Career Study - Career & Education Options

Career Option: Dental Assistant

Dental Assistants help make the world a more beautiful place by helping dentists preserve and improve the smiles of their many patients. If you are interested in health care career that is always in demand and allows you to help others maintain their dental health, then a career as a Dental Assistant is a great one for you. A few fast facts about a career as a Dental Assistant...

• Dental Assistants learn their skills in dental assisting programs and most programs take 1 year or less to complete.

• Dentists are expected to hire more dental assistants to perform routine tasks so that they may devote their own time to more complex procedures.
• Dental Assistant salaries depend on location and years of experience, but in 2007, dental assistant salaries ranged from $9.87 to more than $20.69 an hour.

If you would like to learn more about pursuing a career as a Dental Assistant, visit the Healthcare section at Career-Study.com to locate a school in your area where you can get more information about admissions requirements, tuition and financial aid.

Cheers!

 

Career Option: Medical Coder/Biller

Medical Billing and Coding is the perfect career for someone that is detail oriented, able to work quickly with few errors, and is seeking a career in the health care field that does not involve direct patient contact.

Other names for the profession are Reimbursement Specialist or Insurance Claims Specialist, but the duties and skills needed are exactly the same. As a Medical Coder/Biller, you will input the proper codes for services rendered to patients into the computerized billing system, and prepare and check bills for accuracy before sending the final bill to patients and insurance companies.

You should know that...

• Medical Coder/Billers usually have at least an associate degree or diploma in Medical Coding and Billing.
• Employment for Medical Coder/Billers is expected to grow faster than average since people are living longer and requiring more medical services.
• Many Coder/Billers will be self-employed operating from home offices.

Find a Medical Billing & Coding School

Earnings

A 2008 survey conducted by the AAPC found that the average annual wage for a credentialed coder is $43,100, compared to $36,500 for a non-credentialed coder. The average range for most coders is $39,400 to $46,500. Coders working in specialized areas of medicine had even higher average wages:

Neuropsychiatry    $62,500

Rheumatology    57,800

Nephrology    50,900

Plastic Surgery   47,200

Interventional Radiology   47,100

To learn more about pursuing a career as a Medical Coder/Biller, start by finding a school offering training in your area and get information about admissions requirements, tuition, and financial aid.  You can even train online to earn your degree!

Find a Medical Billing & Coding School

Career Option: Medical Assistant

Medical Assisting is a great entry-level career for those interested in a career in Health care. Clinical Medical Assistants work in private medical offices and hospitals and may assist with:

• exam room set-up and clean up
• taking and recording vital statistics such as weight and blood pressure
• drawing blood (phlebotomy); administering EKGs, changing dressings

Administrative Medical Assistants perform some of the same duties as Clinical MAs, however, the majority of their work is performed in the front office and includes:

• updating and maintaining medical charts
• arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
• filling out insurance forms and verifying insurance coverage

Medical Assisting is an in-demand profession.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Handbook 2008-09 Edition, employment for Medical Assistants is expected to grow faster than average, ranking it among the fastest growing occupations for the 2006-16 decade.

Medical Assistant Education & Training

Medical Assistants typically learn their skills by training at vocational career training colleges. Programs usually last about 1 year which result in a certificate, diploma. You can also earn an Associates degree in Medical Assisting which takes 2 years to complete.

Medical Assistant Earnings

The earnings of medical assistants vary, depending on their experience, skill level, and location. Median annual earnings of medical assistants were $26,290 in May 2006.

Medical Assisting is a great entry-level health care profession that can lead to bigger and better things within the industry.  After a few years in the profession, many medical assistants build upon their knowledge and skills and enter nursing school which offers even greater earnings potential.

If you're interested in learning more about Medical Assistant training, find a school in your area that can provide you with all the details you need about the program.

Cheers!