A Complete Snapshot of a Professional Medical Assistant

When you graduate from the medical assistant program at MTI College, you will have the background needed for an entry-level position with many possibilities. You will work with doctors, helping to perform a variety of administrative and clinical duties in a career that is increasingly in demand.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the growth of the medical assistant field on the national level is expected to increase by 24 percent through 2024. With the flexibility of the program at MTI College, you can be on your way to a career in medical assistance by going to school just three times a week in a fast-forwarded course. If you are currently working – or want to work part-time while earning your medical assistant certification – this is ideal for you.

Take a look at this overview of what a medical assistant does and whether it’s a career path you would like to follow.

Why are medical assistants in such demand?

Medical assistant jobs are in demand partially because of a rapidly aging U.S. population. As people age, they usually need more medical care. With technological advancements, more technology-savvy individuals are needed to use them. In addition, there is predicted growth in the number of physicians’ offices, hospitals and outpatient clinics to accommodate the increasing elderly population.

What are the duties of a medical assistant professional?

A medical assistant is critically important to the smooth operation of a doctor’s office, hospital or medical clinic, and his or her duties are split between administrative and clinical responsibilities.

Administrative duties may include:

• Welcoming patients and answering the phone
• Setting appointments
• Overseeing patients’ medical records
• Supervising patients’ insurance information
• Organizing necessary information, such as hospital admissions and laboratory services
• Handling correspondence

Clinical duties may include:

• Preparing patients for medical examinations
• Drawing blood
• Removing sutures and changing dressings
• Performing basic laboratory exams
• Writing down medical histories
• Assisting the doctor during exams
• Instructing patients about medications and special diets they may need

Why choose the medical assistant program at MTI College?

MTI College prepares students for a career in medical assistance with comprehensive training in administrative, clinical and laboratory procedures. Additionally, a required 160-hour off-campus externship provides hands-on experience in a professional healthcare facility setting. Students who study in the MTI medical assistant program learn:

• Medical terminology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Pharmacology
• Medical protocol and procedures in clinics and laboratories
• Front-office practices, including coding and billing procedures
• Patient relations
• Medical law and ethics

As a graduate of the medical assistant program at MTI, you will be prepared to go out into the work force in less than a year.

There are additional benefits of studying medical assistance at MTI, including:

• The flexibility of a new program that allows you to take classes just three times a week
• Preparation for the California Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA)
• Preparation for the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam that can be taken on campus
• Access to MTI’s job placement assistance after graduation

Graduates of the medical assistant program at MTI College will have proficiency in the skills needed to perform diverse duties in the healthcare field and can look forward to an in-demand career. Contact MTI College today to begin your studies in January.

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Faculty Spotlight – Robert Young

If you were to ask Robert Young when it was that he first knew he wanted to be a teacher, the answer would be a little tricky. He has always believed in the power of education and for a long time has felt something of a calling to have a role in its delivery.

But as far as serving as a teacher in the traditional sense of the word, Young, an instructor of information technology at MTI College, never really pictured it for himself.

“I just hadn’t really thought of it. I wanted to do theatre. I’ve always loved doing theatre. But at the same time, I love giving away knowledge and the things I know, and performance can be a powerful way of doing just that.”

Most people might hear “performance” and “information technology” and think there couldn’t be a stranger pairing of academic or professional disciplines. But for Young, bridging the two fields makes perfect sense, and it tells the story of his journey to MTI.

Born and raised in Marin County, Young grew up in a time when information technology, at least the way we know it today, didn’t exist. One thing that did exist, however, was the “starving artist”—a phrase that refers to artists, musicians, and performers who try to turn their passion into a way to earn a living, often without luck.

So while he embraced his love for the arts, he also knew he had to be practical. He began working temp jobs in the banking industry, initially in accounting.

“When I first went to work back then, it was a time when a ‘computer’ was this huge machine in a huge room. It was kind of this mysterious thing.”

As Young continued in the banking industry, he impressed his supervisor with his work and started moving up the ranks. From accounting he transitioned to loan operations, which is where he first started working in the information technology field. Eventually, he became a database administrator, a role he served in for several years.

