The medical assistant profession started in the 1950s.  It is usually a 40 hour a week job, but can be part-time.

There are different types of medical assistants: administrative, clinical, and specialized.  Each must have strong communication skills as one-on-one contact with patients is a key part of the job.

Medical assistants, in general, have a variety of tasks to perform, from duties in the office like administrative and clerical to hands on work with patients.  They must be strong multi-taskers, as there are a variety of aspects of the job to juggle. They are also the main communicator between the patient and various health care professionals.

Those who work with clients on the administrative side are called administrative medical assistants.  They work with medical records, insurance claims, billing, scheduling, greeting of customers, book keeping and letter writing.

Clinical assistants aid the doctor in carrying out procedures, performing basic laboratory tests, caring for patients, giving medications, tell patients about special diets, draw blood, remove stitches and remove dressing.

Specialized medical assistants focus on particular areas like ophthalmology, which is related to the eyes, or podiatry, which is related to the feet.

Because medical assistants are not licensed, the law requires they work under supervision of a licensed medical professional whenever they do hands-on procedures with patients.

Medical assistants work in outpatient facilities, like a rehab center, and inpatient communities, which can be in both public and private hospitals.  They usually report to the office manager or another health care worker in the office.

In some states, medical assistants need to be formally trained, while in other states they don’t.  Employers mostly prefer to hire those who are certified, though. There are approximately 500 schools which have training programs in the field.

The medical assistant field is in high demand and is a fast growing job in the United States.  Those who have money images in their head, however, about earning a very high income in this field may have to set their sights a little lower.  Salaries start at $20,000 and peak at $40,000.

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Many people desire to have a medical career. Why wouldn’t they? The baby boomers are getting older, so that means that one third of our population are having increasing health care needs. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, and no matter what the state of the economy is people will always need health care.

So, you want a health care job. You do not want to be a doctor, but you also do not want to be a medical secretary. Medical assisting is actually a job that falls somewhere I between.

The great thing about medical assistant work is that there is a huge variety of options out there. If you are more interested in the clinical side, then there are medical assistant jobs out there with duties including patient examinations, laboratory procedures, and even sometimes tasks such as performing x-rays. A medical assistant does not make as much money as a nurse does, so if you are interested in becoming a nurse, a physician’s assistant etc then medical assisting work is a fantastic way to get experience.

Some medical assistant jobs require more administrative duties. These may include coding, billing, and transcription. Medical billing, medical coding etc can be very lucrative work at home jobs. Working as a medical assistant in the right office could provide you with the medical billing training that you need.

It has been pointed out many times on this site that medical assistant work and salary varies depending on the industry you are in. This is great news because there is plenty of room to pursue different interests and room for advancement in the medical field.

So, if you have not yet gone to medical school but do not want to sit behind a desk and answer phones and type all day, then a medical assisting career may be just for you!

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Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with Physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical assistants who perform administrative tasks have many duties. They update and file patients’ medical records, fill out insurance forms, and arrange for hospital admissions and laboratory services. They also perform tasks less specific to medical settings, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping.

For clinical medical assistants, duties vary according to what is allowed by State law. Some common tasks include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, and assisting physicians during examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens and sometimes perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They might instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.

Medical assistants also may arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

Ophthalmic medical assistants, optometric assistants, and podiatric medical assistants are examples of specialized assistants who have additional duties. Ophthalmic medical assistants help ophthalmologists provide eye care. They conduct diagnostic tests, measure and record vision, and test eye muscle function. They also show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses, and they apply eye dressings. Under the direction of the physician, ophthalmic medical assistants may administer eye medications. They also maintain optical and surgical instruments and may assist the ophthalmologist in surgery. Optometric assistants also help provide eye care, working with optometrists. They provide chair-side assistance, instruct patients about contact lens use and care, conduct preliminary tests on patients, and otherwise provide assistance while working directly with an optometrist. Podiatric medical assistants make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and assist podiatrists in surgery.

Excerpt from Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 edition.  US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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