Medical assisting is a fast-growing occupation with good job prospects for those with formal training or certification. Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks in physicians' offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical facilities. Duties range from simple office work to patient care. Most employers prefer candidates who have completed a one- or two-year medical assisting program. These programs cover topics like anatomy, medical terminology, clinical and lab procedures, and medical office practices. Medical assistants earn between $16,570 and $56,236 annually depending on experience and typically work full-time in medical facilities.

1. Careers in Medical Assisting
Medical assisting continues to be one of the fastest
growing occupations. Job prospects should be best
for medical assistants with formal training or
experience, particularly those with certification.

2. Nature of work
• Medical assistants perform routine administrative and
clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of
physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists
running smoothly. They should not be confused with
physician assistants who examine, diagnose, and treat
patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

3. Where can u work?
• Medical assistants can work virtually anywhere medical staff
members are needed. Many of them work under doctors in
labs, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health facilities, and
private practices. Others work alongside physical
therapists, dentists, radiologists, pharmacists, and similar
medical personnel to take on the everyday tasks that do not
require extensive medical knowledge to complete.

4. Job duties
Medical assistant job duties range from simple
office work to general patient care. In most
situations, medical assistants are responsible for
managing medical records, checking vital
signs, recording measurements, explaining
treatment
procedures to patients, preparing patients for
examination, and assisting the physician during the
examination, taking phone calls, and performing
small tasks that help doctors focus on their jobs.

5. Two concentrations
Administrative Clinical
• Those who enjoy • Those who prefer directly
organizing, filing, accountin assisting physicians and
g, and general management working with patients will
responsibilities will likely choose to focus on clinical
prefer a concentration in applications.
medical office
administration.

6. Working conditions
• 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. Some work
part-time, evenings, or weekends.

7. Employment rate
• Medical assistants held about 495,970 jobs in 2009. About 62
percent were in physicians’ offices, and about 12 percent
were in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and
outpatient facilities and almost 11 percent worked in offices
of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors and
podiatrists. The rest worked mostly in outpatient care centers.
http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes319092.htm

8. Job outlook
• Getting Medical Assistant jobs should be relatively easy
since employment of medical assistants is expected to grow
by as much as 35% over a 10-year period from 2006 to
2016.

9. What training is needed?
Most employers prefer to hire Formal training in medical
graduates of formal programs assisting, while generally
in medical assisting. Such preferred, is not always required.
programs are offered in
vocational-technical high Some medical assistants are
schools, postsecondary trained on the job, although this
vocational schools, community is less common than in the past.
and junior colleges, and in Applicants usually need a high
colleges and universities. school diploma or the equivalent.
Postsecondary programs Recommended high school
usually last either one courses include
year, resulting in a certificate
or diploma, or two mathematics, health, biology, typi
years, resulting in an associate ng, bookkeeping, computers, and
degree. office skills. Volunteer experience
in the health care field is also
helpful.

10. Courses covered
Courses cover
anatomy, physiology, and medical
terminology, as well as
typing, transcription, record
keeping, accounting, and insurance
processing. Students learn laboratory
techniques, clinical and diagnostic
procedures, pharmaceutical
principles, medication
administration, and first aid. They
study office practices, patient
relations, medical law, and ethics.
Accredited programs include an
http://www.socc.edu/academics/pgs/bm~doc/ externship that provides practical
aas-medical-assistant.pdf experience in physicians’
offices, hospitals, or other health care
facilities.

11. Skills required
Medical Assistants must have good
communication skills: be courteous, pleasant
manner and they must be able to put patients
at ease. They must have respect for the
confidential nature of medical information.
They must have Clinical and clerical skills, that
include: a reasonable level of manual dexterity
and visual acuity, telephone and computer
skills, and filing and data entry skills.

12. How much do they earn?
Salary Hourly
• The average medical assistant
earns between $16,570 and • The average medical assistant
$36,082 his or her first year. After earns between $9.67 and $16.64
five to nine years of an hour. Overtime rates tend to
experience, your annual salary run between $12,78 and $25.14
may jump between $19,661 and an hour.
$39,034. Medical assistants with
10 to 19 years of experience
typically make between $22,587
and $45,147 a year. Those with
more than 20 years of experience
can earn as much as $56,236 a
year.

13. Immunizations
• Medical assistants need to be up to date on
immunizations and physical screenings such as
Hepatitis B, TB, varicella, and rubella or rubella titer
immunizations.

14. Advancements
Medical assistants may be able to advance to office
manager. They may qualify for a variety of
administrative support occupations, or may teach
medical assisting. Some, with additional
education, enter other health occupations, such as
nursing and medical technology.

15. Medical assisting could prove to be a rewarding career for you. Whether you enjoy working
with other people or you just want a career you can get into quickly, you could be a perfect
candidate for medical assisting. 95% of medical assistants are women, but men are becoming
more prominent in the field every year. With a little training, you could find a wonderful future
as a medical assistant.
http://www.aama-ntl.org/becomecma/how.aspx/