Medical Assistant Schools in Montana

The Montana medical field provides a necessary service and is a great field for those who want to help people. Medical assistants (MA) are in high-demand as the population ages; senior citizens tend to need more sophisticated health care services than the younger population. Here are the skills required, most common duties and job prospects for Montana medical assistants.

If you already know that medical assisting is the career field you want to enter, you can request information directly from the Montana medical assisting schools you find on our site.

What do Medical Assistants Do?

When a patient goes to see the doctor, the first contact is usually with a medical assistant (MA). The MA conducts both general administrative and clinical tasks, including checking in patients. The MA administrative tasks might include coding, billing and maintaining patient records. Clinical functions might include taking vital signs, drawing blood and administering medications.

The title of the assistant really depends on the employer. Other common medical assisting terms are Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Doctor’s Assistant or Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). The MA will usually work in a doctor’s office, but could also work in a nursing home, hospital or home care facility. There are also specialty medical assisting careers like Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), surgical technicians and radiology technologists.

Medical Assistant Education in Montana

We have compiled a thorough listing of all of the medical assisting program options on our site, and encourage you to get information on all of those that interest you.

Montana Medical Assistant Licensing Requirements

The Montana State Board of Medical Examiners is responsible for the licensure of medical assistants under Rule: 24.156.640(1)(d) directing that “[m]edical assistants shall work under the supervision of a Montana-licensed physician or podiatrist….” The physician must be onsite when the medical assistant performs more advanced procedures, such as, administering medicine and testing for allergies.

Doctors can assign tasks “within the scope of sound medical judgment” to the medical assistant, according to the Montana Secretary of State. This assistant must also wear a badge listing the title of medical assistant. Montana medical assistants must be graduates of an accredited medical assisting program or possess experience, training or education sufficient to safely perform assigned duties responsibly.

Thus, Montana will allow you to perform normal administrative functions without direct supervision from a health care professional but for the more clinical, medical procedures, a trained medical professional must be on-site. The medical assistant position is considered to be a vital entry-level support position in the health care field. You can get a good deal of satisfaction from this type of medical career as well, as you will have ample opportunity to impact patients and families every day.

Medical Assisting Careers in Montana

Salaries for medical assistants in Montana will vary depending upon your qualifications and the environment you work in. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the State of Montana had 920 medical assistants in 2014 and job growth from 2012 to 2022 is expected to be 29 percent, which is faster than average.

As other job fields are being reduced, the medical field continues to see adequate growth potential. Most Montana medical assistants are likely to work in more rural environments. The “Big Sky” country has a lot of small towns with a few doctors’ offices in them to serve the community, making it a great state to practice medical assisting in.

As a Montana medical assistant, you are more likely to work in a rural office than those in other states. The average income is a little above the national average. As a Montana medical assistant, you may be the face of a doctor’s office – you would greet the patient, look up the records, take vitals, prepare the examination room, interview the patient, show patient to the room and follow physician instructions.

If you like people and health care, this is a great Montana career option for you. Simply contact the schools on our page to learn more and get started in this growing medical field.

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

Salary numbers provided are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.