What is a Medical Assistant?
Schedule appointments, take vital signs, weigh and measure patients, obtain medical history or chief complaint information and more.
Jun 13, 2006
The need for medical assistants is expected to increase dramaticaly over the next decade. In fact, this is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations.
As physicians have faced many cost constraints from reimbursement issues with insurance companies over the past decade, one of the choices they have had to make is to reduce their nursing staff. In many offices, the nurse has been eliminated all together. Medical assistants have been hired to fill in this gap.
Duties
This has created a demand for trained personnel who can assist the physician with multiple duties. These duties include such things as clerical filing, scheduling appointments, and answering phones.
- Medical assistants can also be trained to take vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respirations), weigh and measure patients, and obtain medical history or chief complaint information.
- They may also be trained to perform EKGs, simple dressing changes, draw blood, and provide instructions to patients regarding medical tests, X-rays, and treatments. And they maintain the waiting room, examination rooms, dispose of contaminated supplies and sterilize equipment.
Education
Medical assistants can be trained on-the-job, but most now take a formal training program from vocational schools or community colleges. An AA degree can be earned in medical assisting. A high school diploma or GED is a prerequisite. Be sure that the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Certification: Certification is an option. It is available through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). Their website is: www.aama-ntl.org.
Salary: Salaries range from approximately $17,000 to slightly over $34,000 per year according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics.
