The contribution of a medical assistant to a doctor’s thriving practice cannot be overstated. They carry out a wide range of administrative and clinical responsibilities aimed at bettering patient care. The decision to become a medical assistant can be aided by familiarity with the work involved. In this article, we are going to discuss the job description and the salary of a medical assistant. We also added some programs and certifications you might want to opt for in this article. Let’s dive in!
Who Is a Medical Assistant?
A medical assistant is a healthcare worker who works alongside physicians in hospitals and private practices. They may take your vitals, measure you, and weigh you before showing you into the exam room. You might expect your medical assistant to inquire about your symptoms and concerns before relaying the data to your doctor.
A medical assistant may assist a doctor in patient care, but they are not permitted to provide medical advice. Their responsibilities are limited to gathering data and setting the stage for the doctor’s and patient’s appointments.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
What a medical assistant does on a daily basis can change from one clinic or office to the other. They are primarily responsible for administrative and clinical duties. A medical assistant could be the person who greets you at the front desk of a clinic or hospital, or the person who comes in to draw blood after your examination.
How To Become A Medical Assistant
Here are some steps to take to become a medical assistant:
#1. Get Your High School Diploma
A high school diploma is required for entry-level employment as a medical assistant. This opens the door to certification-leading vocational education programs. It also shows prospective employers that you have the potential to learn the skills necessary to work in a medical or clinical setting.
#2. Participate in a Formal Education Program or Enroll in Vocational Courses
Courses in vocational schools typically can be finished in one to two years. You can enroll in a medical assistant or physician assisting diploma program if you have completed high school (grades 10 or 10+2) from a recognized board. You could spend a few months or up to three years finishing a diploma program.
Some examples of required courses for these degrees are:
- First Aid
- Anatomy
- Transcriptions
- patient relations
#3. To Improve Your Chances of Finding Work, Get Certified
Certifications from an appropriate body not only increases your marketability to potential employers but also opens doors to better pay. Most certification programs take between 18 months and 3 years to finish. Some of the most sought-after certification programs include:
- Training Program for Radiologic Technologists
- Dental Assisting Training Program
- Training Program for Medical Laboratory Assistants
- Training Program for Dialysis Technicians
- Training Program for MRI Technologists
#4. Work toward a Bachelor’s Degree
Earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school in a field like nursing (B.Sc Nursing) or physician assistance (B.Sc Physician Assistance) can boost your employment opportunities. It takes 4 years to complete undergraduate studies and prepare you for graduate study in this field. While a bachelor’s degree isn’t required to work in this field, having one can open doors to higher-level nursing positions.
#5. Create a Resume and Start Applying for Jobs
To get an interview, you should create a resume that highlights your relevant work and academic history. Research several examples of resumes for medical assistant positions, and then modify your own application materials accordingly. Make sure to include relevant skills and work experience. Use a template to guarantee a neat presentation of your resume.
Medical Assistant Job Description
The job description of a medical assistant is into two categories; administrative and clinical duties.
Administrative Duties
- Scheduling appointments
- Stocking equipment and pharmaceuticals
- Answering general inquiries over the phone
- Completing insurance and billing forms
- Inserting patient details into databases
Clinical Duties
They may also do clinical work like:
- Showing patients to the exam room
- Recording symptoms and updating medical histories
- Helping patients prepare to see the doctor
- Collecting and preparing laboratory samples or performing basic lab tests
- Assisting doctors during physical exams
- Discussing prescription and dietary changes with patients
- Dispensing medications
- Handling prescription refill requests
- Removing stitches or changing wound dressings
- Drawing blood for lab tests
- Doing electrocardiograms and other medical tests
Skills For Medical Assistants
The following are the skills a medical assistant needs to have:
#1. Organizational Skills
As a medical assistant, you’ll be responsible for keeping track of medical responsibilities that involve communicating with patients and updating health data. A physician can save much time and effort in their daily practice by making patient information more accessible through proper organization. Furthermore, medical assistants are responsible for inventory management and the storage of supplies and drugs.
#2. Communication Skills
The role of the medical assistant often includes relaying patient concerns to the attending physician. Medical records, surgeries, test results, and prescription information are just some of the sensitive matters they deal with. Mishaps can be avoided through prompt and clear communication in a hospital or clinical setting, where risks are typically high.
#3. Active Listening Skills
The ability to actively listen is a communication asset. Working as a medical assistant means potentially being there for a number of patient-doctor encounters daily. You need to learn how to take in data so that you can plan and execute tasks and give considered responses to questions from doctors and patients.
#4. Technical Skills
Hospital administration tasks are increasingly handled by computers. That’s why it’s crucial that you’re well-versed in the fundamental hardware and software found in hospitals and clinics. Keeping track of patient’s personal information, medical history, appointments, and medications are all examples of critical data management chores you may need to undertake regularly.
