What are my career options?
Upon successful completion of the MA program at MSU, the student graduates with an Associate of Science degree. Graduates are then eligible to sit for the Certified Medical Assisting exam, a national test which, when passed, gives the medical assistant the privilege of including the credential CMA (Certified Medical Assistant) behind their name.
Many graduates of the program have chosen to use MA as a stepping stone to further their education and go on to earn a B.S. in Nursing, Office Administration and/or Management or Medical Informatics. Some have gone into the PA program after graduating from ours.
Some students double major—they couple MA with an Associate’s degree in Office Administration, Medical track. These two programs are very compatible, and students who have double majored have done very well with these two programs. There are many job opportunities for the successful graduate of our program.
Since our students are dually trained, administratively and clinically, they have the option of doing both or concentrating on one area or the other. Typically, the MA who does both administrative and clinical tasks works in a smaller doctor’s office and usually for only one or at the most, two doctors. Physicians really like this because they actually get “two for one.” MAs are versatile, can multi-task, and are flexible. They fit well into the scheme of a busy doctor’s office.
In the last few years, some medical assistants have been employed at hospitals; this has not always been the case, but it is more common now than it used to be. Some MAs like the administrative end so much that they go on to become office managers, work for insurance companies in an advisory/auditory capacity, or further their education in a management field.
Many rural clinics and physicians’ offices hire MAs because of their well-rounded background and experience. This is very common in WV. On the other hand, we have have several graduates who have secured positions in large clinics in Charlotte and Greensboro, NC; Charleston, WV; and other metropolitan areas.
The outlook for the MA for the future is very bright. According to national labor statistics, MA is the fastest-growing allied health profession in the US.
Choices
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