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.