But after 30 years of working in the field, he knew it was time for a change. “After so many years, you just kind of get tired of the keyboard.”

Throughout all of that time, Young never stopped doing theatre. And he had a particular interest in historical and educational theatre. To him, being able to entertain and make an audience laugh while also learning something along the way—whether they even know it at the time or not—was a powerful thing.

So that’s what he did.

Over the years he’s played the role of many different historical figures, from going into schools and performing for groups of students, to taking the stage as Charles Dickens and performing for thousands at San Francisco’s beloved Great Dickens Christmas Fair.

And at some point, it just clicked. Young realized not only that theatre and performance were powerful avenues for educating audiences, but the craft of performance itself offered tools and skills that are essential for anyone to possess and utilize in the professional world.

“It just all of a sudden seemed apparent. There are aspects of performance that will absolutely contribute to the level of success you achieve, no matter what your profession may be. You’ve got to be able to improvise; you need to understand body language and voice, and how to communicate in a way that puts things in the appropriate emotional context.”

This is what brought Young to MTI. He joined the faculty in 2008 and began teaching the Art of Live Presentation, which is a required course at the College. While professional presentation typically conjures images of PowerPoint and other software tools used to actually lead a presentation, the course also is about teaching all of those soft skills that employers look for.

At the same time, Young’s extensive professional background in information technology also made him an obvious candidate to teach courses with an IT focus, such as Computing Essentials and the Microsoft Office 2013 Pro Suite of productivity programs, to students studying business management, accounting, legal, medical, IT, and cosmetology.

For Young, using technology is about more than simply plodding through programs and a series of executions. What he expresses to his students is that technology is something that has a very real impact on the living experience of people everywhere. Being able to connect with people, whether through theatre and performance or by understanding what they need and want from technology, is what drives him.

“From my early days working in the industry, that’s what interested me. How people relate to technology. And I think that’s the unique thing that my background in theatre brings to an IT setting.”

And he’s found the ideal home at MTI.

“The culture here is amazing. Everyone here is really devoted to student outcomes, which is why our students and graduates achieve the levels of success they do. Students here get a lot of guidance and support along the way. What I would say to a student who’s thinking of attending MTI is that you should expect to come out of the experience as an improved ‘you.’”

When he isn’t teaching, Young enjoys traveling to places like New York City—where he once lived briefly—and London. And, clearly, he spends much of his time away from the classroom performing as a way to entertain and enlighten. He enjoys playing the role of Charles Dickens at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.   But he says there’s a unique sense of fulfillment that comes from teaching performance and information technology at MTI and seeing the transformation that his students experience.

“For me it’s about service and being there for students who are motivated to achieve meaningful goals. It’s really great to see people become awakened to these dynamics and gain an understanding of how to apply them to their careers. Knowing that I’ve played a part in that feels good.”

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How to Advance Your Career in a Clinical Field

If you’re already in the medical assisting program at MTI College, you’ve made a smart career choice. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry is expecting to add nearly 4 million jobs by 2026 – about one-third of all jobs. That’s great news as you look down the road toward career advancement in clinical industry occupations.

If you’re considering becoming a medical assistant, MTI College offers you flexibility with a program that requires you to go to class just three days a week. That way, you are in charge of your time management while preparing for an in-demand career opportunity as a medical assistant.

Regardless of how far along you are on your chosen study path, you can benefit from knowing more about becoming a medical assistant and how to advance in your career.

Recent growth in the medical industry

Medical assistants play vital roles in today’s healthcare industry. They help doctors in private practice, hospitals and outpatient clinics perform a number of clinical and administrative duties, including administering medications, checking vital signs, drawing blood, removing sutures, noting patient medical histories, processing insurance claims and more.

The rapidly aging population of baby boomers partially explains the increased demand for medical assistants. Baby boomers will continue to need preventive medical services, and doctors will hire more medical assistants to perform routine clinical and administrative procedures. That way doctors will be able to see more patients. In addition, more outpatient clinics and other medical facilities are being built to accommodate more patients, and they will need to be staffed.

