Most jobs can be described in just a few words. But medical assisting is a broad, cross-disciplinary field that can’t be captured in just a sentence or two. Medical assistants provide clinical and clerical support to licensed healthcare providers. It sounds simple, but the job can take many forms. If you have a passion for healthcare and an aptitude for administration, medical assisting is an exciting and rewarding role.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
Medical assistants are healthcare support specialists. Allied health professionals, they manage both patients and paperwork in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.
Job descriptions vary widely depending on the employer, state regulations and employment setting. The role you choose should reflect your strengths and interests. Some are multidimensional while others are more clinical than administrative and vice versa. The path you follow is up to you.
Clinical Responsibilities
As a medical assistant, your clinical duties may include:
Rooming Patients
Medical assistants are the first members of the clinical team to welcome patients to a practice or facility. Their job is to prepare them for an examination by:
Reviewing Patient Medical History
Medical assistants interview patients about their health history, gathering data such as their chief complaint, current conditions, previous surgeries, allergies, medication list, updating old files or documenting new information in the patient’s electronic health record (EHR).
Taking Vital Signs
Medical assistants measure and record patient temperature, blood pressure, pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and weight at each visit, noting the results in the EHR. Accuracy is critical, doctors use the data to diagnose illnesses, calculate high-risk medication dosages, and assess patients’ long-term risk for chronic conditions, such as hypertension and diabetes.
Draping
Changing clothes is required for certain exams. You’ll provide the appropriate gowns and drapes while safeguarding patient privacy and assisting those with impaired mobility.
Assisting with Exams and Procedures
Medical assistants are hands-on helpers, assisting with exams, treatments, and procedures. Responsibilities include setting up equipment and supplies, passing instruments and providing aftercare, such as dressing wounds and suture removal. You’ll also monitor the patient’s comfort and safety.
Performing Diagnostic Tests
Medical assistants now perform a broad range of diagnostic tests once done only in a hospital or laboratory setting. Examples include EKGs, pacemaker checks, urinalysis, pregnancy screens, strep tests, and wound cultures.
Specimen Collection
Specimens requested for testing must be carefully handled. You’ll collect urine, stool, sputum, and other samples following strict laboratory guidelines, ensuring that they are labeled correctly and sent to the appropriate laboratory for analysis.
Phlebotomy
Blood tests are a critical tool for diagnosing and monitoring health conditions. As a medical assistant, you’ll draw blood in office settings, saving patients a trip to the hospital.
Maintaining a Clean and Organized Exam Room
Medical assistants prepare exam rooms, ensuring that they’re clean, well-organized, and stocked with the necessary equipment and supplies. Between visits, you’ll disinfect hard surfaces to kill bacteria and limit the spread of contagious diseases.
Sterilizing Instruments
Healthcare facilities harbor dangerous pathogens. Medical assistants help break the chain of infection by sterilizing instruments using chemicals, heat, or pressure.
Patient Education
Medical assistants are patient educators. They can’t give medical advice, but they can:
- Answer general health questions
- Reinforce physician-written treatment plans
- Review pre- and post-procedure care instructions
- Provide educational resources on the provider’s behalf
As you get to know your patients, you’ll become their go-to source for information.
Clerical Responsibilities
Medical assistants are also trained to perform administrative duties, many of which are part of their clinical responsibilities, such as:
Scheduling
Medical assistants collaborate with patients and providers to manage the schedule. A complex task, it includes scheduling appointments for patients with multiple providers, coordinating visits for diagnostic tests or procedures and arranging follow-up checks based on treatment plans. You’ll send appointment reminders, manage cancellations and address emergencies in ways that accommodate the patient without overwhelming providers. In a setting like an urgent care clinic, you might also deal with walk-ins.
Front Desk Management
Medical assistants greet patients, answer phone calls, and respond to inquiries. They direct requests to the appropriate medical professionals and provide general information about their practice or facility. Proper front desk management sets the stage for a positive patient experience and smoother workflow.
Patient Registration
Quality care begins with an accurate and organized registration process. Medical assistants review patient demographics, insurance details and other pertinent information before exams. Some services require insurance authorizations, so knowing in advance if a procedure or medication is covered helps doctors and patients make the best treatment decisions.
Medical Records Management
Accurate records support continuity of care, the ongoing management of conditions over time. Medical assistants contribute by maintaining paper and electronic recordkeeping systems. Associated responsibilities include data organization, filing, storage, and security. You’ll also check medical documentation for accuracy and completeness.
