Medical Assistant Schools in Missouri

Many people in Missouri are looking for a career that will withstand economic ups and downs while providing the rewards that come from doing meaningful work. Medical assisting is an excellent option, offering a stable income in one of the fastest growing fields in the state: health care. To find programs from Missouri medical assisting schools, simply check out the schools on our site. There are several different options to choose from, so we recommend getting additional information from as many schools as you can, in order to compare programs.

Medical Assistant Education in Missouri

The state of Missouri technically has no legal requirements to work as a medical assistant. However, employers overwhelmingly prefer to hire people who have earned a certificate from a reputable program. There are many such programs in Missouri. Students learn basic health sciences, how to act professionally in a medical office, the basics of medical paperwork and files, and practical skills such as taking vital signs and drawing blood. At the end of the program, the student is given a certificate which tells employers that they have all of the necessary skills needed to work as a medical assistant.

There are a few things you can do to ensure that you are successful in your medical assisting training in Missouri. First, applicants to programs are required to have a high school diploma or GED so that they can handle the academic demands of their education. In addition, some programs require that students have completed prerequisite classes in basic sciences, although this is not always the case. Many medical assistant programs do not have prerequisite classes. It is important to be prepared when you start your program, because they are fast-paced. Most medical assisting programs take a year or less to complete.

Training for a career always has a cost, but there are ways to fund your Medical assistant education without paying out of pocket. Many people qualify for federal and Missouri state grants that cover their tuition. Private scholarships are also available in Missouri, including the Missouri College Guarantee Scholarship, the Marguerite Ross Barnett Memorial Scholarship, and the Charles Gallagher Student Assistant Program. These Missouri state scholarships offer $1,700 per year each. In addition, there are subsidized federal students loans that help cover tuition and living expenses while you are in school.

While training for a career is challenging for most people, medical assisting requires a very short amount of training. In just one year, you could be working in a doctor’s office and making a steady and stable wage. Missouri has many options for training to become a medical assistant, at community colleges, private colleges, and even state universities. Whichever program you choose, the end result could change your life by setting you on the path to a fulfilling and lucrative career.

You’re starting to learn about medical assistant schools in Missouri and you’re wondering about the benefits of a career in this field. Think about what you want from a career. Are you looking for a job with room for upward growth and future education? Do you want to make a difference every day in the lives of your patients? Are you ready to work with healthcare practitioners at all levels of education and training? If this sounds right up your alley, you could really enjoy working as a medical assistant.

One of the benefits of choosing this career path is how quickly you can get started. While some healthcare careers require four years of training, you may get started in medical assisting in as little as one year. Depending on which type of program you decide to attend, you could end up with a diploma or certificate in one year of training. Those who attend two-year programs may graduate with an Associate’s degree, which is convenient for students who want to earn a Bachelor’s degree in the future.

Medical Assisting Classes in Missouri

Quite a few accredited medical assistant programs in Missouri combine administrative work and clinical work. This helps you in many ways! Lots of employers like to hire medical assistants with experience in multiple areas. This lets you jump in wherever you’re needed, saving your employer time and money.

As a medical assisting student, you may go through two separate types of training modules. First, you may study theory. It’s crucial to understand anatomy, terminology, and pharmacology before you work with patients. Before you graduate, though, you should be completely comfortable with patients. That’s why Missouri medical assisting schools put you through multiple clinical rotations and test your progress in each one.

Medical Assisting Coursework

• Pharmacology
• Anatomy and Physiology
• Career Management Skills
• Medical Office Procedures
• Medical Clinical Procedures

Billing and Coding Programs in Missouri

While exploring medical assistant schools in Missouri, you may discover that some schools allow you to further specialize your training and education. One of the most popular choices for aspiring healthcare employees is medical billing and coding. This field has seen a huge increase in demand in recent years, due to a new medical coding language being implemented and the demand for proper billing practices going up. This is a fairly technical specialty, so you should get the opportunity to work with many different coding programs and apps throughout your degree. Coding takes up quite a bit of your educational time, but you also concentrate on accurate billing practices. In this part of your program, you may learn how to process codes, send bills to insurance, create patient estimates, and forward bills on to patients.

