Medical Assistant Phlebotomist
Phlebotomists are the specialists who draw blood from patients for testing, transfusions, and other medical or research procedures. The Phlebotomy Technician program prepares students to work in medical offices, clinics, labs, and other health care settings. Students will study the history of the field, legal and ethical issues, and the clinical settings where they will work. They will cover areas such as basic anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and infection control and prevention. Students will also study and practice skills such as blood drawing techniques, special collections, how to prepare or process specimens, and how to follow OSHA safety standards. The program includes participation in a national certification exam.
medical assistant phlebotomist
Are you new to health care? Please consider taking our Bridge to Health and Human Services class to help you set up for success! You will get an introduction to subjects taught in health care programs, learn about different medical careers, learn about background check and immunization requirements, as well as information about how to pay for the program and the steps to register. Check out the flyer here. Email askccp@rtc.edu or talk to an entry advisor to register!
The Medical Assistant with Phlebotomy diploma program is 3 academic quarters. After the on-campus portion of the program, each student completes an off-campus 5-week clinical externship. Including this externship, the entire program takes approximately 31 weeks. Upon successful completion, graduates are encouraged to pursue phlebotomist certification or become a registered medical assistant.
During the 100% online course curriculum students will learn many important skills necessary to work as medical assistants, such as taking vital signs, assisting with minor surgeries, and performing injections and electrocardiograms. They will also become knowledgeable about inpatient management, administrative tasks, and HIPPA and OSHA regulations, as well as effective bedside manner and professional conduct.
Medical assistants enjoy a growing career field with great prospects. If you are looking for a career path with ample employment opportunities, competitive pay, benefits, and job satisfaction, becoming a medical assistant may be a great fit for you. 95% of our students were able to find employment upon graduation.
The Medical Assistant Certification is a great way to get into healthcare without any prior experience in the field. And there are many advancement opportunities for medical assistants once they get their foot in the door. The Medical Assistant course is also a great learning opportunity for those that are looking to apply to medical school or nursing programs.
Medical assistants who are in the Rooming or Phlebotomy positions will help assist in examination and treatment of patients under the direction of the Provider and relieve other medical personnel of administrative and clerical work by performing duties listed below.
A medical assistant is a trained medical professional who is responsible for administrative tasks and provides direct patient care in various settings, including physician's offices and urgent care clinics. You'll also play an essential role in patient education to help ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
Phlebotomists are medical professionals who specialize in drawing blood and collecting other laboratory samples. Phlebotomists usually work in hospitals or clinics but may also work in outpatient labs or blood donor centers. Phlebotomists must understand the collection, transportation, and storage requirements for many types of lab specimens.
Both of these careers offer the opportunity to interact with patients and to play a crucial role in providing care. This guide will explore the similarities and differences between medical assistants and phlebotomists so you can decide which position is right for you.
Medical assistants work in different settings, including doctor's offices, clinics, and outpatient centers. They typically work during regular daytime business hours, but some may be required to work weekends or evenings.
As a medical assistant, you might start your day by checking patients in and taking vitals. Later in the day, you might need to assist a physician with suturing or wound care. At the end of the day, you might spend time correcting documentation problems in patients' charts. You can learn about typical medical assistant schedules and work hours in our full guide.
Phlebotomists work anywhere where lab work is needed, such as in hospitals, urgent care clinics, diagnostic labs, blood banks, and blood donor centers. Depending on the work setting, phlebotomists may work regular weekday hours or may have to work nights and weekends.
Qualified healthcare professionals in the United States are always in demand. As a result, medical assistants and phlebotomists benefit from a stable job market with comparable salaries and job growth.
The median salary of medical assistants is $37,190, while phlebotomists earn a median salary of $37,380. Both jobs have substantial projections for growth from 2020 to 2030. Medical assistant and phlebotomy jobs should grow by 18% and 22%, respectively.
As an entry-level healthcare role, career advancement within both fields is limited. However, medical assistants may take additional training to become medical office managers or health information management specialists. Phlebotomists may grow their careers by training to become clinical laboratory technicians.
Both medical assistants and phlebotomists must have a high school or GED. Beyond that base requirement, the training for each profession is very different, despite both being entry-level healthcare jobs.
Phlebotomy programs cover topics such as human anatomy, medical terminology, and specimen collection techniques. Many phlebotomy programs include an externship component where students can gain hands-on experience collecting blood specimens.
Medical assistant programs cover medical billing, coding, anatomy, and clinical procedures. These programs also include a clinical component where students work in physician offices or clinics to get real-world experience.
Both medical assistants and phlebotomists play a vital role in providing healthcare services to patients. Because both roles can work in similar settings, some of the day-to-day work may be the same. For example, both may collect blood specimens and educate patients on lab processes.
In general, however, you'll spend most of your day as a medical assistant providing direct patient care. That could mean taking patient vital signs, collecting medical history, and assisting physicians with exams and procedures. You'll also spend time scheduling appointments and may work on billing, coding, and insurance issues.
As a phlebotomist, you'll spend most of your day collecting blood and other patient specimens. You may also be responsible for preparing lab equipment and maintaining samples until they can be processed. Other healthcare professionals may sometimes call on you to help with a complicated lab collection.
While medical assistants may have a more varied set of responsibilities, the training can take much longer than a phlebotomist. Phlebotomist students can get into the job market faster thanks to more concise coursework, but their scope of practice is limited compared to medical assistant's scope of practice.
Still, medical assistants and phlebotomists both have meaningful roles in healthcare. They also both enjoy great job growth and decent pay for the training time investment. Either option is an excellent first step into a long, rewarding career in healthcare.
While medical assistants may have a more varied set of responsibilities, the training can take much longer than a phlebotomist. Phlebotomist students can get into the job market faster thanks to more concise coursework, but their scope of practice is limited.
As someone who is entering the healthcare industry, you may be wondering which position is best for you: medical assistant or phlebotomist? Both careers require significant interaction with patients and directly support other medical personnel, such as doctors and nurses. The primary responsibility for phlebotomists is completing routine blood draws on patients. Medical assistants, however, complete more administrative and clinical work within the healthcare industry.
Phlebotomists must receive their education through an accredited phlebotomy program. Schools such as PhlebotomyU prepare their students for the national phlebotomy to obtain their certificate. Most training programs enroll their phlebotomy students through the National Center for Competency Training (NCCT) for this exam, but other certification programs are credible as well. In addition, depending on the state, phlebotomists may be required to have additional certifications to practice in their state. For instance, California states that all phlebotomists must hold the national certificate and a Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT-1) license.
The duties of a medical assistant can vary depending on the needs of their employer. Some healthcare facilities may search for medical assistants who are more administrative and interpersonal to complete a wide range of tasks, such as gathering patient information and medical history, scheduling appointments, communicating with clients, and billing. Other medical assistants may be asked to complete more clinical work, such as measuring patient vital signs prior to speaking with a doctor. Overall, medical assistants with a diverse range of training may possess more responsibilities than a medical assistant specializing in solely administrative or clinical work. 041b061a72