subject: Tasks A Medical Assistant Performs [print this page] There are skilled professionals who work in medical offices and clinics, providing help to a wide variety of practices. These professionals are called medical assistants.
Medical assistants have jobs that are partly administrative, in other words office tasks, and partly clinical, or medical and health related duties. They generally work under the direction of the physicians at their workplace.
Your average medical assistant will perform a number of office-centered tasks, including receiving and greeting patients, filling out insurance forms, answering the phone, and scheduling appointments. They may also help with medical records preparation and maintenance.
Other duties are clinical. These will include preparing patients for their checkup, collecting specimens, preparing and giving medicines under a physician's direction, and documenting patient histories. Generally, a medical assistant will be working in a regional health corporation, community-based health care program or private physician's office.
Clearly that is a lot of responsibility, and these tasks are important. Medical assistants have to be properly trained. A few receive on the job training but most complete a 1 or 2-year program. These programs are found in technical high schools, postsecondary vocational schools, and junior colleges.
For medical assistants with training and experience, the employment prospects are quite good. If you have certification, your prospects are even better.
The working day for a medical assistant is fairly simple. Surroundings are usually clean, orderly, and fast-paced. There are many tasks to perform, and there are other people around continually. Full-time work is usually 40 hours per week, although part time jobs on weekends or evenings may also be available.
Our population is aging. Accordingly there will be more and more demand for medical care, and a greater need for professionals to help medical offices run more smoothly. More and more medical employers are recognizing the importance and professionalism of medical assistants and the valuable contributions they make.
