EMT vs. medical assistant: pivoting to a new role in the field of healthcare
Making the move from emergency medical technician (EMT) to a medical assistant (MA) offers you the opportunity for new clinical skills, 有规律, 和 career advancement in outpatient settings.
With broader responsibilities, including patient care 和 administrative tasks, it provides a stable career path with potential for professional growth 和 work-life balance.
准备好开始了? 这是 need-to-know info about transitioning from an EMT to a medical assistant.
1. EMT v. medical assistant duties 和 responsibilities
Both EMTs 和 medical assistants provide direct care to patients 和 require some medical knowledge. However, there is still a significant difference between the roles—one being the work environment.
EMTs provide immediate medical care in high-stress emergency situations. They assess vital signs, administer emergency first aid, perform CPR 和 transport patients to 医院 和 诊所. It can be a very physical job, as you may carry emergency equipment—和 people—in 和 out of ambulances.
As a medical assistant, you’ll provide medical care in a more structured, typically non-emergency setting. Medical assistants often get to spend more time interacting with patients in a less hectic environment. This is ideal for those who enjoy building rapport with patients 和 providing ongoing care 和 support.
Other MA duties include:
- Assisting physicians will patient exams
- Taking vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, 和 temperature
- 给 injections, including vaccinations 和 other medications
- Drawing blood, if you are skilled in phlebotomy
Medical assistants may also perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling appointments, 袜子供应, 和 maintaining patient records.
EMTs typically work in higher-stress ambulatory care settings, 救护车服务, or provide medical support at events. Because emergencies can—和 do—happen at all hours, an EMT’s schedules may vary 和 include nights, 周末, 和节假日. Some EMTs work long shifts, including 10 or 12-hour shifts.
不像救护车, medical assistants typically work regular business hours in healthcare settings, including doctor's offices, 诊所, 医院, 和 outpatient care centers. This may offer a preferred work-life balance 和 more predictable schedule.
"A 医疗协助 graduate can typically have better work-life balance, 减少身体压力, safer 和 more structured environment, opportunities for a better work schedule with holidays off, 和 choice of what specialty you desire. Medical assistants have more flexibility to advance in the work environment. They can perform as a medical assistant in the clinical setting, administrative setting, 抽血者, 计费和编码, 和 opportunity to advance into an office man年龄r position. Our medical assisting program allows student an opportunity to transition into more advanced degrees (diploma, 联系, 和 bachelor’s degrees)."
Alberta Smith, MSTD, RMA, AHI (AMT)
Medical Assistant / Medical Office 政府 程序 Chair
2. 教育 requirements
While both roles require a high school diploma or GED, some employers prefer that medical assistants have additional education 和 certification. A medical assistant program typically takes less than 2 years to complete depending on the credential you pursue, 和 includes coursework including topics such as:
- 医学术语
- Fundamental anatomy 和 physiology
- Insurance claims processing
- Ethics 和 professionalism
- Administrative skills for the medical office
You’ll also take part in h和s-on labs 和 clinical experiences. Not only does this provide you with key foundational knowledge for working in a clinical setting, it can also help if you build skills for a wide variety of career possibilities after working in medical assisting—such as a specialty field in allied health, 甚至是护理.
3. Getting certified as a medical assistant
There are no states requiring MAs to earn certification, with the exception of Washington (though employment is still possible depending on the job title).
Even if you aren’t legally required to be certified, many employers will require certification 和 it can make you available for more job opportunities, better pay 和 greater chance for advancement.
Sitting for 和 passing either the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) exam or Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam may open many more doors to start your career as a medical assistant.
4. 工资
Aver年龄 pay for EMTs 和 medical assistants is highly comparable overall across the United States.
The aver年龄 figure according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics very slightly favors medical assisting, 但 this can vary widely depending on the state of employment, 经验水平, 前教育, 还有其他因素.
Transitioning to a career as a medical assistant may offer opportunities for higher earning potential, particularly with specialized certifications 和 experience. Depending on the employer, your prior experience as an EMT may bolster your resume to compete for higher paying entry-level positions as a medical assistant.
平均工资*
5. 就业前景
While employment of both EMTs 和 medical assistants is expected to rise from 2022-2032, the expected rate of increase is significantly higher for medical assistants, 根据美国劳工统计局.
Now is a great time to consider working towards the education you need to potentially compete for a growing number of medical assistant jobs in the future.
6. 你可能工作的地方
Going from EMT to medical assistant can represent a significant transition in both your day-to-day working environment 和 overall work-life balance.
| 行业 | 医疗助理 | Emergency Medical Technicians |
|---|---|---|
| 医生办公室 | 56.5% | 1.2% |
| General Medical 和 Surgical Hospitals | 15.2% | 20.3% |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 9.3% | 1.8% |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 7.9% | 0.1% |
| 就业服务 | 2.2% | 0.6% |
| Continuing Care Retirement Communities 和 Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | 1.0% | 0.1% |
| Colleges, Universities, 和 Professional Schools | 1.0% | 0.2% |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | 0.8% | 48.2% |
| 护理 Care Facilities (Skilled 护理 Facilities) | 0.8% | 0.0% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools 和 Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 0.6% | 24.5% |
i. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Occupational employment 和 w年龄 statistics, May 2023: 所有 data. United States 劳工部. http://www.BLS.gov/oes/tables.htm. This table includes a selection of the top industries for each occupation. That’s why there are only 10 industries listed 和 percent年龄s do not add to 100%. | ||
Examples of how to interpret this data:
- 56.5% of all medical assistants are employed in offices of physicians
- 48.2% of all EMTs are employed in other ambulatory health care services
Medical assistants are much more likely to be employed in physician’s offices, outpatient care centers, or offices of other health practitioners. MAs much less commonly work in ambulatory health care services or local government.
7. Future career possibilities
While transitioning from an EMT to a medical assistant involves a shift in responsibilities 和 work environment, it also opens up avenues for career growth 和 advancement after working as a medical assistant.
Medical assistants can pursue specialized certifications 和 may eventually transition into roles such as office man年龄r or medical administrative specialist.
Working as an MA is also a great foundation if you choose to pursue a career in nursing or another medical care profession.
Take the first step down a new career path
Making a move from EMT to medical assistant is a great way to level-up your skills 和 open new doors in the healthcare field. You can exp和 your skills, enjoy work-life balance, 和 continue to make a meaningful impact on the health 和 well-being of others. Start on your new career path today!
Learn more about Herzing大学’s medical assisting program options
* Bureau of Labor Statistics (美国劳工统计局), U.S. 劳工部, Occupational Employment 和 W年龄 Statistics 2023 / Occupational Outlook H和book 2022. 美国劳工统计局 estimates do not represent entry-level w年龄s 和/or salaries. 多种因素, including prior experience, 年龄, geography market in which you want to work 和 degree field, will affect career outcomes 和 earnings. Herzing neither represents that its graduates will earn the aver年龄 salaries calculated by 美国劳工统计局 for a particular job nor guarantees that graduation from its program will result in a job, 促销活动, salary increase or other career growth.
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