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You are interested in helping people in need but you do not know what it takes to become a medical assistant.
You want to get a steady job that will earn you enough money for the living but you do not know whether the medical assistants’ salary is high enough to cover all the responsibilities that the medical assistant has to deal with.
Being that you have all these questions in mind, you should know that becoming a medical assistant is not at all naïve and the challenges that this job entails are serious.
Considering it a very stable career, the number of people eager to become medical assistants is in a constant rise and the job opportunities are also growing due to the increasing need for health care.
Article Table of Contents
Job Description
The state of Delaware among many other US states does not demand formal education for becoming medical assistants which are in one hand good for those who cannot afford further education, but on the other, they do not possess adequate knowledge to effectively do the job.
The job of a medical assistant involves myriad tasks, starting from billings, greeting patients, dealing with medical records to drawing blood, working on the urine samples and assisting doctors and other staff.
Some of them are working under the direct guidance and instruction of a physician while some more educated might be asked to perform less responsible duties themselves.
Everything related to medical facility perfect functioning is entrusted to medical assistants.
Becoming a Medical Assistant in Delaware
Even though young people interested in medical assisting as their future vocation believe that formal post-secondary education is not necessary, there are many of those who find it useful and beneficial.
Firstly, the improvement of medical care forces employers to hire graduates of accredited programs.
Secondly, the applicants with a diploma already know to perform daily duties.
A multitude of certificates, diplomas, and associate degree programs exist all around the USA and the lessons are entrusted to educate and licensed instructors eager to transfer their knowledge to younger colleagues.
There are three options to choose from: a certificate or diploma programs which are less demanding and take less time, and a two-year associate degree program, which is more time consuming but offers more advanced training.
Requirements
The medical assistant in the state of Delaware can be any person with a high school diploma if he/she manages to get employment.
However, if you do not complete a medical assistant education program it is difficult to find the job because you do not fulfill the minimum requirements set by employers.
To become certified, you should choose those programs that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
When it comes to Delaware, accredited programs can be found in Dover and Wilmington and they offer the titles and courses: Associate of Science-Medical Assistant, Diploma- Surgical Technology and Certificate – Electroneurodiagnostic Technology.
No matter which courses you choose, the education and skills that you achieve there are the same, including verbal, written and nonverbal communication, usage of computer technology, scientific and mathematical reasoning, good problem solving and reasoning skills, clinical duties like performing laboratory testing, recording patient vital signs, and assisting health professionals with surgeries.
The most widely recognized professional certifications for medical assistants in the U.S. are:
- The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)
- The American Medical Technologists (AMT).
Getting a Job
The medical assistant job typically only requires a high school diploma or equivalent and that is enough to qualify for jobs, it is good to know that the priority is given to those candidates who have a diploma or associate’s degree, since they are considered more skillful and knowledgeable to start performing their duties without the need to be previously thought and trained at the spot.
That is why employers emphasize the fact that education is necessary and should be mandatory in this field.
The people who possess a certification can perform the job successfully and have greater self-confidence when working as medical assistants, thus increasing their salary and benefits.
Job offers are all around the state and upon completion of the courses, it should not be too difficult finding adequate employment.
Medical assistants might find work in:
- Beebe Healthcare – Lewes
- Christiana Care – Newark and Camden
- Westside Family Healthcare- Bear
- Nanticoke Memorial Hospital – Seaford
- Bayhealth Medical Center – Dover
- Francis Hospital- Wilmington
- Bayada Home Health Care – Hockessin
- Delaware Hospice- Newark
- HCR Manor Care – Wilmington
- Dover Air Force Base – Dover
- Fresenius Medical Care- Seaford
- Urology Associates of Dover – Dover
- Nemours- Wilmington
- Department of Veterans Affairs- Wilmington
- HealthSouth Corporation – Middletown
- Liberty Health Care – Georgetown
- Alfieri Cardiology – Wilmington
- Brookdale – Newark
Salary
The job of the Bureau of Labor Statistics is to gather data and keeps records of the salaries for medical assistants throughout the USA.
Besides reporting the high level of demand for medical assistants, they have also estimated that their salary varies from place to place due to numerous factors affecting the work of medical facilities.
The annual salary of medical assistants in Delaware differs from place to place, but the difference is not so significant and it is minor than in any other state.
A higher salary is given to those people with additional training and qualifications, who possess longer experience and higher education.
The table below shows the salary of a medical assistant in the state of Delaware annually since it significantly varies from one city to another.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Bear,DE | $36,801 |
| Delaware City,DE | $36,815 |
| Dover,DE | $36,722 |
| Harrington,DE | $36,773 |
| Lewes,DE | $36,773 |
| Middletown,DE | $36,694 |
| Milford,DE | $36,773 |
| New Castle,DE | $36,842 |
| Newark,DE | $36,815 |
| Rehoboth Beach,DE | $36,877 |
| Seaford,DE | $36,015 |
| Wilmington,DE | $36,842 |
Regional Salary in Delaware
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | 460 | $38,550 | $18.53 | $45,890 | $31,040 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Duties
When you want to get informed about the duties that a medical assistant job entails, there is always something about the administration.
Many people find this confusing since the administration has nothing to do with medicine.
However, a clinic is not only a medical facility but also a business, so the obligations of people working there are versatile.
Whether the medical assistant will be performing both clerical and medical duties or not, largely depends on the practice specialty.
In some smaller ones, one person is in charge of both kinds of duties, while in larger ones, the duties are separated.
This proves the fact that the medical assistant needs to handle everything from certain aspects of patient care to insurance billing.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Medical Assistant
Medical Assisting by City
Medical Assisting by State