What do they do? Assist in doctor’s offices with clerical work & basic medical tasks like giving shots
Specializations: Most are generalists, but some specialize in areas like podiatry or ophthalmology
Preferred education: High school CTE or postsecondary program in medical assisting
Certification & licensing: Certification often required by employers
Getting ahead: Can move up to become an office manager or go back to school to study for other health-care jobs
Skills & knowledge: Empathy, office skills, medical terminology, basic medical procedures
Where they work: Doctors’ offices, hospitals, nursing homes
Job outlook: Very good
Look for work: Link to job banks and other job search resources
Earnings: Usually in the $19-38,000 range
When you've paid a visit to the doctor, you’ve probably noticed the person who does all the little tasks associated with your visit--taking your temperature, recording your pulse and blood pressure, weighing you, entering the results into your medical record. Sometimes this person will take out your stitches or change your dressing, or explain how you should take a medicine, or teach you about a special diet.
The people who do this type of work are called medical assistants, and as the health industry expands to meet the needs of a growing and aging population, they've become increasingly visible in doctors' offices. With physician care becoming more expensive and a national nursing shortage persisting, medical assistants have stepped into the gap, performing clinical tasks that were once handled solely by nurses, or even by doctors themselves.
Alexix Gray, army medical assistant
Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician. However, medical assistants do prepare patients for examination and sometimes collect laboratory specimens, take electrocardiograms, and perform basic lab tests on the premises. State law defines what clinical tasks they can and cannot do. Many assistants also do the some of the same administrative tasks that are handled by medical administrative assistants, including greeting patients, answering telephones, updating medical records, handling correspondence and scheduling appointments.
As the paperwork associated with health care has grown more complex and time-consuming, some medical assistants are hired specifically to fill out the forms necessary to fill out and file health-insurance claims. Others are in charge of billing and bookkeeping. Still others focus on tasks like ordering and purchasing equipment and instruments.
CMA Today
The exact nature of the work medical assistants do varies from office to office, depending on location, size, and, medical specialty. In small practices, medical assistants are most often generalists who handle both clerical and clinical duties. In large practices, medical assistants usually specialize in a particular area and work under the supervision of a department administrator.
How they spend their time:
Taking medical histories and checking temperature and blood pressure
Explaining treatments
Preparing patients for and assisting the physician during an exam
Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens and doing basic lab tests
Telephoning prescriptions to pharmacies
Answering phones and greeting patients
Updating and filing patients' medical records
Filling out insurance forms and handling billing and bookkeeping
Scheduling appointments and arranging tests, hospital admissions, and lab services
SPECIALIZATION
Podiatric medical assistants make castings of feet, expose and develop x-rays, and assist podiatrists in surgery.
Ophthalmic medical assistants help ophthalmologists provide medical eye care. This career has its own certification and career track and is discussed more fully in Ophthalmic assistants, technicians & technologists.
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION, & LICENSING
Some medical-assistant jobs are open to people with no formal training beyond a high school diploma or GED, but most employers prefer graduates of formal programs in medical assisting. These programs are offered in high schools, career & technical schools, and community colleges. Most last one to two years. The one-year program results in a certificate or diploma. The two-year program results in an associate degree.
Medical assistants don't need licensing in Virginia, but many employers require them to be certified. This involves passing an exam given by the American Association of Medical Assistants or American Medical Technologists. Both organizations require applicants either to complete an approved program or have a certain amount of training and work experience. Specialized certification is also available for podiatric medical assistants and ophthalmic medical assistants from their professional associations.
SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE
Empathy
Multi-tasking
Operating basic medical equipment
General office skills
Knowledge of medical terminology
Medical ethics
Basic medical procedures like taking vital signs
See a complete list of skills from the US Dept of Labor at O-Net
In addition to career-specific skills, everybody needs these basic skills:
Reading
Math
Writing
Speaking & listening
Computer literacy
Problem-solving & decision-making
Understanding the broader picture
Working with people
A strong work ethic
A positive attitude
Independence & initiative
Self-presentation
WHERE THEY WORK (Employer locator)
Most medical assistants work in doctor's’ offices. Others work in the offices of chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists and ophthalmologists. Some are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other heath-care facilities.
OUTLOOK
The number of jobs for medical assistants is expected to grow very, very rapidly through the year 2014. In fact, with the health-care industry expanding as the population grows and ages, medical assisting will be one of the fastest-growing jobs in coming years,. Job prospects should be best for medical assistants with formal training and experience, particularly those with certification.
EARNINGS
Though salaries vary depending on skill, experience, and the size and location of the employer, medical assistants in Virginia generally earn salaries in the $19,000-$35,000 range. The 2005 median was about $24,000. According to the AAMA 2004 Salary survey, certified medical assistants earned an average of $28,000-$30,000.
2006-12-16 07:17:57
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answer #1
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answered by Stephanie F 7
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Gimme a kiss
Scope of Practice
Medical Assisting is not a licensed profession and they usually work under the supervision of a physician or other licensed healthcare provider. Caution should be made not to confuse medical assistant with a physician assistant, which is a midlevel practitioner.
In several states unlicensed healthcare providers, including medical assistants, are required to have an authorization by the state in which they reside to perform needle injections; such as allergy testing, purified protein derivative (PPD) or Mantoux skin tests, and venipuncture. In other states MAs need permission from the state to expose patients to X-rays.
2006-12-16 15:17:56
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answer #2
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answered by Double O 6
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