Medical Assistant Schools in Hawaii

Like most states around the country, Hawaii needs medical assistants to assist physicians in hospitals, clinics, and specialized offices. These professionals are usually in charge of administrative and clinical tasks, ensuring that other professionals can focus on their duties while everything runs smoothly.

Typically, a medical assistant career in the state of Hawaii begins with the acquisition of skills in a classroom environment. However, candidates can take several possible approaches, and it is advisable to follow an existing framework.

The purpose of the guide on this page is to provide this framework and give candidates confidence in their approach as they start what is hopefully a long-lasting career as medical assistants in Hawaii.

How to Become a Medical Assistant in Hawaii

The following is a step-by-step overview of how to become a medical assistant in Hawaii.

Step 1: Basic Prerequisites

The basic requirements to become a medical assistant in Hawaii include:

• A high school diploma or GED,
• Minimum age of 18 years,
• Soft Skills like interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills.

Step 2: Training Pathways & Arrangements

There are several training pathways and training arrangements to be considered as a prospective medical assistant in Hawaii. These include:

Academic Institutions

The most common approach for prospective medical assistants in Hawaii is to complete an academic program to learn the basic subject matter of the profession. Once they’ve completed their education, they will be excellent at laboratory procedures and human physiology and earn valuable certificates or associate degrees.

On-the-Job Training

On-the-job training can be an alternative to attending an academic program as a prospective medical assistant. However, it is more commonly used in conjunction with academic training to ensure that graduates are as well-rounded as possible.

For this reason, a lot of training programs dedicate part of their coursework to real-world externships.

Step 3: Specialization

Lastly, candidates may want to specialize after completing their training or even after securing job placement. The options are limitless, as individuals can specialize in clinical or administrative medical assisting and then further specialize in cardiology, ophthalmology, or family practice, among others.

Explore trades with similar paths:

• How to become a home and building inspector in Hawaii

Licensure & Certification Requirements

Certification can be very important for medical assistants in Hawaii, but according to the laws, it is not necessary. However, it is important because employers like the credibility that comes with certification.

Becoming certified also allows you to network with professionals who are certified by the same organizations. Lastly, certified professionals must meet continuing education requirements, which can help them acquire more advanced skills.

Candidates who would like to become certified as medical assistants in Hawaii may go with the American Association of Medical Assistants or the American Medical Technologists.

The former offers the Certified Medical Assistant credential, while the latter offers the Registered Medical Assistant credential.

The National Healthcareer Association also offers a popular Certified Clinical Medical Assistant credential with all of the above benefits.

Top Medical Assistant Schools in Hawaii

The schools below have reputable training programs for medical assistants in Hawaii.

Explore medical assistant schools in Hawaii by city:

• Medical assistant schools in Honolulu

Salary & Career Outlook

As a well-established medical assistant in Hawaii, you can enjoy an average salary of up to $42,509 at the end of each year. You can also begin a career earning an annual average salary between $52,107 and $63,872.

The first figure is relevant to candidates who are still among the bottom 10%, and the second figure is relevant to those who are among the median earners. The median earning figure for medical assistants in Hawaii is generally the same as the national average.

Effective ways for candidates to improve their yearly returns include professional credentials, specific focus areas, work environment, and optimization of the establishment of employment. Of course, factors like experience and location will also be quite influential.

For instance, analyzing the location alone, medical assistants in Waimea earn the highest relative income in Hawaii, with an annual average salary of $71,769. Also prominent are Kīhei and Aiea, where professionals in this field can expect an annual average salary of $60,814 and $55,745, respectively.