Medical Assistant

The occupation of medical assistant comprises a diverse set of duties in a health care environment, although those interested in this profession may hone their skills in order to work in a particular area of interest.

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Overview
Medical Assistants are an important staple of the modern medical practice and are often employed in the hospital setting as well as in the general and specialized medical office. Because they are unlicensed, medical assistants must work under the direct supervision of a licensed health care provider such as a doctor, nurse or nurse practitioner. Despite the television commercials promoting medical assistant programs and a fastrack to a professional medical assistant career, medical assisting is serious business and the medical assistant career is reserved for the serious-minded individual who truly wishes to make a difference. In fact, many employers conduct criminal background checks on those applying for this position due to the close proximity between the patient and the medical assistant.

The duties of the medical assistant can vary widely depending upon the size and type of medical practice or medical setting in which the assistant is employed. In a moderate size medical office, for example, the medical assistant may take the patient's vital signs and prepare the patient for examination. He or she may also prepare the examination rooms, schedule appointments and greet patients. Medical assistants may perform a combination of administrative and patient-related duties ranging from answering the telephone to collecting patient specimens. Some medical assistants specialize in a certain area of patient care or administration while others perform varied duties throughout the day. Medical assistants have a diverse choice of medical settings to consider when seeking this type of employment.

Medical Assistant Schools
Medical assisting programs are offered in vocational schools and community colleges all across the United States. While there are medical assisting programs offered through medical assistant schools online, students choosing this option will miss the obvious and invaluable hands-on experience that can only come from personalized instruction. Many brick and mortar medical assistant schools offer a practicum or internship towards the end of the program where students can gain supervised hands-on experience.

There are several options from which to choose when deciding upon medical assistant schools depending, of course, upon what is offered in your area of residence. You may choose a diploma or certificate program or even one leading to an Associate's degree, depending on how long you want to go to school and how far you want to go in your medical assistant career. There are no cut and dried answers to these considerations either.

While most medical assisting programs prepare the student for a general medical assistant career, there are specialized programs available whereby the student can specialize in a specific area or areas of medical assisting. For example, some programs will prepare the student for a career as a Medical Administrative Assistant which focuses on the administrative running of the medical practice such as the filing of insurance claims and other financial and administrative duties. Other medical assisting educational programs prepare the student to operate diagnostic machinery and collect and handle lab specimens. It's important to be aware of all of your options when preparing to enter the medical assisting field to ensure you are well-matched with a program that will fit your needs and future career endeavors.

Medical Assistant Career
As the medical field continues to grow and expand, the role of the medical assistant will remain a crucial one. Although most medical assistants work in physician's offices, hospitals also employ these assistants as do urgent care centers. Medical assistants typically work forty hours per week although there are some positions for part-time and temporary assistants.

The medical assistant may be the first as well as the last person patients see when they visit their doctor. While one medical assistant may be manning the front desk to greet patients, another may take the patient's vital signs, prepare him or her for the examination, and then return to explain any specific physician instructions. Sometimes the medical assistant may stay with the patient during the examination.

In the smaller medical office, one medical assistant may perform several different duties while in the larger medical practice, several medical assistants may be employed with each having specific duties. Medical assistant programs offered in many vocational schools and community colleges will prepare the future medical assistant for a wide variety of duties. According to the United States Department of Labor, the occupation of medical assistant is expected to be one of the fastest growing occupations in the ten-year period which began in 2004 and runs through 2014.

Medical Assistant Organizations
The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) awards certification to medical assistants who have successfully completed an accredited medical assisting program of study and who have passed the Certified Medical Assistant examination given by the AAMA. This is a national certification recognized in every state and is valid for five years.

Local chapters of the AAMA can be found in 43 states, and as it is the only organization in the world which is exclusive to the medical assisting occupation, it comprises thousands and thousands of members. Membership in this organization can make it easier to stay on top of changes in the health care industry as local chapters offer seminars and workshops for those engaged in continuing education. The AAMA is a prestigious organization, and employers trust the credentials it awards, knowing when they hire a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), he or she comes with a certain knowledge base including ethics training. The American Medical Technologists (AMT) is the certifying agency that awards the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential. To be eligible for this credential, the student must have successfully completed an accredited medical assisting course of study or have had five years of medical assisting experience and pass the examination administered by the AMT.

