Medical Assistants- Medical assistants 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. Medical assisting programs are offered in vocational-technical high schools, postsecondary vocational schools, community or junior colleges and online educational programs. Courses cover usually anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, as well as typing, transcription, recordkeeping, accounting, and insurance processing and related medical assistant subjects. Students often learn laboratory techniques, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical principles, medications and basic first aid.Formal training in medical assisting, while generally preferred, is not always required. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, although this practice is less common than in the past. Applicants usually need a high school diploma or the equivalent. Recommended high school courses include mathematics, health, biology, typing, bookkeeping, computers, and office skills. Volunteer experience in the health care field also is helpful. Medical assistants who are trained on the job usually spend their first few months attending training sessions and working closely with more experienced workers. Some States allow medical assistants to perform more advanced procedures, such as giving injections, after passing a test or taking a course. Classes are now available online at St. Augustine School of Medical Assistants. You can view additional details at: www.MedAssistant.org.