Why a medical assistant program is important for your career

Even though a medical assistant does not require the same amount of training as a physician or nurse, a comprehensive education is necessary. The medical assisting program at MTI College includes training in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, protocol and procedures, and front-office procedures. A required hands-on externship gives students the practical experience needed when choosing medical assistant as a career opportunity. In addition, MTI’s job placement service can help you find your first career opportunity.

A medical assistant can be a lifesaver to a physician, who is often extremely busy and needs to focus on diagnoses and treatment. The extensive training received in a medical assisting program prepares the assistant to serve a variety of functions:

• As the first point of contact, a medical assistant uses customer service skills to welcome a patient and to survey the situation.
• As a clinician, the medical assistant performs routine duties, such as collecting fluid samples, taking vital signs and drawing blood so the doctor can focus on making a diagnosis and suggesting treatment.
• As a multitasker, the medical assistant can switch hats to coordinate the administrative process involved in a patient’s care, including organizing charts and documentation, communicating with insurance companies on behalf of the patient, and scheduling additional appointments and tests.

Recent technological advances that enhance a medical assistant’s job

Depending on where you work – small or large private practice, clinic or hospital – your duties could vary. Most likely, you’ll perform a combination of clinical and administrative duties. As in other industries, technology has improved processes, increased efficiency and transformed the medical industry.

Technological advances have improved the way a medical assistant works. Take a look at these examples:

• Electronic medical records make it easier to track patient data, share information among attending physicians and medical facilities, and generally have quick access to test results and other data.
• Mobile devices are helping patients connect with healthcare professionals, such as the medical assistant, by offering “telehealth” apps that track and record health information, fitness goals and sleep quality that patients can then share.
• Software is being developed to help with diagnosis and, ultimately, disease control; medical assistants will be expected to enter data into the program.
• Remote patient monitoring can help rural patients or those unable to travel to a medical facility, and tech-savvy medical assistants will be in demand to assist in this area.
• Data analytics is being integrated into both the clinical and administrative sides of healthcare, affecting the many responsibilities of medical assistants.

A medical assistant who can easily adapt as technology changes will be vitally important in the healthcare field. Keeping up with new technology and learning to use new software and tools can increase a medical assistant’s chance of career advancement.

How to become a medical assistant if time management is a priority

With the flexibility of the medical assisting program at MTI College, you can be on your way to that important first career opportunity by going to school just three times a week. If time management is a concern because you must work while you earn your medical assistant certification, the MTI College program is ideal for you. In as little as one year, you can graduate and be ready to take your California Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.

When you start your career as a medical assistant, it opens the door to more choices down the road. You will have a versatile portfolio of skills that you can take with you wherever you go.

Contact MTI College today and begin your medical assistant training program in January.

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Do’s and Don’ts When Applying and Interviewing for Tech Jobs

You’ve made up your mind that you want a career working with technology. Whether you are just beginning your career, you have career experience in other industries or you work in tech and want a different job, you need to know how to apply for jobs in a way that helps you land interviews.

There are certain things you should and shouldn’t do during the process that is looking for a job, tech jobs being no exception. “What are some of those things?” you may be asking. Well, we’re glad you asked because we’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts below to help your application get noticed, secure an interview and land a job. Good luck!

DON’T home in on just one company or a few different companies

There is no shortage of tech jobs in need of passionate applicants. Wanting to work for Google might be your dream job, but that doesn’t mean it has to be your first job; nor is Google the only tech company looking for employees. If you decide on having an unwavering staunchness in your unwillingness to work for any other employer, you might be waiting a while to get into the tech industry.

Be sure to diversify the companies you apply to and submit quality applications to each one. A wider net will typically result in landing more fish, or jobs, to choose from.

DON’T emphasize quantity over quality when it comes to applications

Notice how in the previous tip we mentioned submitting quality applications. Putting effort into a smaller number of applications for jobs you can truly see yourself doing will, more often than not, yield better success when it comes to getting interviewed for tech jobs, as opposed to blindly firing resumes at hundreds and hundreds of postings across the web.

Submitting a quality application and well-thought-out cover letter shares more about who you are with the potential employer than a simple resume ever could. It takes more time and effort to craft company-specific cover letters, and while it might not be the most enjoyable process, if you submit a few at a time on a consistent basis, your labor should yield more fruits in the form of job interviews.

