Healthcare is undoubtedly an exciting, fast-growing part of the U.S. economy, but it can come with stress. If you are interested in a healthcare career, you might also be worried about eventual burnout. This happens when healthcare workers, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, medical assistants, and others, experience sustained workplace stress. This kind of stress can affect your overall health, as well as the ability of the healthcare team to provide good medical care to patients.
Prism Career Institute offers a medical assistant diploma program at campuses in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and West Atlantic City, NJ. Here, we offer information about some medical assistant specialties that tend to see less stress.
Choose These Specialties to Prevent Healthcare Burnout
One way to avoid health worker burnout and workplace stress as a medical assistant is to obtain the education and training required to confidently perform the job duties. With knowledge and experience, healthcare workers and medical assistants are better able to handle changes in the schedule or increased workloads. Choosing to work in a medical specialty that is particularly meaningful or interesting is also beneficial for job satisfaction.
Some studies identify a few relatively low-stress medical specialties. These medical disciplines and specialties may offer environments less conducive to burnout:
- Otolaryngology, or ear-nose-and-throat specialists
- Plastic surgery
- Dermatology
- Podiatry
- Pain management
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Occupational medicine
Some of these specialties, such as plastic surgery or podiatry, usually treat patients who are scheduled for elective surgery, rather than an emergency. There are a variety of possible explanations for lower burnout rates in other specialties. There may be less competition for healthcare dollars, or employment of staff who are particularly invested in the field, such as obstetrics and pediatrics. Organizational philosophy and ethics can also impact healthcare burnout.
Other Ways Medical Assistants Can Avoid Healthcare Burnout
Choosing a supportive work environment is important for any healthcare career. Medical assistants work with every single person in the practice, department, or organization. They often work directly with patients in exam rooms or provide patient education. Those who spend more time on office tasks provide crucial information that affects billing documents and medical records.
Every medical clinic or office depends on the valuable work performed by medical assistants. That’s why it’s important to find employment with respectful coworkers and supervisors who advocate for all healthcare workers.
To help avoid healthcare burnout, medical assistants can search for employers who offer emotional resources, such as access to counseling services. Work benefits that include adequate vacation time and sick leave are also important. Often the most difficult aspect of working in healthcare is scheduling. Feeling that the scheduling is fair to all involved and provides enough time off to recalibrate is important for any position.
You Might Like a Fast-Paced Medical Office
While healthcare burnout is a concern for medical assistants and other staff, don’t dismiss a fast-paced office or department out of hand. Keeping busy and helping lots of people every day also leads to job satisfaction. If the organization is well-run and the staff is appreciated, almost any specialty might be the one for you.
Work preferences are individual. That’s why Prism Career Institute provides training to help students get started on a variety of medical assistant career paths. Another important aspect of our program is a medical assistant externship, where students gain valuable experience that can help them choose which work environments or medical specialties they prefer. In addition, our career services department assists with networking, resume preparation, and interviewing skills.
Please note: The medical assistant diploma program provides an excellent starting point for these careers, but additional training may be required for some.
Convenient Medical Career Training at Prism Career Institute
Prism Career Institute’s hybrid medical assistant program includes 108 hours of distance learning, 420 hours of lecture on campus, 150 hours of lab work, and 150 hours of externship experience. The medical assistant program can be completed in 10 months. For added convenience, there is an option for evening and weekend classes offered at the Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City campuses.
Apply for Admission at Prism Career Institute for Healthcare Careers
Isn’t it time you started working in a career that aligned with your interests? If you want to be part of healthcare, in a career that offers mobility and high demand, consider becoming a medical assistant. Prism Career Institute offers the medical assistant program at all three of our campus locations, in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and West Atlantic City, NJ. Prism Career Institute was founded with the mission of providing career-focused training and education in healthcare. The medical assistant program provides an education that covers both clinical and administrative aspects of being a medical assistant. Apply online today or contact us to learn more about our programs.