Career Description

Medical assistants are multiskilled health professionals specifically educated to work in ambulatory settings performing administrative and clinical duties. The practice of medical assisting directly influences the public’s health and well-being, and requires mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience that serve as standards for entry into the profession.

Medical assistants work alongside physicians, mainly in outpatient or ambulatory care facilities, such as medical offices and clinics.

Job Responsibilities    Medical assistants are cross-trained to perform administrative and clinical duties.

Here is a quick overview (duties vary from office to office depending on location, size, specialty, and state law):

Administrative Duties (may include, but not limited to):

• Using computer applications
• Answering telephones
• Greeting patients
• Updating and filing patient medical records
• Filling out insurance forms
• Scheduling appointments
• Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
• Handling correspondence, billing, and bookkeeping

Clinical Duties (may include, but not limited to):

• Taking medical histories
• Explaining treatment procedures to patients
• Preparing patients for examination
• Assisting the physician during exams
• Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
• Performing basic laboratory tests
• Instructing patients about medication and special diets
• Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician
• Drawing blood
• Taking electrocardiograms
• Removing sutures and changing dressings

Patient Liaison    Medical assistants are instrumental in helping patients feel at ease in the physician’s office and often explain the physician's instructions.

PCMH Team Member    Medical assistants are essential members of the Patient-Centered Medical Home team. According to a survey by the Healthcare Intelligence Network, medical assistants ranked as one of the top five professionals necessary to the PCMH team.

In Demand    Medical assisting is one of the nation's fastest growing careers, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, attributing job growth to the following:

• Predicted surge in the number of physicians' offices and outpatient care facilities
• Technological advancements
• Growing number of elderly Americans who need medical treatment