Medical Assistant Career – Opening doors to a profession in healthcare services.
Medical Assistant careers are gathering demand in the background of a healthcare industry boom worldwide. A Medical Assistant essentially is a healthcare professional with multiple responsibilities and skill sets required to execute the same. Both administrative and medical tasks that do not need much medical proficiency fall into the ambit of a Medical Assistant.
Medical Assistants are indispensable in any modern day healthcare practice. Engaged under physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners. Medical Assistants attend to the complexities involved in delivering medical services.
By accomplishing administrative and other responsibilities, Medical Assistants make it easier for the practitioners to concentrate on attending to and treating patients.
Medical Assistants execute varied administrative, laboratory and clinical tasks in different health care institutions.
Often, Medical Assistants are seen as generalists who are involved with many aspects of the medical profession but do not specialize in them.
A detailed overview of the activities of a Medical Assistant is given here:Administrative duties:
General administration which includes day-to-day activities and other tasks. These include:
Communication – both internal and external and office correspondence.
Patient welfare - maintenance of patient records, insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission.
Billing and bookkeeping.
Maintain medical and drug supplies.
Clinical duties:
Clinical duties require discreet manual dexterity and visual acuity. A Medical Assistant has to support the medical practitioner with the following:
Recording vital signs.
Preparing patients for examination, explaining treatment procedures to patients.
Assisting the physician during the examination.
Instructing patients about medications and special diets.
Preparation and administration of medications.
Laboratory tasks:
Laboratory tasks include:
Collection and preparation of laboratory specimens.
Performing basic laboratory tests on the premises.
Draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures and change dressings.
Disposal of contaminated supplies and sterilization of medical instruments.
Medical Assistants employed at small medical outfits may undertake both administrative and clinical duties and report directly to the office manager or health practitioner.
Larger medical outfits have Medical Assistants reporting to department administrators and specializing only in a particular area.
Medical Assistant - Essential qualities and skills:
Duties entailed in medical assisting vary with the type of health care facility, size, location and specialisation.
A pleasant disposition is a must as Medical Assistants constantly interact with patients and public. Courteous manners, a well groomed personality and an aptitude for making people feel at ease are essential.
Simple medical and clinical skills and administrative abilities are integral to the profile of a Medical Assistant.
Traditionally, Medical Assistants did not need to be certified as they learnt on the job. This scenario has changed and contemporary medical practices prefer trained and certified Medical Assistant professionals to untrained individuals.
Medical Assistant Training and Certification
Healthcare industry is increasingly in favour of trained Medical Assistants. The need for technically sound personnel who have the flexibility of handling both clinical and administrative tasks is on the rise. The trend is an offshoot of the need felt by doctors to concentrate on treating patients rather than on other functional details.
Certified medical assistant = Successful medical assistant
Certification is a mark of the individual having been trained and qualified in the profession.
A Medical Assistant certificate stands as a certainity of successful training. Also, securing a Medical Assistant certificate assures higher professional satisfaction and recognition. Compared to uncertified individuals, the formal education and the Medical Assistant certificate help them in advance faster in their profession.
The Medical Assistant certificate can be secured by both experienced and inexperienced individuals. Experienced professionals may not have to take a certification exam. Inexperienced candidates though will have to undergo rigorous training from an accredited vocational training institution.
Medical Assistant certification or registration will put the individual a step ahead from counterparts.
Medical Assistant registration and certification are the same. It's just that different certifying bodies have different terms for referring to a Medical Assistant cerificate.
With many Medical Assistant schools mushrooming in the market, it is important that one acquires education and secures Medical Assistant registration from a reputed and reliable source.
Medical Assistant Education:
Medical Assistant education obtained from a high grade vocational training institution is a sure way to a successful Medical Assistant career.
Schools offering Medical Assistant education abound in the market. Making the right choice of schools makes the difference in education in medical assistance.
St.Augustine's School of Medical Assistants offers accredited and affordable distance Medical Assistant education online.
Medical Assistant education at St.Augustine's is comprehensive and does not leave out any element crucial to training. The 24/7 online training facility provides classes, knowledge resources and virtual laboratory training online.
Distance Medical Assistant education:
St. Augustine's Medical Assistants school offers distance education through online courses. Distance education is favoured by Medical Assistant aspirants who are already working and studying part time. Distance Medical Assistant education gives such candidates the flexibility of scheduling their study time around their working hours.
The Medical Assistant Program at St.Augustine's:
Medical Assistant program at St. Augustine's is an online training course that is available anytime and anywhere. With this program, accomplishing certifications is a matter of just 6-8 weeks from commencement.
The program includes complete online courses along with training on laboratory skills and facilities to perform laboratory tasks.
Monday, January 03, 2005
Medical Assistant links
What is a Medical Assistant?
Medical assistants are unlicensed health care workers who perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician. The term "Medical Assistant" may have legal status in some nations, whereas elsewhere they may be a loosely defined group.
Medical Assistant :: Traditionally medical assistants in United States (ca. 1950s) were trained-on-the-job medical support staff without any particular group identity. With encouragement and support from the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was formed in 1956.[
Traditionally, medical assistants have held jobs almost exclusively in ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, and physicians’ clinics. Recently this has begun to change. MAs now find employment in both private and public hospitals, as well as inpatient and outpatient facilities. They may now assist a wide variety of medical doctors, including specialists such as podiatrists, and are no longer bound as simply generalists.
