The health care industry is booming like never before and the demand for quality workers is expected to grow faster than average over the next ten years. It’s possible to get your foot in the door of this lucrative field now by pursuing a career as a medical assistant. Medical assistants oversee a combination of clerical, administrative, and clinical tasks in many areas of the health care industry. While most are employed by private physicians, it is also possible to work in a surgical hospital, out-patient center, vocational college, and other such institutions. Best of all, beginning a career as a medical assistant requires nothing more than a high school diploma, although further education will guarantee better earning potential. At the top of their field, certified medical assistants can earn over $40,000 a year. Many health care workers begin as medical assistants and use their experience to transition into various positions in the industry, such as management and education.

Duties

The specific duties of a medical assistant will vary based on their area of specialization. In general, medical assistants are charged with keeping the office a physician or other health care professional running smoothly by overseeing all administrative and clerical tasks. This includes updating and filing medical records, arranging admissions, overseeing laboratory services, answering phones, scheduling appointments, filling out insurance forms, and bookkeeping. Medical assistants employed by small offices will have larger amount of responsibilities, while assistants working in hospital departments might only have one or two specific duties that they exclusively perform.

Medical assistants who work in a clinical capacity will have a greater amount of patient interaction. Common tasks may are recording vital signs, explaining treatment, preparing patients, assisting physicians, collecting specimens, drawing blood, and handling medical histories. They might also perform medical tasks such as drawing blood, removing sutures, changing dressings, and minting examination rooms. The duties or clinical medical assistants are largely defined by State law.

Medical assistants can also work in highly specialized capacities, such as optometric assistants, pediatric assistants, and the like. These assistants have completed educational training courses focused on a specific area of health care and are qualified to perform tasks directly related to their area of expertise. For example, an optometric assistant will assist an opthalmic physician during surgery, conduct simple tests of patents, and administer eye medication. Like clinical medical assistants, many of the duties of a specialized medical assistant are determined by State law.

Education

To begin a career as a medical assistant, interested candidates should investigate their educational options. Although formal education is not required to begin work as medical assistant, a solid background in academia makes any prospective employee more attractive to health care professionals. A combination of on-the-job training and education is usually the best way to advance quickly within the field of medical assisting.

Medical assisting programs, resulting in either a degree or certificate, are offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and other learning institutions. These programs vary in time and scope, usually lasting 1 year for a certificate or diploma and 2-years for an associates degree. Students enrolled in a medical assisting program will take courses in anatomy, physiology, biology, mathematics, and medical terminology. Other classes will cover transcription, bookkeeping, accounting, insurance processing, and other administrative skills related to the profession. More specialized programs offer classes in laboratory techniques, clinical procedures, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, and first aid. As with all healthcare fields degree programs, classes in medical ethics, law, and practice are also part of the curriculum.

Many schools provide students with the opportunity to participate in an internship before graduation. This allows students to gain solid work experience while still in school by assisting physicians under the supervision of an instructor.

Certification

Certification is not mandatory for medical assistants, but it is quickly becoming the preferred credential for entry-level candidates. Currently, over 90% of medical assistants choose to become certified. Earning certification demonstrates a commitment to the field of health care, as well as a high standard of education and training, making a higher salary and career mobility more likely. To become certified, medical assistants must meet the standards of a governing association, such as the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) or the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT). The certification process varies based on the association, but usually involves sitting for an examination and completing a certain number of training hours. It is also possible to achieve certification in a specialized field of assisting.