DON’T hide your employment experience, even if it seems like it is not applicable

Your previous work experience is valuable when applying for tech jobs for a couple of different reasons. It allows prospective employers to see what you have been up to and what kinds of skills you can bring to the table.

Another reason to disclose your work experience is to harness the power of networking. They can see where you have worked or are currently working, which may lead to the discovery of some mutual acquaintances who, in turn, may be contacted to speak highly of you. Many employers fill jobs by hiring people they know or whom their employees know. IT and other tech industry jobs are no exception.

DO APPLY, even if you do not have a tech-related degree

You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, or so the old adage goes. Searching for a tech job is no different. Even if you think you might not be qualified and you still apply for the position, you have already increased your chances of landing an interview exponentially. If you have the knowledge needed to do the job but not a degree in computer science, it may be enough in some cases if you are able to demonstrate your skills.

Something on your application may catch the employer’s eye. And, if you never hear from him or her again, that’s basically the worst thing that can happen when you apply. You will not know if you don’t put in the effort and try.

DO differentiate yourself from other applicants

We hit on this earlier in the quality-over-quantity section, but it is important to stand out when applying for jobs in tech or any other industry. Writing a carefully crafted cover letter is a great way to do that. Cover letters allow you the opportunity to tell your future boss who you are, what makes you tick and, perhaps most importantly, why you would be a great fit at the company. Doing that would be rather difficult if you were to simply utilize a cookie-cutter cover letter template. Be yourself and make the most of your cover letters.

DO build your skill set

Are you interested in breaking into the tech industry but worry that you do not quite have the skills or knowledge to start your new career? You might not be as far off as you perceive yourself to be. The IT programs at MTI College are crafted to prepare qualified candidates for the current tech job market.

With a better understanding of what to do and what not to do in your hunt for a position in the tech sector, perhaps you are considering enrolling in an IT program.

MTI College can help you achieve your tech dreams

A stellar education can make all the difference in your pursuit of your dream tech job. Luckily for you, MTI College in Sacramento is proud to offer two unique information technology programs to aid you in starting a rewarding tech career: Technical Support Specialist and Network Administration and Security Associate.

MTI College’s IT programs provide comprehensive computer and information technology training that will help prepare you to be a competent employee in your respective tech specialty. Courses help prepare students for the successful completion of CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications. Network Administration students aim for Microsoft MCSA certification in Windows Server 2016.

As a student in MTI College’s IT programs, you will learn a crucial set of skills you can utilize on a daily basis in your future career. You will have the opportunity to learn from MTI’s knowledgeable and experienced instructors who place an emphasis on your IT education.

MTI College full-functioning lab rooms, small class sizes, individualized attention, and resources from Microsoft Imagine Academy, CompTIA Academic Partnership, and LinkedIn’s Lynda.com.

MTI College Career Services Department offers students a wealth of job placement assistance prior to the completion of their respective programs. MTI’s job placement staff helps students and graduates in their quests for employment with resources such as:

• Resume-writing assistance
• Mock interviews
• Other job-searching tools and resources

If you have a passion for working with computers and computer networks, one of MTI College’s IT programs might just be for you. Explore the advantages of MTI College and begin your journey toward your diploma today.

MTI College can help you realize your tech career dreams. Get in touch with us by visiting https://www.mticollege.edu/.

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Faculty Spotlight – Nicole Silverman

It is the winding roads in life that are usually the most interesting. The same can be said when it comes to an individual’s professional journey and career path. Nicole Silverman demonstrates this truth as well as anyone.

Ms. Silverman’s educational and professional journey has stretched from high school, college, and law school in the Sacramento area to the museums of Vienna, Austria, and back. It has taken unexpected turns, strengthened her beliefs, and broadened her perspectives.

In addition, it has shaped her outlook on teaching when she began her role as professor in the Paralegal program at MTI College.

“We learn so much from the things we experience. A big part of where I am today is the result of an experience I chose to pursue in my final year of law school that completely changed my perspective and led me down a new path within the field of law. So that’s something I always emphasize to my students, to never close themselves off to new opportunities, to go after the kind of experiences that can impact their outlook and career goals.”

