St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants

St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants is a private school incorporated in the British Virgin Islands specializing in distance education training programs for medical assistants [1] and related health care professionals. [2] The school was officially chartered in 2001 to offer correspondence training classes for medical assistants and students interested in allied health careers. St. Augustine Educational Services is accredited by The National Accreditation and Certification Board [3]Medical Assistant distance education is emerging to meet the demands of a new generation of Medical Assistant students in the twenty first century. St. Augustine Medical Assistant School distance education program for medical assistant presents a good model for this integration of technology with medical assistant education. Distance education, particularly in its most recent form, online education, is being integrated into even the most cautious and conservative of educational institutions. Yet the impact of these alternative forms of teaching and learning on students, faculty, and institutions has yet to be broadly or deeply studied. New models such as that at St. Augustine Medical Assistant School are immerging. [4]
Upon completion of the program offered students are awarded a non-credit medical assistant career certificate. Most medical assistants after completing this program pursue careers in physician’s offices, hospitals, clinics and other heath care settings. Many students often choice to continue their education and attain college level degrees and additional medical assistant certification. [edit] Online Medical Assistant Classes
Medical Terminology, Human Body Planes, Basic Human Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Office Professionalism, Patient Communication, Medical Records, Basic Medical Law, Scheduling Appointments, Medical Billing and Insurance Claims, Infection Control, Surgical Instruments, Emergency Care, Clinical Equipment, Patient History and Physicals, EKG and Lab Testing, Specimen Collection and Lab Safety, Introduction to Patient Medications
Online Medical Assistant Labs
Virtual Phlebotomy Lab (Collecting a Blood Sample), Virtual Injection Lab , Medication injections, Measuring A Pulse, Introduction to CPR and Basic Ultrasound. Medical Assistant School website at: www.medassistant.org

Emplyment Opportunities for Medical Assistants

Medical Assistant Employment Opportunities: According to the United States Department of Labor, "job prospects are excellent for Medical Assistants. Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking medical assistants among the fastest growing occupations over the 2006-16 decade. Job opportunities should be excellent, particularly for those with formal training. Most Medical Assistants work in doctors offices, hospitals, clinics or other health care settings. A Medical Assistant assists with administrative tasks and minor procedures to keep the doctor's offices and health care facilities running smoothly. Helping to drive job growth is the increasing number of group practices, clinics, and other health care facilities that need a high proportion of support personnel, particularly medical assistants who can handle both administrative and clinical duties. In addition, medical assistants work primarily in outpatient settings, a rapidly growing sector of the health care industry. Job seekers who want to work as a medical assistant should find excellent job prospects. Medical assistants are projected to account for a very large number of new jobs, and many other opportunities will come from the need to replace workers leaving the occupation. Those with formal training or experience should have the best job opportunities."

career opportunities- medical assistants

Career Opportunities for medical assistants:
Medical asssistant can often seek entry level employment in a variety of settings including:
hospital, clinic
doctor’s office
nursing home
medical supply business,
home healthcare agency
insurance company
dialysis centers
laboratories

Clinical Medical Assistant

Clinical duties performed by medical assistants may include:
Taking medical histories and recording vital signs
Explaining treatment procedures to patients
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the examination
Sterilizing medical instruments
Collecting and preparing laboratory specimens
Instructing patients about medications and special diets
Preparing and administering medications as directed by a physician
Authorizing drug refills as directed
Phlebotomy
Administering EKG's
Removing sutures
Changing dressings

