Medical Assisting

2007-04-17 10:41:55

( Pharmeceutical-Medical )



Medical assistants handle administrative and clinical work in the clinics of physicians and other health practitioners. Depending on who you are working for, a medical assistant’s work can range from specializing in a certain aspect to management of clinical responsibilities. Your job description as a medical assistant includes scheduling appointments, filing medical records, processing insurance forms, handling payment, taking medical histories and vital signs, assisting the physician during the actual examination, collection of laboratory specimens, and educating patients on their medications, among others.

Approximately 387,000 medical assistants were employed in 2004, with the majority (60%) working in physicians’ clinics, while only 14% worked in private and public hospitals. Your salary as a medical assistant will depend on your experience and abilities.

It is not a requirement for you to be a graduate of a medical assisting program to become a medical assistant; however, being one does have its advantages. Under medical assisting programs, you will learn the following:
• Basic clinical courses (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology)
• First aid
• Medical law
• Medical ethics
• Record-keeping
• Accounting
• Processing of insurance

Certain programs also offer internships. You can avail of these programs in community and junior colleges, postsecondary vocational schools and vocational-technical high schools, lasting for 1-2 years. There are also medical assisting degrees offered via the internet. In 2005, more than 500 medical assisting programs were accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), and 170 programs by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

There are no licenses for medical assistants; however, you may take a national examination to become certified or registered as a medical assistant. An examination or a course may likewise be needed in certain US states before tasks, such as giving immunization, can be carried out.

As a medical assistant, you can be promoted to office manager and can teach medical assisting. You can also become a health professional if you take up additional education.

Due to advancements in technology and the health care industry, the medical assisting occupation is expected to grow faster in the following years.


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