As you explore the medical assistant career, it is important to understand what it will be like to perform the duties of a medical assistant in order to see if you will like spending your days or nights doing these tasks. The medical assistant duties will vary by job setting. Medical assistants working in a surgical hospital may have a very different routine from a medical assistant working in a physician’s office. The salary for medical assistant will also vary depending on job setting. In general those working at general medical or surgical hospitals and those working at colleges, universities, and professional schools earn slightly more than those working in the offices of physicians or other health practitioners.
The job setting determines some of the medical assistant job description. Someone in a small office will be more likely to do a wide range of clinical and administrative tasks where someone in a larger hospital setting may handle more specialized tasks such as laboratory tests. In general the duties of a medical assistant are performed in a clean, well-lit environment because all health care facilities adhere to cleanliness and sanitation standards. The medical assistant job description will typically include both clinical and administrative duties when employed in a medical office or smaller facility. The ability to multi-task is a necessary plus when it comes to fulfilling the medical assistant job description in a physician’s office or busy medical practice.
The day can contain a variety of different tasks that will be interesting and allows the medical assistant to avoid boredom. Administrative tasks include dealing with the vast array of paperwork associated with a medical facility and patient care. Definitely a medical assistant will be required to record data in patient records, deal with appointments and scheduling including hospital admissions as well as the paperwork associated with patient instructions and treatment plans. Medical assistants may be involved in the ordering of medical supplies or keeping inventory records for emergency stations or carts. Clinical tasks will vary by setting but generally include taking vital signs and recording them in patient charts, preparing patients for examinations and assisting medical personnel performing routine procedures. Special certification can be obtained in order to perform tasks such as administration of vaccines, drawing of blood and performing other laboratory tests.
Medical assistants working in a surgical hospital must be prepared to work in fast-paced environments where the medical assistant job description will involve a higher emphasis on patient care and less on the administrative duties. They are usually required to be team players because they will be working closely with other surgical team members. The job description will usually include good communication skills and the ability to give excellent customer service to patients and family members.
The job description for the medical assistant working at a university involves assisting students as they go through the process of receiving annual exams at health and counseling services on the university campus. The duties include answering phone calls, scheduling appointments, greeting students at the front desk, assisting in registration and the data entry process of entering health questionnaires, preparing students for medical exams, taking vital signs and recording them in the student record, performing urine pregnancy tests, fingerstick glucose tests and other tests ordered by university doctors. It may also be required to administer immunizations and to document in immunization records.