Ms. Silverman grew up in Sacramento and always stayed local, completing what she describes as the area’s “trifecta” in terms of her education—high school, junior college at Sacramento City College, and undergraduate study at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis).

At UC Davis, she chose to follow one of her passions, history.  Specifically, she majored in Early Modern American and European History, and as part of her undergraduate experience traveled abroad to explore some of the history of World War II in Vienna.

Ms. Silverman’s initial plan was to put her degree in history to use by teaching—either at the K-12 level or pursuing advanced study in the field and teaching at the university level. However, while she felt that teaching was something of a natural calling, the more she thought about it, the harder it became to deny the powerful interest she had in another academic discipline—Law.

“I’ve always been interested in law; I like the idea of service and helping people who are going through something very tough and need a voice.  So, I decided that a career in law was right for me, but coming out of UC Davis, I wasn’t totally sure what my best next step would be. I thought about applying directly to law school, but then decided that going the route of a paralegal first would give me a really solid foundation.”

Having grown up in Sacramento, Ms. Silverman was aware of MTI College, and knew that the school was held in high regard. She looked around at other respected paralegal programs in the area, but in the end, none of the others could match a key distinction of the Paralegal program at MTI College—the fact that it is approved by the America Bar Association (ABA).

“In the legal world, that’s huge. None of the other programs I looked at, which were definitely good programs, had that ABA approval. MTI did.”

Since she had already earned her bachelor’s degree at UC Davis, Silverman was able to complete the Paralegal program in just one year. From there, she was accepted at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. During her time in law school, Silverman balanced a heavy workload as a full-time paralegal/law clerk during the day and a law student at night.

It was in her final year of law school when Silverman made a choice that would change the trajectory of her legal career. She decided to take part in McGeorge’s Prisoner Civil Rights Mediation Clinic (Prisoner Mediation Clinic), where she assisted federal judges in the Eastern District of California with co-mediating Section 1983 prisoner grievances. In the Prisoner Mediation Clinic, she conducted interviews with prisoners in the prison or via telephone, drafted confidential pre-mediation bench memorandums for the judges, and assisted in mediating settlement conferences between prisoners, the California Office of the Attorney General, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

“It was pretty eye-opening to see just how huge the power imbalance was when it came to prisoners’ legal needs being met. Their cases would take much, much longer to work their way through the system.”

It was an impactful experience, and one that led Silverman to pursue work in the public defender’s office so that she could do her part to ensure that everyone, no matter their circumstance in life, would have a legal advocate.

Through it all, Ms. Silverman never lost touch with her interest in teaching. After earning her Juris Doctorate (J.D.), she decided to reach out to her old acquaintance, Linda Gardenhire, the department chair of Paralegal Studies at MTI College.

Ms. Silverman started to engage with students at MTI by taking part in panel discussions and speaking opportunities at the school. She is now in her second year teaching online torts, and substitute teaches on campus in a variety of legal courses.

The positive experience Ms. Silverman had as a student at MTI, has carried over to her role as professor in the Paralegal program.

“Unless you are from the Sacramento area, it is hard to know just how respected the Paralegal program is. I have worked with a lot of law firms, and the majority of paralegals you see there are from MTI. The overall quality of the program is something that I’m really proud to be a part of.”

Nevertheless, teaching at MTI holds a special place for Ms. Silverman, because every day is an opportunity to empower students to achieve their goals.

“It’s really fulfilling to see just how passionate the students are. They are motivated to learn the law, they are inquisitive, they ask a lot of questions, and they want to further themselves. You have to respect that. And it’s great being able to share my story with them as a source of motivation.”

“These subjects can be pretty difficult. So when I see them succeed in class and that they genuinely understand the material in a way that’s going to contribute to their success down the road, it’s just a really good feeling.”

When she is not teaching, clerking, or working as a independent contractor for multiple law firms, Ms. Silverman devotes her time to her son, and can usually be found at a local park cheering him on during his soccer games. She is looking into piano lessons and Spanish classes as other ways for them to spend quality time together.

Ever the lifelong learner, Ms. Silverman is also considering pursuing a master’s degree in social work as a way to help survivors of sexual exploitation, an issue she has learned about through her work in the public defender’s office.

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