subject: Is Becoming A Medical Assistant The Right Career Path For You? [print this page] Careers in the healthcare industry are growing by leaps and bounds. One of the most sought after jobs in the healthcare field today is medical assisting. An assistant will need to be very accurate and meticulous when it comes to patient documentation. Working closely with practitioners helping others gain optimal health is a highlight of this chosen profession. While working longer hours is something to expect, the higher income can help make the long hours more tolerable.
There are three areas in this profession to choose from to study and major in. These are administration, clinical and specialized assisting. Job duties for an administrative assistant are, but not limited to, greeting incoming patients, updating and maintaining patient records, filling out insurance forms, scheduling appointments, billing patients and insurance companies and scheduling lab and hospital appointments for patients as needed. A people friendly disposition is needed in order to make patients feel at ease no matter what there situation is.
Clinical assistants have a wide variety of job duties. These include, but not limited to, drawing blood and giving shots, performing basic x-rays, taking vital signs, assisting physician's during an examination, informing patients about how to take any medication or about any special diets that might be prescribed by the doctor, making sure all instruments are sterilized and ready for use during an examination and phoning in prescriptions. Assisting in minor surgeries along with the removal of sutures is also a possible job duty in this field.
Specializing as a ophthalmic, optometric or podiatric medical assistant will give the opportunity to help others in a specific area. An Ophthalmic helper will perform diagnostic tests, measure and record eye vision and eye muscle function and assist patients in the proper care of their contact lenses. An Optometric helper works directly with the optometrist chair-side and performs preliminary eye tests. Podiatric helpers assist in surgeries, take x-rays and make casts for the feet.
Training and certification as a medical assistant is required in order to work in a physician's office. This is obtained by attending an accredited school either locally or online. Training for this field generally takes six months to a year to complete but can take longer depending on the school's program length and requirements. Passing the Certified Medical Assistant exam is a requirement in order to work as an assistant. This is done after completion of an education program in medical assisting.
A career in medical assisting is rewarding, profitable and easily obtained with the proper training.
