Are Medical Assistants Hired Off the Street? 

By Danni R.

Is It True Medical Assistants Are Hired Right Off the Street?

One debate among medical assistants when they discuss their concerns often revolves around medical assistants being hired without formal training and prior experience in the field. They often call it "medical assistants hired right off the street". I believe the reason why this topic keeps coming up time after time is that the medical assistant profession remains so poorly regulated.

Is It True?

Some medical offices may indeed have hired medical assistant staff without any prior work experience in this specific field. Perhaps they felt that they can pay medical assistants without diplomas and certification less, or they simply did not believe in formal training for something they feel they can teach a qualified candidate right on the job (and let them grow into the position).

Is It Unfair?

Many of their peers feel that this practice is unfair to those who have graduated from medical assistant programs spending all that time, money, and sacrifices getting their education. To them it seems that it leaves those with a diploma "out there", when an employer hires someone without formal training to save money. Although it is highly doubtful that doctors truly recruit their staff literally right off the street there may be some truth in this not being fair to those with formal training.

But Not So Fast!

Fortunately, the understanding of the value of hiring qualified and knowledgeable medical assistants is on the rise; and an increasing number of employers chose to hire applicants that have a earned their medical assistant diploma and passed the national certification exam.

Where So Much Is At Stake

Many employers and office managers have come to realize that hiring inexperienced, non-trained workers can pose a disservice to those who went through vocational training, and a disadvantage to their own medical practice. They are no longer willing to take the risk that comes with taking on staff that lacks proper training and qualifications to provide patient care to their clients and patients.