What does a Medical Assistant actually do on a daily basis?

The answer to that is – it depends. Because every day is likely to be very different depending on where you work. If you’re a medical assistant in an ER, you’re surely going to have a different routine than if you work in a podiatrist’s office. It might be better to start with the typical duties medical assistants are trained to perform and to note that they are trained to provide both clinical and administrative support to a healthcare team. Generally, most medical assisting programs include training in the following areas:

1. Greeting patients
2. Scheduling appointments
3. Recording patient medical history
4. Updating and maintaining electronic medical records
5. Processing insurance forms
6. Recording patient vital signs
7. Phlebotomy
8. Administering medication
9. Collecting lab specimens

You might be doing one or all of the above tasks on any given day working as a medical assistant. And it’s safe to say, you’ll be interacting with all kinds of people, from all walks of life and that – can make for a very interesting work life!

Are hospitals and doctor’s offices the only places medical assistants can find work?

No way! Of course, you’ll always find medical assistants working in hospitals, ERs, doctor’s offices, clinics and urgent care practices. But you can also look for jobs at schools, colleges, military installations, nursing homes and even government agencies. It’s the versatile nature of medical assisting that makes it a career path with a high demand for qualified personnel. So high in fact, that the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that medical assisting careers will grow at a much faster than average rate of 23%, adding a whopping 154,900 jobs by 2028!*

Plenty of places you can work, an industry on the rise with tons of growth, and our medical assisting programs can be completed in as little as 9 months. Yep! There’s a lot to love about a career in medical assisting. But the best part by far? That feeling you’ll get from making a living by helping people feel better. By making their experience a little bit better by just being you! If you’d like to learn more about a career in medical assisting, check out the Medical Assistant Administrative & Clinical Program at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½. With a dedicated faculty, flexible scheduling options and free tutoring, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is helping students get the hands-on training and skills they need to join the amazing healthcare heroes out there making a difference every day. Contact us today for more information.

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What Medical Assistants Do

Medical assistants do a variety of tasks in a hospital, doctor’s office, or nursing home setting. They often work with patients and support other medical professionals to deliver quality and comprehensive healthcare. Some medical assistants complete tasks to support the administrative side of healthcare including scheduling appointments, recording a patient’s medical history, and updating records in the computer system.

In a clinical setting, medical assistants may take a patient’s vital signs, administer injections or medications, or help doctors and nurses with examinations. Some medical assistants specialize in different areas of practice, such as ophthalmology and podiatry.

Where They Are in Demand

Professionals with a medical assistant license are needed all over the country. In geographical areas where there are high percentages of elderly people, the need for medical assistants is even greater. States like California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and New York have larger metropolitan areas that are also in need of qualified medical assistants.

Skilled medical assistants are also needed in many different healthcare settings. Hospitals, medical labs, outpatient centers, urgent care clinics, retirement communities, and chiropractor’s offices are also in need of knowledgeable medical assistants. Being certified as a medical assistant is often a prerequisite to getting hired in these settings.

Skills Medical Assistants Need

Besides having the certification, medical assistants also need a specific set of skills to work in this fast-paced and demanding industry. First of all, a medical assistant needs to be comfortable in a healthcare setting. Someone in this role should be able to handle the sight of blood and other bodily fluids.

Medical assistants should also be committed to providing help and support to others. If they work in a clinical setting, they should have the necessary interpersonal skills that allow patients to feel relaxed and at ease during medical procedures. They also need to be able to use various medical diagnostic tools, such as blood pressure monitors, pulse monitors, and other devices for taking vital signs. For the clerical side, people in this field have to possess excellent attention to detail and an ability to maintain patient confidentiality. They need to be familiar with medical terminology, pharmaceutical information, and insurance codes for medical billing purposes.

Enroll in a Medical Assistant Certification Program

If you have an interest in the medical field and feel confident about your abilities in supporting patients or providing clerical services in a healthcare setting, it’s time to find out more about how to get the medical assistant certification. Most candidates for this job start their career journey by enrolling in a medical assistant certification program.

ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ offers a comprehensive program to prepare for work as a certified medical assistant. The program equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge for this exciting job. Students take courses in medical ethics, coding, pharmacology, microbiology, and many other topics in the field.