If you want a career that’s demanding and rewarding at the same time within the healthcare industry, the role of a medical assistant could be just ideal. While medical assistants don’t work like nurses or doctors, but they are key to running medical facilities. From clinical tasks to managing some of the admin roles, medical assistants are responsible for many things. A lot of aspiring students want to be a part of the healthcare industry, but for many of them, nursing or a long-education path to become a doctor may not be feasible. In this post, we are discussing more on medical assistant career.
How to become a medical assistant?
As we mentioned, becoming a medical assistant may be a lot simpler than pursing a degree in other healthcare professions. Medical assistants just need to complete a straightforward course to become a CMA (or certified medical assistant). Most students learn more on the first and second jobs, but formal training is critical and important. If you are taking up a course, make sure that you select the right school. Keep in mind that you will find it much easier to get a job, if you complete the course from a reliable & credible institution.
The roles and duties of medical assistants
A medical assistant is expected to work both admin and clinic departments in a medical facility, like a clinic or hospital. They are key to ensuring that patients get the necessary care and attention. Their role can vary depending on specialization, as well. At the basic level, medical assistants manage & update patient records, check on insurance coverage, handle specialist referrals, schedule appointments, manage inventory at the clinic, care for surgical instruments, do the basic lab tests, and may have to draw blood from patients. Before a physician or doctor checks the patient, the medical assistant is asked to prep the patient. Most assistants are also trained to do electrocardiography.
Specializations
As a student, you can also choose to specialize in one branch. Clinical medical assistants are most common, who deal with all the things we just mentioned. They may also be involved in minor surgeries. On the other, administrative medical assistants handle just the clerical and admin tasks, like maintenance of records, billing and appointments. Assistants may also train to work under certain specialists, such as obstetricians and ophthalmologists.
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