#5. Time Management Skills
It’s possible that your daily duties as a medical assistant will require you to switch between several different types of work. There are time-sensitive tasks here and there. You need to have a firm grasp of how to set priorities. Tasks related to patients, for instance, should be prioritized over those related to paperwork and other bureaucratic formalities. Achieving a work-life balance requires not just a positive attitude but also the ability to effectively manage your time.
Working Conditions of a Medical Assistant
Although medical assistants can be found in a number of workplaces, the vast majority of them can be found at a hospital or clinic. As part of the team that provides patient care, the medical assistant is a significant asset. They must have the ability to juggle multiple tasks at once and set realistic priorities. The typical workweek is Monday through Friday, although many clinics also provide additional evening and weekend hours.
Salary of a Medical Assistant
In 2023, a beginning medical assistant may expect to earn $12.95 per hour, or $2,240 per week, and $26,930 annually. This is 37% lower than the salary of a medical assistant in the United States and 17% lower than the average starting salary in the United States of $32,592. Starting salary can be affected by a number of things. The location of the job and the level of education required to obtain the necessary credentials and secure a job are the two most significant.
The average beginning salary of a medical assistant varies widely from one state to the next. Starting pay for medical assistants is $16.96 per hour, or $35,270 per year, in Alaska, the state with the highest medical assistant salaries; starting pay for medical assistants in West Virginia, the state with the lowest salaries is $10.91 per hour or $22,690 per year. Medical assistant salaries in the Last Frontier are 36% higher than those in the Mountain State.
Medical Assistant Programs
For those who thrive in team settings and take pleasure in assisting patients, medical assistant programs can be a great entry point into the healthcare field. Or, it could be a means of gaining practical experience and clinical hours toward a medical degree.
Many of these courses can be taken online, allowing you to continue your education despite your other commitments. Here is a list of universities and the medical assistant programs they offer:
#1. Liberty University
Program Type: Associate – Medical Office Assistant (2 Years)
According to statistics gathered from the U.S. Department of Education, Liberty University has recently been named the top supplier of online degrees in the country by the online rating service Niche.com. The University is one of the few online schools that recognizes students’ prior work and military experience for credit toward degree requirements.
The Medical Office Assistant Associate’s Degree program at Liberty University lasts two years. The administrative aspects of being an MA are emphasized in training, with topics including medical terminology, diagnostic coding, risk management, confidentiality, and the impact of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 on the workplace being covered. Students need to take both required general education courses and MA electives in order to graduate. To apply, you need to have completed high school or earned a GED.
#2. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
Degree Program(s): Health medical assistant certificate
UCLA, often known as the University of California Los Angeles, offers a special extension program to help students prepare for the workforce. There are various online options for the health medical assistant credential, but students must also complete a certain number of in-person courses.
If you’re a student in the Los Angeles region, you may take advantage of one of the best programs in the country by enrolling in this course.
#3. State Fair Community College
Program Type: Certificate & Associate of Applied Science
The online courses provided by State Fair Community College are equivalent to their in-person counterparts in every way. More than 260 courses can be taken at the college over the Internet. Online students may occasionally be sent to real-world locations for proctored tests. Admission applications are accepted for both the July and the December term start dates.
State Fair Community College has a medical assistant professional certificate program (MA) consisting of 34.5 credits and an Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting degree program (AAS) consisting of 61.5 credits, both of which can be completed entirely online. Both programs have identical MA-related curricula, but the associate degree requires additional general education coursework. Students acquire knowledge in both clinical and administrative areas, including vital sign taking and recording, injection administration, and appointment scheduling and billing. To encourage students to develop their own research interests and skills, the final course in both MA specializations is a capstone experience.
#4. PURDUE UNIVERSITY GLOBAL
Degree Program(s): Medical assistant certificate
The online division of Purdue University, Purdue University Global, provides a fast track to a certificate as a medical assistant. Students can finish the 58 needed credits more quickly than they could anywhere else by taking creative 10-week courses.
This online certificate program is more affordable and takes less time to complete for those who already have college credit.
#5. Ashworth College
Program Type: Certificate – Medical Administrative Assistant
More than two million students have benefited from Ashworth College’s innovative approach to online education since the school’s founding in 1987. If you find a course that interests you, you can sign up at any moment and begin studying right away. The college’s online programs have graduated more than 300,000 students from all around the world.
The college offers a flexible, self-paced online MA credential program. Classes cover topics including medical front desk administration, medical paperwork, and insurance claim processing to better prepare students for administrative roles. You will be able to visit a student portal on the Internet where you can complete instructional modules and use online laboratories and research libraries. Students can benefit from a helpful online community by staying in touch with their peers via discussion forums, email, live chat, and webinars.
