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by: Danni R.
MALE OR FEMALE OCCUPATION?
Study after study demonstrates that
misconceptions about men in the medical assistant profession
still abound.
A study held in June 2003 revealed
that male students made up less than 10 percent in courses
offering medical assisting training! Despite of their
interest in the profession men have historically been
discouraged and frequently denied access to medical
assisting education and entry into the workforce.
WHERE ARE THE MEN?
Although when asked men agree that
they would be interested in becoming a medical assistant for
the same reasons their female counterparts enter the
profession, it is surprising how few men actually do.
CORRECTING MISCONCEPTIONS TO ATTRACT
MEN
Opportunities abound for men in the
medical assistant profession, however, the deep-rooted
stereotypical misconceptions of a man's ability and
suitability in this field is hindering their progress. For
example, some men believe that men who display caring
attitudes aren't "real men" and highly feminized
pictures of medical assistants on the job enforce the idea
that medical assisting is for women but not for men.
To provide men with positive role
models, advertising, videos, graphics and publications
should not only feature images of women but also men
performing action-oriented clinical and administrative
tasks. Vocational training and education programs should set
enrollment goals for male students and actively recruit
them.
The number of male faculty teaching
clinical and administrative medical assistant curricula
should be increased. Misconceptions that keep men out of the
medical assistant profession should be corrected by accurate
information about opportunities, challenges, lifelong
learning and rewards of service to others in medial offices
and clinics.
If medical assisting is to fulfill its
potential of providing quality care in a modern health care
system, sincere efforts should be made to attract and
recruit more men.
The Exception: Medical Assistants
Wanted — MEN ONLY!
If you are hired as a medical
assistant on a U.S. Navy submarine chances are you are a
man. At present women cannot serve in submarines! For that
to happen the Navy would have to redesign its submarines to
accommodate their female recruits.
As a U.S. Navy medical assistant on a
submarine your duties would involve medical skills as well
as radiation safety and atmosphere control.
You would receive extra training
covering radiation safety, health physics and atmosphere
control as well as the basic submarine training that every
submariner must do, such as practicing underwater escape.
You would be part of a team of medical
assistants who are responsible for the radiological and
environmental safety of the crew and to provide the
engineering department with technical advice on the safe
operating parameters of the reactor cooling system.
About The Author
Danni R. is a certified medical
assistant through the AAMA and NHA, and MA Instructor at
well known vocational training institutions. Her background
is a unique blend of health care sciences and freelance web
design, which makes her the ideal author for medical
assisting articles, web sites, and various online courses.
It is this fusion of contrasting disciplines that makes her
work so successful on the Internet! You may also visit her
web sites at http://www.certmedassistant.com,
http://www.medicalassistant.net
and http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.net
to get better acquainted with her work!
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