A Medical assistant job description is the support for all the other health care professionals; they can be doing all kind of clinical tasks, and administrative work for the working place they are hired. The physicians have their own assistants called physician assistants who are licensed professional practice trainees, and they shouldn’t be confused with the medical assistants. The term “medical assistant” may also vary in different countries, and depending on the help they are providing their name can change e.g. clinical assistant, hospital corpsman etc. Their routine tasks include measuring the vital signs, blood pressure, administrating medication and injections to the patients, preparing the patients for examination or explaining the procedures that they will take, keep and organize the medical record system, prepare and handle the medical instruments, supplies and equipment. They can also collect and prepare the laboratory materials for the testing in the laboratories. The administrative tasks include scheduling the patient appointments; answering the phone, handling the billing, keeping records and updating the patient’s history medical records, and arranging laboratory or other services. Their work is under direct supervision of the health care professionals while doing the daily clinical routine duties. The given duties vary from different work places in the hospital, and they depend of the health care professionals that they assist.
Education and training
This occupation requires formal education that usually includes post secondary institutions like schools, institutes, colleges or online educational programs in the health services. Finishing one of the courses gives the student a diploma or a certificate that is required to get a job. The studies usually take up to one year and an associate’s diploma takes about two years to finish. Some programs may include a clinical internship before finishing the studies. They can find a job both in the public and private hospitals. All certified medical assistants have acquired experience during the education and have a job entry level. Some medical assistants have high school diplomas and learn the duties on the job, but they had to take classes like biology, chemistry and anatomy during high school. Depending on the facility or the hospital, the job duties are learned within few months. The advancement in this occupation is possible if additional education is taken, and all information gathered from this job will be written in the resume.
Skills and work environment
They are widely spread and medical assistants can work in many health care facilities and offices that can be in the private or public sector. They are working full time, and can take additional shifts depending on the schedules of the medical staff in the working place. They should be familiar with the basic technical skills, and they need to interact and discuss with patients in a professional manner. They should be precise, and accurate from taking information about patients to handling the instruments.
Medical Assistant Job Salary
The median annual salary for medical assistants in 2018 was $33,610 or $16.16 per hour. The employment for this occupation is projected to be growing average 29% in the next ten years much faster than the average for all occupations.
