Medical Assisting Programs in Maine
Medical assistants are truly versatile healthcare workers. In Maine, their tasks can include everything from sterilizing equipment and walking patients to the examination room to performing EKGs. While front office duties can be performed independently, clinical duties are carried out under supervision by either a physician or a physician extender (known as a physician assistant, or PA, in many areas of the country).
Across the United States, medical assistants are most frequently employed in the offices of physicians or other medical practitioners like ophthalmologists or chiropractors. A minority do find employment in hospitals. In Maine, medical assistants are hired at a variety of health care centers, including hospitals like York Hospital and Inland Hospital. Some Maine MAs are also employed in worksite medical programs. There they might have a varied day indeed, greeting and doing intake, performing basic first aid, administering various tests, and processing paperwork.
If you are a conscientious and caring person who feels equally comfortable managing medical records and offering a reassuring smile, then you might want to look into training programs in medical assisting.
How to Become a Medical Assistant in Maine
Maine Medical Assistant Resources
The state of Maine does not require formal education for medical assistants, but increasingly, employers do expect it. Some are satisfied with a basic training program, while others specify a higher level of education, perhaps an associate’s.
Accreditation is an important thing to consider when selecting a school. In order to sit for AAMA national board exams, a person needs to complete a program that is accredited by CAAHEP, ABHES, or some other organization approved by the Department of Education. AMT has similar standards, but does grant exception to those with five years of field experience. Medical services training through the armed forces also constitutes a certification exception. Nationally, AAMA and AMT are the most respected credentialing agencies for medical assistants.
One especially well qualified Maine student who is attending a CAAHEP accredited school may win a scholarship through the Maine State Society of Medical Assistants (MSSMA), which is the state affiliate of AAMA. The 2010 scholarship competition was based partly on an essay about career choice and long-term aspirations.
Medical Assistant Job Outlook in Maine
Local professional organizations are also a resource for the career medical assistant. One such organization is MSSMA, which is the state affiliate of AAMA. Annual events can be an opportunity to network and socialize as well as earn continuing education units. There are two local chapters, one in Kennebec and the other in Penobscot. A representative of the AAMA chapter in neighboring New Hampshire notes that Vermont and Maine medical assistants are welcome at New Hampshire events as well.
What are prospects like for those entering the medical assisting profession now in Maine? The BLS anticipated 17% growth in the industry in the decade between 2008 and 2018. This is below the US average growth rate for the medical assisting occupation, but still above the average growth rate across occupations. There should be new positions open each year for highly qualified candidates.
The average hourly wage for a medical assistant in Maine is $14.70 an hour, though some metropolitan areas report higher wages. Maine’s largest metropolis, the greater Portland area, leads the state with a $15.51 average. The much smaller Portsmouth metropolitan area, which also includes parts of New Hampshire, is just lower at $15.19. Some of the other small cities in Maine, meanwhile, hover just under the $14.00 mark. Bangor is at $13.77 and Lewiston at $13.78. The lowest wages are in the nonmetropolitan areas of the Northeast. Here wages average only $12.43.
Medical assistants who work in specialty settings often command higher wages. Thus, a recent posting for an MA at Inland Hospital would , if it follows trends, represent a lucrative and desirable position.
You may also be interested in additional allied health, nursing, science and pre-professional programs offered in Maine.
CAAHEP Accredited
Beal College
The Beal College Medical Assisting program is accredited by the CAAHEP. Graduates are eligible to take the Certified Medical Assistant exam.
Programs Offered: Associate | Medical Assistant
Beal College, 99 Farm Rd, Bangor , ME 04401-6831, PH: 207-947-4591
Eastern Maine Community College
The Medical Assistant program is in the process of gaining accreditation through the Medical Assisting Education Review Board.
Programs Offered: Associate in Applied Science | Medical Assistant
Eastern Maine Community College, 354 Hogan Rd., Bangor, ME 04401 PH: 207-974-4680
Kennebec Valley Community College
The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the CAAHEP, which means that graduates are eligible to sit for the CMA exam administered by the AAMA.
Programs Offered: Associate in Applied Science | Medical Assistant
Kennebec Valley Community College, 92 Western Avenue, Fairfield , ME 04937-1367, PH: 207-453-5005
Southern Maine Community College
The Medical Assistant program is accredited by the CAAHEP, which means that graduates are eligible to sit for the CMA exam administered by the AAMA.
Programs Offered: Associate in Applied Science | Medical Assistant
Southern Maine Community College, 2 Fort Road, South Portland , ME 04106-1611, PH: 207-741-5775