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New Medical Assistant
Program to be Offered
By Darlene Schneider, Editor, The Pathfinder
The Office of Business Technology is offering a new program
to give students the option of being a medical assistant without becoming an
registered nurse.
The two-year program teaches students the tasks of working up front in an
office as well as in the back office helping the doctor, Jan Wyatt, medical
assistant program manager, said.
Not only does the associate degree allow students to go on to work in
medical offices but students are also hirable in chiropractic offices,
dental offices and physical therapist clinics.
The program helps students become the “well rounded” person perfect for
medical offices according to Wyatt.
In Idaho the average medical assistant would earn from $8 to $14. The
national average is $10.70.
“A nurse is trained to work in hospital settings--they have more knowledge
than they need in a physicans office. Doctor’s won’t hire them because they
are more expensive,” Wyatt said.
The benefits to working in a medical office instead of a hospital vary on
the person but for Wyatt she said she choose a medical office because
holidays are automatically off and there are no night shifts.
Wyatt graduated from the nursing program at L-C in 1971 and then immediately
went to work in various local hospitals before working for a doctor’s office
for the last 21 years of her career. She then applied for the new position
at L-C because it was a new challenge.
“I’m ready to try something different,” Wyatt said. “And I’m very excited
for classes to begin.”
Wyatt took on the position early in March but will not teach a class until
fall semester begins. She’s currently working to get a lab that fits certain
guidelines in order for the program to get accredited.
Wyatt said that the program has gotten good response from the community.
“Valley Medical Center said they were very excited to help us,” she added.
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