There are not as many medical assistant programs in Utah as there in a number of other states, but it is also not the state with the fewest options either. Students who would like to become a medical assistant in Utah will be able to do so fairly easily. Hard work will, of course, be required, but the opportunities to complete the training needed to be a successful medical assistant are all there.
Overview
Utah, a fairly popular tourist destination, does not offer a huge number of training opportunities for its medical assistants. However if you are a resident in Utah one of the best careers you could embark on is that of being a medical assistant. The reasons for this are simple:
- The health care industry is always growing providing stable job opportunities
- There are always shortages of certain members of medical staff in most places across the state, medical assistants included
- Once you are a medical assistant the door is open a little wider in terms of pursuing other careers in the medical industry
When considering the various medical assistant programs in Utah that are available you should create a list of criteria that you will base your decision on. This will help you when it comes to choosing between the many options. You should probably apply to several different schools, about 3 or 4, at the same time. This means that, if your first choice rejects you, you will not have to wait to start your training while you apply at other schools. There are many good schools in Utah that should meet your personal and practical requirements.
What Is A Medical Assistant?
A medical assistant is someone who helps a doctor with their daily tasks. The main aim is to decrease the task load on the physician’s shoulders by handling many basic administrative and clinical tasks for him. A medical assistant is trained to give patient injections as directed by the physician, schedule patient appointments, take patient histories and measure vital signs, help the physician with patient examinations, and prepare blood for laboratory tests. Most medical assistants are therefore employed in doctor’s offices, which means that they have the advantage over many other health care workers of having a normal working day. However in some cases, especially for these medical assistants who work in other health care facilities, they are expected to cover evening and weekend shifts. This is because many health care facilities are open 24 hours a day and need professionals on duty to deal with any medical cases that are brought in. in most states you will not need to receive formal educational training in order to be a medical assistant, but it is strongly recommended that you take advantage of one of the medical assistant programs in Utah as it will increase your chances of finding employment.
Medical Assistant Training In Utah
Becoming a medical assistant with a good chance of being employed in the best jobs will take time and a lot of hard work in order to complete the necessary training courses. Training usually results in a diploma, certificate, or degree which allows you to become a medical assistant. The higher your level of education the more likely you are to find good employment opportunities. Training can be expensive but there are a number of financial aid options in Utah that you may be interested in benefiting from:
- The Utah Centennial Scholarship program
- The New Century Scholarship program
- The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (this commission provides out-of-state tuition assistance for students)
Scholarships are monetary amounts awarded to students who show great academic excellence in their studies. This money does not need to be repaid. Grants are very similar except in one crucial aspect – they are awarded on the basis of financial need rather than on the basis of merit. Grants can be awarded by the federal government by completing a FAFSA form. You can also gain access to a number of excellent loans at low interest rates from the federal government by applying through FAFSA.
Medical Assistant Careers In Utah
Employment opportunities for medical assistants as well as career advancement opportunities are excellent. The city of St. George, Utah, is notable as one of the five US metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of medical assistants employed. In this city you can also earn about $33,000 a year. If you are planning to become a medical assistant in Utah, and if you have control over which areas of the state you can work in, aim to work in St. Georg. However it is important to note that there is quite a lot of competition in this state as it is such a good employment and career opportunity. Consequently you may want to keep your employment options open as far as possible in terms of which area of the state you will eventually work in. Although certification is not required, it has been noted that, in this state in particular, more medical assistants find employment when they have certification from American Association of Medical Assistants. Certification can improve your career by:
- Improving your resume and showing potential employers that you have a passion for the job
- Giving you access to the American Association of Medical Assistants and the many resources it offers to its members
List Of Medical Assistant Programs In Utah
Utah has a number of medical assistant training programs on offer. Some of your better options are listed here. Note: the accreditation status is not available for all schools on this list. It is your responsibility to ensure that the school is properly accredited before you decide to enroll with that program. If you attend a program which is not accredited you will not get very far in your career as employers look specifically for accreditation in the program that you complete. The decision that you make at this point in your career will affect the rest of your career. Finding out whether or not your program is accredited is an extremely important first step in the process which cannot be ignored or forgotten. It is no one’s responsibility other than yours.
Everest College
Programs: Medical Administrative Assistant Diploma, Medical Assistant Diploma
Ameritech College
Programs: Medical Assistant, Medical Assistant Program
Bridgerland Applied Technology College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Broadview University
Programs: Medical Assistant, Medical Assistant Program
Davis Applied Technology College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Latter-day Saints Business College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Salt Lake Community College
Programs: Medical Assistant – Certificate, Medical Assistant Program
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Stevens-Henager College
Programs: Medical Assistant Program, Medical Assisting – Associate Degree
Programmatic Accreditation: CAAHEP
Tooele Applied Technology College
Programs: Clinical Medical Assistant
Pay
The annual mean wage that you are likely to earn as a medical assistant in Utah is about $27,670. The hourly mean wage is also quite high and averages at $13.30 an hour in this state. Those at the bottom end of the pay scale earn about $21,240 a year, while those at the top end of the pay scale earn around $35,740 a year.
The specific city that you work in will also affect the salary that you can earn in Utah:
- In Cedar City you can earn around $35,453 a year
- In Park City you can earn around $38,070 a year
- In North Salt Lake you can earn around $32, 615 a year
- In Provo you can earn around $34,283 a year
- In Ogden you can earn around $32, 615 a year
- In Salt Lake City you can earn around $38,070 a year
- In Orem you can earn around $34,283 a year
- In St George you can earn around $33,040 a year
In addition you will find that the level of education you have achieved as well as the specific employer that you work for and the specific industry that you a reemployed in will play a significant role in how much you will take home with you at the end of the day. To a certain degree your gender may also affect your salary depending on the area in which you choose to work as a medical assistant.
The schools that offer this qualification in Utah may be a little sparse, but they are of good quality and you can be sure that you will receive excellent training through those schools. Medical assistant pay in Utah is also fairly good. Entering the medical profession through this doorway will open up many possibilities to you in this ever stable and consistently expanding industry. With further education you could become a higher ranking staff member in your facility form the starting point of being a medical assistant. Choosing medical assistant programs in Utah must be done carefully as this choice will affect the rest of your career.