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The US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out every year very detailed information on jobs in the United States. In their 2008-09 Handbook, the job of medical assistant was included as one of the fastest growing industries in the country.
There are many administrative and clinical tasks that need to be done in order to keep health professionals offices running efficiently. Medical assistants are the ones who perform these tasks. In contrast, Physician assistants examine, diagnose, and actually treat patients.
Several factors may affect the specific duties of a medical assistant. These factors include the practitioner’s medicine specialty as well as the location and size of the practice. In a small office a medical assistant would have a bigger variety of tasks while medical assistants working in a large practice may have more specialized job assignments. This is no different than any other administrative position.
Medical assistant duties can be divided into two main categories, administrative and clinical. Administrative duties include updating and filing medical records, insurance forms, and logistical arrangements for hospital admission and lab work. They also perform tasks less specific to medical settings, such as answering telephones, greeting patients, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, and handling billing and bookkeeping.
Clinical duties depend on what is allowed by State Law. Clinical medical assistants may be required to take a patient’s medical history and record certain vital signs, explain treatments to patients, prepare a patient for a medical exam, and assist the physician during an exam. Additionally, it is possible that a medical assistant would collect lab specimens, be responsible for proper disposal of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical equipment used in the office. They might also instruct patients about medications and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.
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Medical Assistant Job Description – What To Look For and How To Get Hired for Medical Assistant Jobs
By Holly Bingham
A medical assistant job description will vary depending on the size, location and specialty of the health care organization or practice. It is common for assistant medical jobs in small practices to do many different tasks but in large practices they may specialize in just a few tasks. Generally speaking, a medical assistant job description will include both administrative and/or clinical tasks.
Assistant medical jobs are in very high demand right now. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that assistant medical jobs are projected to grow by an astonishing 34 percent from 2008 to 2018. In fact, due to the expanding health care industry, it is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. today.
Medical Assistant Job Description: What Does a ‘MA’ Do?
A medical administrator or assistant helps make a practice run smoothly by performing several important administrative tasks such as:
* scheduling appointments
* updating and filing patient medical records
* handling billing and bookkeeping
* filling out insurance forms
* scheduling patient hospital admissions
* answering the telephone
In addition, assistant medical employment description may include some or all of the following clinical tasks:
* collecting and processing laboratory specimens
* sterilize and prepare equipment
* taking vital signs
* preparing patients for physical examinations or x-ray procedures
* educating and instructing patients about medications and diets
* administering medications
* authorizing drug refills
* drawing blood
* changing dressings and other first aid procedures
Apart from having the knowledge and skills needed to perform the tasks listed above, every medical assistant job description will also include good interpersonal and communication skills. Ideally, MAs should also be friendly and approachable.
One of the medical administrator’s or assistant’s responsibilities is to put the patient at ease and to answer any questions he or she may have about medications or tests. Doctors tend to be very busy people and sometimes patients don’t want to waste their physician’s time by asking too many questions. Part of the assistant medical employment description includes helping patients understand medical terminology. If the patient is confused by the doctor’s instructions, the medical administrator or assistants job is to help him or her know what to do.
Medical Assistant Job Description: Education and Certification Requirements
Not all MAs have formal training in the medical field. Some have only high school diplomas and were trained on the job. Others have completed one or two-year programs in medical administrating or assisting. Vocational and technical schools, community colleges, junior colleges and online educational institutions commonly offer medical administrating or assisting programs.
Graduates of these formal training programs may apply for certification or registration with a professional organization for medical administrators and assistants. There are several organizations that give certification credentials for MAs such as the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT). Certification or registration of credentials is not required but many employers do prefer applicants who are certified.
Depending on the specific assistant medical job description, other specialized training may be required. This will vary according to the practitioner’s specialty. For example, an ophthalmic assistant medical job description may require the job candidate to know how to test eye muscle function.
Assistant Medical Employment Description: People Skills
As the medical assistant job description above shows, medical assistants are skilled in many different tasks and specialties. Not only do they have to know how to manage a medical office, they also have to be able to do basic clinical tasks. Nowadays, a medical assistant job description is likely to emphasize good people skills because that is what patients and doctors look for in an assistant.
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I hope the information provided in this article and on the website will aid you in finding a job fast as a Certified Medical Assistant. Get more tips for a successful job search at http://www.AssistantMedicalJobs.com
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