Medical Assistant

At a Glance

In My Own Words

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Income:

($33,280 - $52,000)

Cluster:

Health Informatics

Class of Occupation:

- Social

Description

Medical Assistants perform both administrative and clinical tasks in most healthcare offices. Depending on the size and type of facility, Medical Assistants may be supervised directly by the physician or report to a department supervisor. Typical administrative duties might include updating and filing patient records, handling insurance paperwork, arranging for consults or lab services, as well as answering phones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments and general bookkeeping. Clinical duties will vary, based on individual experience, and adding advanced training. Basic functions include taking medical histories, checking vital signs, preparing patients for examinations, phoning in prescription refills and reviewing the doctor's instructions with the patient. Advanced clinical tasks could include drawing blood, collecting and preparing lab specimens, preparing patients for x-rays, changing dressings or administer medications. Basic certification for this career field will take two semesters. Advanced certification, which can increase your individual demand, can be four to six semesters. The demand for this career is very strong, and will continue to grow as the aging population increases.

View the education requirements.