What is a Medical Assistant?

What is a Medical Assistant?

Are you curious about what is a medical assistant?

Perhaps you are interested in a healthcare career and are exploring your options. Perhaps you would like to work in the medical field but do not want to have to go to college for several years like you do to become a nurse or doctor and would like to know about careers in the medical field that only require 1 or 2 years of training.

Are you ready to discover what a medical assistant does? Males and females work as medical assistants. Medical assistants work in hospitals, medical offices and clinics, and university health clinics. Medical assistants used to be hired without formal training and only had to have graduated from high school before being hired. They were given on-the-job training. Nowadays those working in the field can be a certified medical assistant (CMA) or receive a diploma before being hired. Someone with a CMA has been certified by the Certifying Board of the American Association of medical Assistants (AAMA). The CMA gives the individual greater job security, usually a higher salary over someone without a CMA and the employer has confidence that the person with the CMA has been thoroughly trained in both the clinical and administrative aspects of the job. After completing an accredited medical assistant school program, then must complete a practicum (unpaid, supervised on-site work experience), the individual takes an exam, which is administered by the National board of medical Examiners. To receive a diploma, an individual must enroll in a medical assistant degree program at a college or university. These are usually 2-year programs.

Another way medical assistants earn credentials is to be a registered medical assistant (RMA). In order to be registered a person must first work as a medical assistant and receive on-the-job experience. Before applying to be registered, the applicant must have worked in the field of medical assistant for at least five years. Then, in order to be qualified to become a RMA, the candidate must receive a medical assistant certificate from an accredited medical assistant program or receive a diploma from a college or university offering a degree in medical assisting. This degree is a 2-year associate degree. The last step to becoming a registered medical assistant is to register for the RMA exam, prepare for the exam, take and pass the exam. Medical assistants with the RMA credentials can go on to teach other medical assistants, demand higher salaries while working as a medical assistant or go on to specialize in specialties such as obstetrics, surgery, ophthalmology, or podiatry.

A medical assistant works closely with other medical professionals such as doctors and nurses. They are an important team member helping to run an efficient medical practice or hospital unit. They perform many medical and non-medical tasks, working closely with patients or managing the administrative side of a busy medical practice, or other medical facility.

A clinical medical assistant is hired to do deal directly with patients. Their duties center on patient care such as making sure that examination rooms, and treatment areas are clean, well stocked and organized. They call patients from the waiting areas and take them to examination rooms or treatment rooms. They take vital signs, ask patients about medical histories, and prepare charts for the doctor so that all is ready for the doctor’s examination. The clinical medical assistant may assist the doctor during the examination by positioning the patient, assisting with specimens, record data in the medical chart and assist the doctor however it is needed. After the patient’s visit the medical assistant may be asked to schedule further appointments or instruct the patient about medications or medical treatments that have been ordered.