Healthcare:: Medical Assistant

Medical Assistants: Career, Salary and Education Information
Career Profile: What do Medical Assistants do? Trusted to keep medical documents safe, medical assistants are an indispensable force in physicians' offices. In smaller offices, medical assistants do it all, taking on both administrative and clinical responsibilities. Medical assistants can specialize in ophthalmic, optometric, or podiatric capabilities, to name a few, or they can stick to general practice in general medical and surgical hospitals.
Strong organizational skills are essential for the job. Medical assistants must often work in a customer service capacity, handling correspondence and scheduling appointments. Because they often serve as a link between patients and medical personnel, assistants must have strong communication skills.
A Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant. The daily tasks of a medical assistant depend highly on their job description and location. Administrative tasks might include filing patient records, arranging for hospital admissions or laboratory services, or filling out insurance forms. The clinical duties of a medical assistant could include recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures, changing dressings, and preparing patients for x-rays and other procedures.
Regardless of their individual duties, most medical assistants work 40 hour work weeks in well-lighted, clean environments. Depending on the office hours and clinical scope, some may work part-time, evenings, or weekends.
Training and Education for Medical Assistants. Many medical assistants now complete formal online training programs, culminating in a certificate or associate's degree. Formal training is generally preferred but not always required, and all medical assistants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Volunteer experience in the health care field provides informal training that may prove valuable in the hiring process.
Typical coursework for medical assistants includes training in lab techniques, clinical procedures, medical terminology, and medical office procedures. Students must have a facility with medical terminology along with interpersonal skills in dealing with patients.
Medical Assistant Employment & OutlookAbout 417,000 medical assistants were employed nationwide in 2006, with most working in physicians' offices. Career opportunities for medical assistants are projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2016. About 148,000 additional jobs are expected to be added to the field, thanks to an expanding health care industry, technological advances in medicine, and an aging population. Medical assistants who can handle both administrative and clinical duties are expected to have the best job prospects.
Advancement in the field typically requires more training and certification. Many medical assistants choose to become nurses or other health care workers through further study. Administrative positions provide another popular career path because an administrative medical assistant can rise to the position of office manager without additional education.
Typical Salary for Medical AssistantsMedical assistants earned mean annual wages of $28,270 in 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. State government facilities were the highest paying employer, with medical assistants earning annual mean wages of $36,430.

Is medical assisting for you?

Is Medical Assisting For You?
Are you looking for a meaningful job?
Do you like helping others?
Do you have an interest in health and medicine?
Are you a "people person"?
Are you good at multitasking - switching tasks throughout the workday?
Do you like variety in your job?
Would you like to enter a career in an expanding field?
If you answered "yes" to five or more of these questions, then medical assisting might be the right career choice for you.
Medical assistants enjoy an exciting, challenging career that is essential to patient care in medical offices and clinics.
Medical assistants are in demand! Medical assisting is one of the nation's fastest growing careers through 2012, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. This can be attributed to a predicted surge in the number of physicians' offices and outpatient care facilities. Technological advancements and the growing number of elderly Americans who need medical treatment are also factors for the increased demand for medical assistants.
So... what do medical assistants actually do?Medical assistants have a great amount of variety in their jobs and are cross-trained to perform many administrative and clinical duties. Of course, duties vary from office to office depending on location, size and specialty.
Administrative duties may include...
Using computer applications
Answering telephones
Greeting patients
Updating and filing patient medical records
Coding and filling out insurance forms
Scheduling appointments
Arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services
Handling correspondence, billing and bookkeeping
Clinical duties vary by state and include...
Taking medical histories
Explaining treatment procedures to patients
Preparing patients for examination
Assisting the physician during the exam
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
Authorizing prescription refills as directed
Drawing blood
Taking electrocardiograms
Removing sutures and changing dressings
Medical assistants are caringMedical assistants give health care a human touch, helping patients to feel at ease in the doctor's office and to understand physicians' instructions. If you have good communications skills and are often appreciated for your caring manner, then you might be well suited for a career in medical assisting.

medical assistant duties

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 do many different kinds of tasks, 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.
Medical assistants who perform administrative tasks have many duties. They update and file patients’ medical records, fill out insurance forms, and arrange for hospital admissions and laboratory services. They also perform tasks less specific to medical settings, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping.
For clinical medical assistants, duties vary according to what is allowed by State law. Some common tasks include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, and assisting physicians during examinations. Medical assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens and sometimes perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They might instruct patients about medications 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, and change dressings.
Medical assistants also may arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.
Ophthalmic medical assistants, optometric assistants, and podiatric medical assistants are examples of specialized assistants who have additional duties. Ophthalmic medical assistants help ophthalmologists provide eye care. They conduct diagnostic tests, measure and record vision, and test eye muscle function. They also show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses, and they apply eye dressings. Under the direction of the physician, ophthalmic medical assistants may administer eye medications. They also maintain optical and surgical instruments and may assist the ophthalmologist in surgery. Optometric assistants also help provide eye care, working with optometrists. They provide chair-side assistance, instruct patients about contact lens use and care, conduct preliminary tests on patients, and otherwise provide assistance while working directly with an optometrist. Podiatric medical assistants make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and assist podiatrists in surgery.
Work environment. Medical assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. They constantly interact with other people and may have to handle several responsibilities at once. Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. However, many medical assistants work part time, evenings, or weekends.