Medical Assistant Career Information

The following is for those interested in learning more about a career in medical assisting.

This information is from the U.S. Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Medical Assistants

Nature of the Work - Medical Assistant

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

The duties relating to medical assisting 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 are generalists, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Medical assistants in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.

Medical assistants perform many administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handling billing and bookkeeping.

Clinical duties of a med assistant vary according to state law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. Medical assistants also 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 and podiatric medical assistants are examples of specialized medical assistants who have additional duties.

Medical Assistant Working Conditions

Medical assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. Medical assistants constantly interact with other people and may have to handle several responsibilities at once.

Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. Many medical assistants work part time, evenings, or weekends.

Medical Assistant Employment

Medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs in 2004. About 6 out of 10 worked in offices of physicians; about 14 percent worked in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. Others in the medical assisting career field worked mostly in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, other ambulatory health care services, state and local government agencies, employment services, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities.

Medical Assistant Job Outlook

Employment in the medical assistant career is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the health care industry expands because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. In fact, medical assisting is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004–2014 time period.

Medical assistant employment growth will be driven by the increase in the number of group practices, clinics, and other health care facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel, particularly the flexible medical assistant who can handle both administrative and clinical duties. Medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, a rapidly growing sector of the health care industry.

In view of the preference of many health care employers for trained personnel, job prospects should be best for medical assistants with formal training or experience, particularly for those with certification.

The following is information from the American Medical Technologists (AMT) webpage.

Medical Assistant Career and some of the duties performed;

Medical Assistants take medical histories
Medical Assistants record vital signs
Explaining treatment procedures to patients while preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the examination
Collect and prepare laboratory specimens and perform basic laboratory tests on the premises
Dispose of contaminated supplies
Sterilize medical instruments
Instruct patients about medication and special diets
Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician
Authorize drug refills as directed
Telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy
Medical Assisting involves drawing blood
Prepare patients for x-rays
Medical Assistants take electrocardiograms
MAs Change dressings and remove sutures
Arrange examining room instruments and equipment
Purchase and maintain supplies and equipment
Keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean
Medical assisting involves performing allergy skin testing
Processing insurance claims
Operating a computerized patient management system
Medical assistants schedule appointments and manage office emergencies
Performing CPR and emergency first aid

Specialized areas of Medical Assistants are:

Podiatric medical assistants
Ophthalmic medical assistants

What is AMT?

The American Medical Technologists (AMT) is a nonprofit certification agency and professional membership association representing over 35,000 individuals in allied health care. Established in 1939, the American Medical Technologists group has been providing allied health professionals with professional certification services and membership programs to enhance their professional and personal growth.

AMT's mission is to issue certification credentials to medical and dental assistants, clinical laboratory personnel, laboratory consultants, and allied health instructors.

Members include Medical Technologists, Medical Laboratory Technicians, Medical Assistants, Medical Administrative Specialists, Dental Assistants, Office Laboratory Technicians, Phlebotomy Technicians, Laboratory Consultants, and Allied Health Instructors.