Medical Assistant Certifications
You may want to get certified in one or more areas if you work as a medical assistant or want to start working in that field. Medical assistant certifications can help you learn marketable skills, boost your income, and perhaps move up the corporate ladder. Educating yourself about the many MA certificates available might help you choose the one that will further your career the most.
Medical assistant certification from a program approved by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) is valid throughout the country. There are a number of general certifications to take into consideration if you wish to further your career as a medical assistant, including:
#1. Certified medical assistant (CMA)
A medical assistant who has earned certification from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA’s) Certifying Board is known as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA). Certified medical assistants (CMAs) are valuable partners to physicians in enhancing medical office productivity, as stated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAMA).
Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) are more valued and respected by their peers, have more possibilities for professional growth, and have greater job stability than their non-certified counterparts. To pass the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam, you need to have an in-depth, wide-ranging, and up-to-date knowledge of healthcare delivery. It’s important to have a broad base of knowledge in general, clinical, and managerial areas. The test lasts for four 40-minute sessions and consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
#2. Registered medical assistant (RMA)
Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification is another option open to medical assistants. American Medical Technologists (AMT) has established the following requirements for their RMA certification program:
- Minimum of 720 hours of clinical experience
- Worked for at least five years
- Obtaining a passing grade on the RMA examination
The computer-based test lasts about two hours and consists of 200-230 questions in four different areas of expertise.
#3. Nationally certified medical assistant (NCMA)
The NCCT’s National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam mirrors the crucial MA job competencies found in a national job analysis study. The NCMA, like the CCMA, is geared more toward helping doctors with patients than with general office management. It has 150 scored questions as well as 15 pretest questions without scores. Examinees have a total of three hours in which to finish it.
To prove that you have the skills and information necessary to work as MA, you need to pass the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) exam.
#4. Certified clinical medical assistant (CCMA)
With the CCMA credential, medical assistants can expand their roles beyond administrative support and into patient care. The National Healthcareer Association (NCA) offers a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential to medical assistants who meet the following criteria:
- Having completed high school
- Successfully completing a recognized medical assistant training program.
- Work experience of at least one year’s duration under the supervision of a doctor
- Obtaining a passing grade on the CCMA examination
The three-hour test consists of 150 total questions.
#5. The Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
For those interested in a career in eye care, the first step is to earn a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) credential from the International Joint Commission on Allied Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO). The International Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Practitioners in Ophthalmology reports that 80% of eye doctors think that having certified Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP) increases productivity in their clinic. The efficiency and quality of care provided by practice are improved by certified AOP, according to studies.
A Medical Assistant who has earned recognition from the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Professionals in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO) is recognized as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA). A certified office administrator will have demonstrated proficiency in 22 core areas. The duration of the entire exam is three hours, and there are a total of 200 questions that will be counted against your final score.
#6. Certified medical administrative assistant (CMAA)
A medical assistant with this credential is qualified to take on administrative duties within a healthcare setting. The National Healthcareer Association has established the following criteria for its CMAA certification program:
- Having completed high school
- Successful completion of a recognized educational program
- Work experience of at least one year’s duration under the supervision
- Obtain a grade acceptable for the certification exam
The seven sections of the 130-minute exam each have 110 scored items.
How to Choose Medical Assistant Certifications
The following are ways to choose some medical assistant certifications:
- Research medical fields and specialties
- Learn about medical assistant programs
- Identify your salary requirements
- Consider fields with opportunities for advancement
Where to Find Medical Assistants
Most medical assistants find employment at clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Medical assistants are also needed in non-hospital settings to help with administrative tasks and patient care in places like dentist offices, nursing homes, and physical therapy clinics.
More of them will likely appear in the world in the years ahead. Americans born in the postwar era (the 1940s to 1960s) are the largest segment of the country’s aging population. More preventative care from doctors and other medical professionals will be required for these patients. They will have more opportunities as a result of the requirement for more staff to assist with the increased patient load.
Medical Assistant Roles in Different States
Medical assistants in jurisdictions like California are required to complete additional training before they may administer needles or drugs to patients. Some states explicitly define the scope of a medical assistant’s practice limitations. In Montana, medical assistants must be directly supervised by a physician before they can assist with invasive operations such as surgery.
Final Thoughts
A medical practitioner who assists doctors at clinics and outpatient facilities is known as a medical assistant. To help doctors streamline their processes and give their full attention to patient care, they execute a variety of duties at their request. A doctor’s office may employ more than one medical assistant. These assistants may also be employed by laboratories or government organizations. It is a very lucrative job you can go for. Has this article been helpful to you? Let’s hear from you in the comment section.
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