scholarships
Topics you’ll discuss in your program will include a variety of administrative duties and how those responsibilities are essential to a working health care facility. Upon graduation, you should be well-versed in medical terminology, as well as the computer skills and insurance coding necessary to handle patient records and perform various administrative duties.
You may be eligible for federal student aid to help you pay for your program, and you’ll also want to look at local scholarships for students in South Carolina. The South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium is a great place to start.
Your education doesn’t have to stop after you’ve earned your medical administrative assistant degree. If you’re looking for greater responsibility and eventual promotion, you may consider going on to get a bachelor’s degree in Medical Office Management or a master’s degree in Health Information Management.
As you finish your degree, you’ll want to look at the certifications available through the National Healthcareer Association, which is the premiere organization for medical administrative assistants. In addition to becoming a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant, you may also consider becoming a Billing & Coding Specialist.
You’ll find many industries open to you after you get certified and have your degree or certificate. In addition to classic health care environments like doctor’s offices and hospitals, you may also find work with insurance carriers, scientific research facilities, and various state and federal government departments.
Some of the job titles you’ll want to consider during your job hunt include unit secretary, departmental secretary, clinical administrative assistant and patient support technician. You’ll likely see the highest wages in the offices of dentists, where the demand is higher for medical office assistants.
Medical Admin Assistant Career Outlook in South Carolina
After gaining your associate’s degree or certificate, you’ll have the opportunity to work in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and virtually any type of office owned by a health care practitioner. Popular locations for jobs include outpatient and urgent care centers, which have multiplied in the past decade as hospitals have shuttered their doors, and smaller clinics have been built.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides a wealth of information about medical admin assistant jobs in South Carolina and reveals that there were 5,670 people employed in the profession as of May, 2013. The average mean wage for a medical admin assistant in South Carolina was $31,200.
The cost of living in South Carolina is lower than the national average, which means your paycheck could go further. Additionally, recent numbers shared by economists from the University of South Carolina indicate that recent gains in job growth will continue to accelerate in the immediate future.
Take advantage of the healthcare industry growth in South Carolina by entering the workforce as a medical assistant. You can get started by requesting information from the schools listed on this webpage today.