Medical / Dental / Physician Assistants and Dental Hygienists
Career, Salary and Education Information
Career Profile: What do Medical Assistants do?
Trusted to keep medical documents safe, medical assistants are an indispensable force in physicians’ offices. In smaller offices, medical assistants do it all, taking on both administrative and clinical responsibilities. Medical assistants can specialize in ophthalmic, optometric, or podiatric capabilities, to name a few, or they can stick to general practice in general medical and surgical hospitals.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail are essential for the job. Medical assistants must often work in a customer service capacity, handling correspondence and scheduling appointments. Because they often serve as a link between patients and medical personnel, assistants must have strong communication skills and have a friendly personality.
A Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant
The daily tasks of a medical assistant depend highly on their job description and location. Administrative tasks might include filing patient records, arranging for hospital admissions or laboratory services, filling out insurance forms, or sometimes appointment making. Clinical duties could include recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures, prepping patients for the doctor, and preparing patients for x-rays and other procedures.
Regardless of their individual duties, most medical assistants work 40 hour work weeks in well-lighted, clean environments. Depending on the office hours and clinical scope, some may work part-time, evenings, or weekends. The medical assistant position definitely provides for a healthy balance between family and work.
Training and Education for Medical Assistants
Many medical assistants complete one to two-year programs, culminating in a certificate or associate’s degree. Formal training is generally preferred and recommended but not always required, and all medical assistants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Volunteer experience in the health care field provides informal training that may prove valuable in the hiring process. The long term career outlook for medical assistants is strong growth, especially as the government begins a plan to invest heavily into the healthcare system.
Typical coursework for medical assistants includes training in lab techniques, clinical procedures, medical terminology, and medical office procedures. Students must have a facility with medical terminology along with interpersonal skills in dealing with patients.
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Medical Assistant Employment & Outlook
About 450,000 medical assistants were employed nationwide in 2009, with most working in physicians’ offices. Career opportunities for medical assistants are projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016. About 148,000 additional jobs are expected to be added to the field, thanks to an expanding health care industry, technological advances in medicine, and the aging population of the baby boomers. Medical assistants who can handle both administrative and clinical duties are expected to have the best job prospects, and will be able to command additional salary.
Advancement in the field typically requires more training and certification (BSN, RN, MSN). Many medical assistants choose to become nurses or other health care workers through further study. Administrative positions provide another popular career path because an administrative medical assistant can rise to the position of office manager without additional education.
Typical Salary for Medical Assistants
Medical assistants earned mean annual wages of $30,270 in 2009. State government facilities were the highest paying employer, with medical assistants earning annual mean wages of $38,430.
Dental Hygienist Training and Education
Formal training programs prepare students to work as dental hygienists in private practice, hospitals, group specialty practice, schools, and more. An associate’s degree is considered standard training for hygienists, who must then sit for licensing board exams. Typical coursework for dental hygienist training programs includes orofacial anatomy, dental radiology, head & neck anatomy, periodontics, dental materials, and microbiology.
Those who aspire to work in research, teaching, or clinical practice in public or school health programs generally continue their education to receive a bachelor’s or master’s degree in dental hygiene.
Typical Dental Hygienist Salary
Earnings for dental hygienists vary widely based on education, experience, and location. Hygienists may be paid on an hourly, daily, salary, or commission basis.
Dental hygienists enjoyed mean annual earnings of $64,910 in 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hygienists working in Alaska saw the highest salaries nationwide, at $91,960. Additionally, the American Dental Association reports that 86 percent of dental hygienists receive medical and hospital benefits.
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Dental Assistant Training and Education
While many dental assistants learn their skills through on-the-job training, vocational and technical colleges offer formal dental assistant training programs. Courses typically take less than a year and lead to a certificate or diploma, which graduates can use to improve their chances in the job search. Two-year associate’s degree programs may be recommended for dental assistants who hope to continue their clinical training later on. Some states require that dental assistants be licensed before operating radiological equipment or interacting with patients on a clinical level.
Dental assistants who aspire to become dental hygienists may be able to find help with their education costs. The American Dental Association reports that 87 percent of dentists offer reimbursement for their employees who take continuing education classes.
Typical Salary for Dental Assistants In 2007, dental assistants earned mean annual salaries of $32,280, the BLS reports. Hourly wages were $15.52, although assistants working in specialty hospitals earned slightly higher wages, at $16.57. Alaska and the District of Columbia were the highest paying areas for dental assistants, with annual earnings of $40,450 and $40,190, respectively.
Physician Assistant Training and Education
Most applicants to training programs for physician assistants already hold a bachelor’s degree, and some have experience as registered nurses, military medics, physical or respiratory therapists, or EMTs. Physician assistant programs typically take two years to complete and some programs also require clinical coursework.
Typical coursework in a physician assistant training programs includes anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and health-related coursework in subjects like nutrition, immunology, and virology. Education programs can lead to associate’s and bachelor’s degrees and many lead to a master’s degree.
Typical Physician Assistant Salary
The BLS reports that physician assistants earned mean annual wages of $77,800 in 2007. Those working in residential mental retardation, mental health, and substance abuse clinics earned the highest wages for the profession, with mean earnings of $104,310. Physician assistants working in physician’s offices–the field’s largest employer–earned $77,620.
Physical Therapist Training and Education
Physical therapists must hold a master’s degree and a state license to practice. In the future, a doctoral degree may be the required entry-level degree for employment, but for the time being, over 200 programs nationwide offer accredited degrees in physical therapy. Undergraduates are advised to complete coursework in biology, anatomy, physics, mathematics, and social science.
Coursework for physical therapists includes biomechanics, neuroanatomy, therapeutic procedures, and human growth and development. Supervised clinical experience is also a requirement for physical therapists in training. Continuing education courses and programs are often required for employed physical therapists.
Typical Physical Therapist Salary
Physical therapists saw mean annual wages of $71,520 in 2007, according to the BLS. Mean hourly wages were $34.39. Those working in home health care services saw slightly higher earnings, at $79,300.