The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually are generalists, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.
Some of the duties performed by MA’s:
Taking medical histories
Recording vital signs
Explaining treatment procedures to patients
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the examination
Collect and prepare laboratory specimens
Perform basic laboratory tests on the premises
Dispose of contaminated supplies
Sterilize medical instruments
Instruct patients about medication and special diets
Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician
Authorize drug refills as directed
Telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy
Draw blood
Prepare patients for x-rays
Take electrocardiograms
Remove sutures
Change dressings
Arrange examining room instruments and equipment
Purchase and maintain supplies and equipment
Keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean
Allergy skin testing
Processing insurance claims
Operating a computerized patient management system
Scheduling appointments
Managing office emergencies
Performing CPR and emergency first aid
Specialized areas of Medical Assistants are:
Podiatric medical assistants: make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and assist in podiatrists in surgery
Ophthalmic medical assistants: help ophthalmologists provide medical eye care; conduct diagnostic tests, measure and record vision, and test eye muscle function. Show patients how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses; apply eye dressings. May administer eye medications under care of the physician and they maintain optical and surgical instruments. They may also assist the ophthalmologist in surgery.
Education Requirements:
Most employers prefer graduates who graduated from an accredited Medical Assisting program. Accredited Medical Assisting programs are offered in postsecondary vocational schools, junior colleges and in colleges and universities. Postsecondary programs usually last either one year or less which results in a certificate or diploma or two years with an associate degree.
Formal training is not mandatory but recommended. Some high schools offer courses covering those needed and with the volunteering in a health care setting provides enough education to begin a career in medical assisting. However, without formal training, certification is not eligible until five years of experience is reached. Formal education is recommended by many employers.
Courses/topics covered are:
Anatomy
Physiology
Medical terminology
Typing
Transcription
Recordkeeping
Accounting
Insurance processing
Laboratory techniques
Clinical and diagnostic procedures
Pharmaceutical principles
Medication administration
First aid
Office practices and procedures
Patient relations
Medical law
Ethics
Medical Assistant Salaries:
The earnings of medical assistants vary, depending on their experience, skill level, and location. Median annual earnings of medical assistants were $24,610 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,650 and $28,930. The lowest 10 persent earned less than $18,010, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $34,650.
Medical assistants are unlicensed health care workers who perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician. The term "Medical Assistant" may have legal status in some nations, whereas elsewhere they may be a loosely defined group.
Medical Assistant :: Traditionally medical assistants in United States (ca. 1950s) were trained-on-the-job medical support staff without any particular group identity. With encouragement and support from the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was formed in 1956.[
Traditionally, medical assistants have held jobs almost exclusively in ambulatory care centers, urgent care facilities, and physicians’ clinics. Recently this has begun to change. MAs now find employment in both private and public hospitals, as well as inpatient and outpatient facilities. They may now assist a wide variety of medical doctors, including specialists such as podiatrists, and are no longer bound as simply generalists.
The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually are generalists, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators.
Some of the duties performed by MA’s:
Taking medical histories
Recording vital signs
Explaining treatment procedures to patients
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the examination
Collect and prepare laboratory specimens
Perform basic laboratory tests on the premises
Dispose of contaminated supplies
Sterilize medical instruments
Instruct patients about medication and special diets
Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician
Authorize drug refills as directed
Telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy
Draw blood
Prepare patients for x-rays
Take electrocardiograms
Remove sutures
Change dressings
Arrange examining room instruments and equipment
Purchase and maintain supplies and equipment
Keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean
Allergy skin testing
Processing insurance claims
Operating a computerized patient management system
Scheduling appointments
Managing office emergencies
Performing CPR and emergency first aid
Specialized areas of Medical Assistants are:
Podiatric medical assistants: make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and assist in podiatrists in surgery
Ophthalmic medical assistants: help ophthalmologists provide medical eye care; conduct diagnostic tests, measure and record vision, and test eye muscle function. Show patients how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses; apply eye dressings. May administer eye medications under care of the physician and they maintain optical and surgical instruments. They may also assist the ophthalmologist in surgery.
Education Requirements:
Most employers prefer graduates who graduated from an accredited Medical Assisting program. Accredited Medical Assisting programs are offered in postsecondary vocational schools, junior colleges and in colleges and universities. Postsecondary programs usually last either one year or less which results in a certificate or diploma or two years with an associate degree.
Formal training is not mandatory but recommended. Some high schools offer courses covering those needed and with the volunteering in a health care setting provides enough education to begin a career in medical assisting. However, without formal training, certification is not eligible until five years of experience is reached. Formal education is recommended by many employers.
Courses/topics covered are:
Anatomy
Physiology
Medical terminology
Typing
Transcription
Recordkeeping
Accounting
Insurance processing
Laboratory techniques
Clinical and diagnostic procedures
Pharmaceutical principles
Medication administration
First aid
Office practices and procedures
Patient relations
Medical law
Ethics
Medical Assistant Salaries:
The earnings of medical assistants vary, depending on their experience, skill level, and location. Median annual earnings of medical assistants were $24,610 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,650 and $28,930. The lowest 10 persent earned less than $18,010, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $34,650.
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