Billing and Coding
Medical assistants help the billing department with coding and billing tasks. Duties may include reviewing patient charts, coding diagnoses and procedures, preparing insurance claims, and assisting with invoicing. Some of these responsibilities are integrated into clinical tasks, coding a bill for phlebotomy after performing it, for example. Others are in support of the billing team.
Referral Coordination
Many US adults are referred to a specialist, requiring the exchange of medical data between providers. Medical assistants coordinate referrals, including gathering health information, scheduling appointments, obtaining necessary authorizations, and guiding patients through the process.
Inventory Management
Medical assistants are responsible for managing inventory and ensuring that the necessary clinical and office supplies are stocked, ordered, and organized. This includes monitoring inventory levels to avoid understocking or overstocking items. The goal is to keep necessary supplies on hand while preventing waste and minimizing the costs associated with expired or obsolete supplies.
Communication
Medical assistants communicate with patients daily, serving as provider liaisons. They relay messages, assist with outreach efforts, convey patient concerns to physicians and document relevant information in patients’ medical records. Effective communication contributes to safe, effective, and timely care.
As part of a team, medical assistants also support communication between the clinical and administrative staff, coordinating patient care and workflow by keeping everyone involved in the loop.
How Do I Become a Medical Assistant?
Compared to similar careers in the healthcare field, training for medical assistants can be brief. Education requirements vary by employer, but a diploma or associate degree are the gold standard employers are looking for.
Full-time students can complete a vocational school program in months, graduating work-ready and prepared for certification. All you need to get started is a high school diploma or general equivalency certificate. The right vocational school program will take it from there through a fusion of classroom learning and hands-on experience.
What Will I Learn in a Medical Assisting Program?
Geared toward beginners, medical assisting programs cover the clinical and clerical skills you need to succeed in the healthcare industry. Topics include:
Medical Terminology
This course focuses on the language of healthcare. Students learn to interpret complex terms by breaking them down into simpler parts. You’ll learn about the medical prefixes, suffixes and abbreviations commonly used in healthcare settings. Mastering medical terminology is essential for communication and administrative tasks, such as billing and coding.
Anatomy and Physiology
Students in this course learn about human body structure and function, from organ systems to the biochemical processes that keep us alive. A grasp of anatomy and physiology helps medical assistants better understand health conditions and clinical procedures.
Pharmacology
This course introduces the principles of pharmacology, including the classification and therapeutic purposes of commonly used drugs. Students learn about drug interactions, side effects, medication safety, dosage calculations, and the role of medical assistants in medication management.
Clinical Procedures
A hands-on class that covers a variety of clinical procedures, such as taking patient histories, obtaining vital signs, preparing patients for examinations, performing basic laboratory tests, assisting with minor surgical procedures, and administering medications. Students learn the proper techniques, safety precautions, and documentation requirements for performing these procedures.
Medical Office Management
Healthcare is unlike any other business. This course offers a bird’s eye view of the administrative aspects of medical assisting, including workflow, office procedures, scheduling, billing, recordkeeping, financial management, and regulatory compliance. You’ll learn all the skills needed to manage administrative tasks in a medical office setting.
Communication
Communication is the foundation of healthcare. This course emphasizes the written and verbal skills necessary for interacting with patients, peers, and professionals. Students learn how to express themselves clearly, confidently, and compassionately.
Medical Law and Ethics
There are regulatory aspects to many of a medical assistant’s responsibilities. Here, you’ll explore the legal and ethical aspects of healthcare, including patient rights, confidentiality, informed consent, and health data security. Students also discuss the common ethical issues in medicine from end-of-life care to billing practices.
Professional Development
Medical assisting programs do more than prepare you to work, they help you build a foundation for a long and successful career. Seasoned instructors offer tips for professional growth from certifications to where to find the best opportunities. Paired with career services, such as resume development and interview coaching, it makes vocational training among the best values in modern education.
Final Thoughts
Healthcare facilities nationwide are recruiting medical assistants for their diverse skills and ability to adapt to various clinical and clerical settings. Cross-trained, vocational school graduates are well-equipped to meet the challenges of an evolving workplace while defining their roles within it.
Meridian College offers a hands–on Medical Assistant training program taught by experienced school faculty who know how to prepare you for the daily challenges you’ll face on the job. From assisting doctors with patients to important administrative tasks, our experienced teachers will train you for a rewarding new career.
Contact Meridian College today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant.