Medical Assistant Jobs

The Medical Assistant Profession

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.