The Medical Assistant Profession

Let's talk about the unsung hero of the medical office - the medical assistant! A health care professional that is caring, sharing, and always the very first person to give their best to the employer, medical office team, and their community. It is the perfect field for men and women with a warm, outgoing nature, good communication skills, and (funny that I should mention it!) dexterity.

Thinking about Becoming a Medical Assistant?

If so, this is the best time to begin your research! Check out educational programs available at community colleges and other health care schools in your area, or research available online courses. From there, the possibilities are endless.

• Reasons
• Rules
• Certification
• Job
• Pay
• Training

How endless? Case in point: There currently are thousands of medical offices and emergency medical care facilities in the USA, and according to AHA Hospital Statistics, there are more than 5,700 registered hospitals, which together create a high need for expertly trained allied health professionals and health care support teams. Add to that the various private clinics, facilities, rehabilitation, nursing homes, and home health care services, and it is no wonder why health care occupations are such a popular field.

Where Do Medical Assistants Work?

People choose the medical assistant career for various reasons! Medical Assistants are employed in physician's private offices and group practices. Their main focus is on keeping the medical office's work flow going smoothly in the administrative or clinical areas, or labs. This allows physicians and nursing staff to focus on their patients health, and well being, and provide direct medical care, rather than being bogged down with the clerical and organizational workload the facility requires to run.

Medical Assistant's Work Place

Despite great time pressures and a very demanding work environment, the majority of medical assistants enjoy what they do, finding their jobs intellectually stimulating, meaningful, and rewarding. A large group of them work for family and specialty physicians, ophthalmologists, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health care providers. Their daily routine and responsibilities consists of frequent interaction with doctors, patients, medical billing staff, insurance companies, pharmacies, and other health care professionals while they assess their patient's medical needs. Needless to say, their typical work days are very busy.

Medical Assistant's Pay

In this highly competitive job market where licensing for medical assistants remains largely unregulated we have come to realize that pay is not only influenced by education, experience, and professional credentials, but also how individuals market themselves, and stand out from the rest.