If you want to start a medical career in healthcare in the Hoosier state, the Indianapolis area is a great place to begin your professional journey. The Indiana Department of Workforce refers to the Indianapolis area as a “healthcare hub” that offers employment opportunities at university hospitals, pharmaceutical firms, and medical device makers.
Individuals interested in launching a healthcare career working alongside medical professionals can select from an array of entry-level job options. One of the best pathways to consider in the healthcare sector is training to become a medical assistant. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 14% job growth for medical assistants from 2022 to 2032 nationally, which is much higher than the 3% job growth projected across all occupations.
Medical assistants have the opportunity to perform meaningful work that includes both critical administrative tasks and important direct patient care duties. Anyone considering enrolling in a medical assistant program in Indianapolis can benefit from exploring what this type of program entails and the advantages of working in medical assisting in the metro Indianapolis area.
Medical Assistant Program Definition and Curriculum
Medical assistants are vital healthcare professionals whose expertise enables them to perform key clinical and administrative duties. For example, medical assistants’ administrative responsibilities can include:
Scheduling patients’ appointments
Maintaining inventories of office and medical supplies
Completing insurance forms
Arranging for lab services
Handling patient billing functions
The patient care and clinical side of a medical assistant’s responsibilities can include duties such as:
Preparing patients for their examinations
Taking patients’ medical history information
Administering medications
Educating patients about their medications
Collecting specimens for lab work
Medical Assistant Programs in Indiana
Students enrolled in an Indianapolis medical assistant program gain the hands-on experience and practical expertise they need to enter the field. In addition to courses that cover key administrative and clinical topics, students have the opportunity to complete externships during which they have the chance to apply what they have learned in an actual healthcare setting.
The Medical assisting program at Fortis College in Indianapolis will span approximately 9 months of instruction to prepare students for their externship in the field. Upon graduation, students will be prepared to take the certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA) exam offered by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Graduates of medical assisting programs in Indianapolis will have completed the training to seek employment opportunities at physicians’ offices, hospitals, specialty clinics, outpatient care facilities, and assisted living facilities
Medical Assistant Program Curriculum in Indianapolis
The courses in a medical assistant program align with the responsibilities that medical assistants perform each day. For example, at Fortis College in Indianapolis the instruction on administrative responsibilities for medical assistants is designed to cover topics such as:
Health professions overview
Medical office procedures
Electronic health records
Health insurance and billing practices
Patient confidentiality requirements
Clinical courses for patient care in a medical assistant program cover topics such as:
Medical terminology
Anatomy and physiology
Clinical procedures (for example, taking vital signs, conducting diagnostic testing, and obtaining medical histories)
Laboratory procedures (for example, drawing blood, implementing infection control procedures, and conducting microbiology and immunology testing)
Pharmacology
Patient safety
Medical Assistant Program Requirements in Indiana
Medical assistants in Indiana are not required to obtain a state license. And, while certification is not always required to work as a medical assistant, employers will generally prefer that medical assistants have a certification in their field. According to the National Healthcareer Association, 87% of employers either require or encourage the medical assistants they hire to have a certification.
To enroll in the medical assistant training program at Fortis College in Indianapolis, students will have to have a valid, recognized high school diploma or GED equivalent as well as achieving a minimum score on the SLE Wonderlic aptitude test.. Medical assisting program enrollees will also complete a personal information form, participate in an interview with the program’s admissions staff, schedule a campus tour and participate in the new student orientation.
Benefits of Attending a Medical Assistant Program in Indianapolis
Individuals who complete a medical assistant program in Indianapolis can take advantage of several benefits associated with working as a medical assistant in the region. For example:
Employment prospects for medical assistants in Indiana are favorable. According to the BLS, as of May 2023, Indiana ranked among the top five states in the U.S. with a higher-than-average share of employment of medical assistants.
Employment of healthcare workers in the Indianapolis region is strong. According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, in the fourth quarter of 2023, healthcare and social services was the sector offering the most positions in the nine-county region that encompasses Indianapolis and its surrounding counties.
The Indianapolis unemployment rate is less than the national unemployment rate. Indiana generally has a strong market for healthcare professionals In May 2024, the BLS reported that the unemployment rate in the Indianapolis area was 4%, while the U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3%.
Indianapolis has a relatively low cost of living. According to the City of Indianapolis, the cost of living in Indianapolis is 6.5% lower than the national average cost of living.
Indiana has good public schools. People who are raising families may be interested to know that Indiana provides its students with a good public education. In 2024, personal finance website WalletHub ranked Indiana 13th among U.S. states for the quality of its school systems and 10th among U.S. states for the safety of its school systems.
Employees in Indiana are among the happiest in the country. In 2023, human resources software review firm SelectSoftware ranked states for employee happiness based on factors such as wages, commuting times, quit rates, working hours, work-related injuries, employee positivity levels, and time off with pay. Based on the rankings, Indiana had the 10th happiest employees in the country.
Enroll in a Medical Assistant Program in Indianapolis and Establish the Foundation for a Rewarding Career
Completing a medical assistant program in Indianapolis is a great goal for anyone with a desire to pursue meaningful work in a location that has much to offer. Working as a medical assistant is a good way to enter the Indiana healthcare workforce and launch a fulfilling career helping people achieve positive health outcomes.
If you are interested in working as a medical assistant in Indianapolis, explore Fortis College’s medical assistant program in Indianapolis to learn how it can help you achieve your career goals. With both day and evening classes, the program offers aspiring medical assistants the opportunity to acquire relevant expertise and hands-on experience in the rewarding field of medical assisting. Take the first step on the medical assisting career path today.
Recommended Readings
The Critical Collaboration Between Medical Assistants and Physicians
The Versatility of Medical Assisting
How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant
Sources:
American Association of Medical Assistants, What Is a Medical Assistant?
City of Indianapolis, Moving to Indianapolis
Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Economic Growth Region 5 Analysis
Indiana Department of Workforce Development, Hoosiers by the Numbers, Economic Growth Region 5, Quarter 4 2023
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, Professions
National Healthcareer Association, Your Path to Medical Assistant Certification
SelectSoftware, “Which U.S. State Has the Happiest Employees?”
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indianapolis Area Economic Summary
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistants
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023, 31-9092 Medical Assistants
WalletHub, States With the Best and Worst School Systems (2024)