Class Options in Billing and Coding Programs

• Healthcare Statistics
• Database for Health Information
• Legal Aspects of Health Information
• Computer Concepts and Applications
• Coding Professional Practice

Missouri Nurse Aide and Patient Care Tech Classes

Rather than pursuing medical assistant certification in Missouri, you may opt to go into a similar but different field. Becoming a patient care technician may be the right choice for you. Medical assistant schools in Missouri often offer both CNA and patient care technician programs. Becoming a CNA is often the most time-efficient option; full-time students may get added to the Nurse Aide Registry after just two to six weeks of study. Plan on putting in a bit more time as a patient care tech student. While some programs are just six months in duration, most options are closer to one year.

When you compare clinical requirements at different types of programs, you may find that these options have the strictest clinical hour standards. This is because PCTs and CNAs spend almost all of their time providing hands-on care to patients, so they need lots of practice.

CNA and Patient Care Tech Courses

• Pharmacology
• Fundamentals of Nursing
• Medication Calculation and Administration
• Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Clinical Rotations

Medical Secretary and Administrative Med Assisting Programs in Missouri

If you feel more excited about an administrative career, look into medical secretary programs at accredited medical assistant programs in Missouri. The skills taught in this type of program are similar to what you may find in standard medical assistant degrees. There’s little to no clinical training provided, and instructors focus more on the office management aspect of this field. To ensure that you’ve mastered the necessary skills, you may have to go through an internship to graduate. An internship may help you explore job openings and make connections in the medical industry.

Administrative Medical Assisting Classes

• Medical Administrative Aspects
• Emergency Preparedness
• Billing and Coding
• Patient Care
• Medical Professional Issues

Now that you know more about all of the different medical assisting programs in Missouri, you may have a clear idea of which one you’d like to attend. Check out our list of accredited medical assistant programs in Missouri and request information from local schools to learn more.

Learn More About Medical Assisting Programs in Your City

• – St. Louis

Medical Assisting Careers in Missouri

Medical Assistant Career Outlook in Missouri

After securing medical assistant certification in Missouri, you may be excited about the job opportunities available in this state. You may want to start looking into open positions when you’re close to graduation. Some employers hire students on the condition that they complete their education before beginning their work. You can look for MA positions at all sorts of Missouri healthcare institutions. Popular options for recent graduates include hospice facilities, assisted living homes, nursing homes, walk-in clinics, and hospitals.

Overall, the field of medical assisting is expected to remain stable in Missouri for years to come. Through the year 2024, demand for medical assistants may swell 11% (O*Net, 2017). During this time frame, job openings for medical records technicians may increase 10% (O*Net, 2017). These positions are often reserved for those who study billing and coding. CNAs benefit from a similar job outlook, since O*Net hopes to see an 11% swell in job openings between 2014 and 2024 (2017). Per O*Net, a 12% boost in job openings for medical secretaries may take place between 2014 and 2024 (2017).

If you commit to a medical assisting career, you may be able to take advantage of rapidly increasing job openings in Missouri. The Bonner County Daily Bee reports that Missouri hospitals have a severe shortage of many healthcare professionals.

There are other, less tangible benefits to training for a career in medical assisting in Missouri as well. The growing demand for medical assistants ensures that your job will likely be secure, without the high number of lay-offs that can affect other fields. In addition, a medical assistant is a valued and respected part of the healthcare team. Medical assistants get to interact in meaningful and positive ways with both medical staff and with patients. Both employers and patients appreciate and value a medical assistant who is competent and kind. In addition, you get the pride of helping to improve healthcare quality in your area every day of your career.

Listed below are all of the schools offering Medical Assistant programs in Missouri. 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…