What Do Medical Assistants Do?

By Author: William Hauselberg
Total Articles: 816
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Medical assistants perform both administrative as well as clinical duties in order to keep the offices of a variety of doctors and other health professionals operating efficiently and effectively. The tasks of medical assistants vary at each office and usually depend on both the location and the size of the practice.

Duties of Medical Assistants

In smaller practices, the job of a medical assistant is usually geared towards a number of different tasks. The medical assistant may be required to be in charge of administrative operations or clinical duties, while answering to a supervisor within the office. In a larger practice, the duties of a medical assistant are more specialized to one particular area, while under the supervision of a department administrator.

The duties of a medical assistant can sometimes be confused with a physician assistant, but these are not the same professions. A physician assistant is responsible for diagnosing, examining, and treating patients while being supervised directly by a physician. Instead, administrative medical assistants are generally responsible for updating and maintaining ...
... patients' medical records, completing necessary insurance forms, and performing tasks that are less related to medical care, which include answering telephones, greeting patients, scheduling appointments for patients, and handling billing.

For clinical medical assistants whose duties vary from state to state based on state regulations, responsibilities could include taking medical histories and vital signs of patients, explaining a certain type of treatment to a patient, as well as preparing patients for examinations or assisting a physician during the actual examination.

Medical Assistant Training

The training needed to be a medical assistant varies depending on the location. Training for medical assistants can come on the job, but some medical assists are required to attain a medical assistant certificate before they can begin the job. Medical assisting programs are offered at some high schools, postsecondary vocational schools, and some junior colleges. Postsecondary programs generally last one year and result in a medical assistant certificate, indicating the individual has graduated from one of the qualified medical assisting schools. These medical assisting schools can be located in a number of places and often can be a part of career colleges, which allow individuals to work and attend school to further their education at the same time.

A medical assistant is a vital piece to any medical practice and without these essential professionals, a number of the important tasks that need to be completed in order for the daily operations to run smoothly could not be completed.

Brown Mackie College’s Healthcare programs offer medical assistant certificates through their medical assisting schools. They are useful for an individual to enter into the healthcare industry at the initial level or position.