There are many jobs in medical care that are worth exploring. After all, healthcare is not only about doctors and nurses. Medical scribes, medical documentation specialists or medical assistants are also important. In this article, we will focus on the third profession. So, what is a medical assistant? Read on to find out!
Who is a medical assistant?
A medical assistant is a person who aids the physician in their everyday work. As such, clinical assistants perform many tasks, both medical and administrative. So, what does a medical assistant do? Here is the list of their most common tasks:
- Taking medical histories.
- Describing the medical procedures to the patients.
- Preparing patients for examinations.
- Doing simple laboratory tests.
- Helping the doctor during patient examinations.
- Getting medication ready and administering it.
- Giving instructions to patients on proper care and diet.
- Answering phone calls.
- Scheduling appointments.
- Filing and updating documentation – medical records, insurance forms, etc.
As you can see, the role of a clinical assistant is similar to this of a medical scribe. What a medical administrative assistant does is the same for medical scribes. Yet, the former also perform tasks in direct contact with the patients, while the latter usually have barely any or no contact with them. Nevertheless, if you are planning to become a medical assistant, it might be worth starting as a medical scribe – you will get the experience of working with medical documentation, so it will be easier for you to deal with the administrative work later on.
How long does it take to become a medical assistant and is it a good career?
The programs to become a medical assistant vary in length. They may take from 4 months to 2 years depending on their type. It should be noted that they usually end with the participants getting an official certification as well. But, is becoming a medical assistant worth it?
The answer is: yes! There is a growing demand for medical assistants. The society ages, meaning that there are more elderly people that require care. As a result, more and more nurses and medical assistants are needed, which makes it one of the best medical field jobs. So, by picking this career path, you will have many job openings to choose from.
Where can medical assistants work?
Clinical assistants may work in various medical facilities. The first, obvious choice are physicians’ offices – after all, every primary care physician should have an assistant who can help them with the patients and give them more time to help more people. However, this is not the only place that hires medical assistants.
You will find openings for clinical assistants in hospitals, outpatient clinics and many other medical facilities. Physicians from almost all medical specializations need medical assistants to aid them in their work, complete paperwork and perform simple laboratory tests. Thus, the range of places in which you will be able to work is wide.
What is medical assistant – summary
Medical assistants are certified workers who aid physicians in their contact with the patients and are responsible for some parts of medical documentation. They have many responsibilities and may work in almost all medical facilities. Additionally, this is a career path with a growing demand, thus studying to become a medical assistant might be quite profitable.
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