Wednesday, Mar. 21, 2012

Medical Assistant

medical assistantA doctor’s office can be a very busy and stressful environment. Even though doctors are highly trained, they simply can’t perform all of the duties they would need to do to ensure patients are properly cared for. They need help in the office, and that’s where medical assistants come in.

While not permitted to perform every duty of a physician, medical assistants are an indispensable force in a doctor’s or health practitioner’s office. There is a variety of duties which medical assistants are responsible for carrying out, and these range from being administrative to clinical. Here is a brief list of some medical assistant duties:

  • Greeting patients and handling preliminary paperwork
  • Answering phones
  • Filing medical charts
  • Preparing patients for exams
  • Collecting and preparing specimens for lab work
  • Cleaning and sterilizing medical instruments
  • Taking vital information
  • Getting rid of contaminated supplies

There are more duties medical assistants may have, but this list should be enough to at least give a general idea of what they do. More than anything else, being a medical assistant means helping people get well. A medical assistant deals directly with patients, and if you enjoy working with people and making them feel comfortable during potentially stressful situations, you should definitely consider a career as a medical assistant.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Medical assistant?

Most medical assistant classes can be completed in under a year. This makes medical assisting a good choice for anyone who is interested in finding a career or making a career change.

While the requirements for becoming a medical assistant vary by state, in many state you do not need to be certified to actually be hired as a medical assistant. Some states do require potential medical assistants to pass a certification exam, though, so make sure to check the local requirements for your area.

What Medical assistant Courses Do I Need to Take for Medical Assistant Training?

While there isn’t a specific list of course you are required to take and pass to become a medical assistant, when you take medical assistant classes, you can expect to take courses in the following areas:

  • Medical office procedures
  • Medical terminology
  • Basic anatomy
  • Clinical procedures
  • Lab techniques

You’ll also probably have a clinical externship to demonstrate your proficiency in learning the necessary skills and information.

Don’t worry if it sounds like you have to learn a lot to become a medical assistant. By going to accredited medical assistant schools, you will be around teachers who want to help you succeed. The courses go at a very reasonable pace, and you can always find additional tutoring to help you through hard times.

What is Medical Assistant Salary Like?

There are many factors which will determine how much medical assistants actually make such as local (urban or rural), competition, and more. Don’t let this deter you, though: on average, medical assistants earn between $24,000 and $40,000 per year. Medical assisting is a growing field, and so job security is very good. While becoming an RN or Doctor would naturally lead to a higher income, for the amount of training you have to complete, medical assisting is a great option.

What Are the Downsides to Medical Assisting?

A job as a medical assistant can be very rewarding and satisfying, and the pay isn’t bad, either. However, like any job, there are some downsides to being a medical assistant.

First, being a good medical assistant takes patience. While the patients that come into the doctor’s office will usually be pleasant, you will encounter a lot of people who are stressed or concerned about their health and may be rude to you. As a medical assistant, you need to be professional and understanding at all times.

You also need to be a good worker to be a medical assistant. The purpose of a medical assistant is to enable the doctor to leave the patient and still know work is being completed. If you can’t do work without being directly supervised, you may want to consider another career.

Finally, being a medical assistant can be tiring. Some days will feel longer than others and be stressful. Those things said, a job as a medical assistant is a great career choice. Job opportunities are plentiful. Learn more medical assistant certification and medical assistant jobs in your area today by finding a school that’s right for you with our School Finder.