Medical Assistant Certification
Although there are no federal or state laws mandating that the medical assistant be certified or even registered, most employers prefer to hire those that are at least certified, as certification ensures the employer is hiring an individual with at least a basic knowledge of the medical assisting profession. It is worth noting that in order to be awarded the credential of Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) by the AAMA, one must have successfully completed an accredited course of study in medical assisting. On the other hand, five years of medical assisting experience will substitute for the formal education required when seeking to obtain the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential awarded by the American Medical Technologists (AMT) agency, which is the agency responsible for certifying medical assistants who choose this course.

Since most employers today want to hire medical assistants with credentials, those just entering the profession may find it difficult to obtain five years of medical assisting experience which would then qualify them for the credential of Registered Medical Assistant. Therefore, it is most likely more feasible for the new medical assistant to obtain the CMA credential by completing an accredited medical assisting course of study and passing the required examination. They can then decide if they want to continue with further certification.

Advantages of Hiring Medical Assistants
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistants held about 387,000 positions in 2004, the last year for which figures are available. That year 60% of those employed in the physician's office. Because medical assistants are trained as the "jack-of-all-trades" in the medical office environment, they have become a crucial part of the medical office team.

For example, an administrative assistant, while well trained in administrative duties such as filing insurance claims, scheduling appointments, and managing patient files, would not be able to pinch hit if needed in the examination room. The medical assistant, however, could. This is because the medical assistant is not only well versed in administrative duties, but able to perform many patient-related duties as well.

While it is true that some medical assistants may specialize in either administrative duties or patient-related duties, the primary course of study for a Certified Medical Assistant prepares this employee for both front-end and back-end duties. In fact, the same medical assistant that has been trained to schedule appointments and process financial records has also been trained to remove sutures, change dressings, and collect laboratory specimens. That's not to say that there is no place in the medical practice for the administrative assistant. On the contrary, there is still a need for these professionals and the services they provide. However, employing a cross-trained, certified medical assistant can be an invaluable asset to any medical office and one that will inevitably result in increased productivity and revenue for all physicians in the medical practice.

Medical Assistant Salary and Benefits
While salaries and benefits vary for those in the medical assistant profession and often depend upon the size and location of the medical practice or institution, most medical assistants enjoy a salary of at least $12 per hour with benefits, including generous health benefits. According to the United States Department of Labor, medical assistants employed in colleges, universities, and other professional schools earned more than $27,000 in 2004 while those employed in physician's offices earned an average of almost $25,000. The pay was slightly higher for those employed in hospitals, but only very slightly. Of course, skill level and experience play an important role in determining the medical assistant's salary.

While medical assistants who work in the medical office can enjoy a typical 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday work week, those assistants employed in hospitals and other institutions will likely have varied hours and days in their schedule. This is an important consideration depending upon your lifestyle. Before seeking a career as a medical assistant, make sure you can handle the hours.

Specialized Medical Assistants
While most medical assistants are well-trained in a variety of duties, there are some in the medical assisting profession who prefer to specialize. Podiatric medical assistants are awarded their certifying credentials by the American Society of Podiatric Medical Assistants and thus seek employment in the field of Podiatrics. Alternatively, Opthalmic medical assistants are awarded certification on three different levels by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Opthalmology.

To be sure, the profession of medical assisting is one of diverse skill levels and interests and offers a variety of employment opportunities for those interested in this occupation. It is the wise student who investigates all medical assisting opportunities before beginning a course of study while at the same time assessing his or her interests regarding the medical assisting profession and all that it offers. Even the Certified Medical Assistant has diverse opportunities and would be wise to concentrate on the specific area of study for which he or she is interested in pursuing. For example, some states allow the medical assistant to place IVs and administer IV medications with the appropriate training, which is considered an advanced duty of the medical assistant. Alternatively, the medical assistant whose interests lean toward administrative duties may advance to payroll processing or managing accounts payable. As you can see, medical assisting is a broad field which brings with it many opportunities for employment and advancement. Knowing which direction you want to pursue ahead of time will pave the way for a successful medical assistant career.

The Difference Between Medical Assistants and Physician Assistants
While it is easy to confuse these two occupations based solely on the names, they are vastly different. While the medical assistant is actually an assistant to the physician by performing administrative and patient-related duties, the physician assistant actually practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. The physician assistant can examine, diagnose, treat and prescribe medication for the patient and typically has a Master's Degree in medicine. This professional has completed an accredited program of physician assisting and has also obtained certification from the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Physician Assistants typically earn at least $80,000 and many top $100,000 per year depending on their skill level, education and experience. Because physician supervision does not have to be in person, many physician assistants run their own clinics while others are the sole medical provider in some rural areas. The medical assisting profession is rich in opportunity, personal satisfaction, compensation, and benefits for those interested in working in this faction of the health care industry.


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