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What is a Medical Assistant?

Browse available Medical Assistant Jobs. A certified health care expert who works under the supervision of health professionals is known to be a medical assistant. Their job is to provide assistance to physicians and doctors when required. They need to have a vivid idea about the basics of treatment as they are often made to assist in an ambulance for medical emergencies. Though their jobs are mostly within clinics and heath care centers like hospitals, at times, they also need to provide first-hand medication consultation at the pharmacy or offer basic treatment for home visits. Apart from this, they are also trained for administrative work, which is related to the same field.

Medical Assistant Jobs Overview

Medical assistants are the ones who would decode and understand the requirement of a professional doctor while treatment and provide help with prompt service. For example, if a doctor is treating a wound or a bleeding cut, it is the job of the assistant to provide with all the needful medicine and instrument or equipment to take care of the wound. At times they might have to give an injection or stitch the area if required. These assistants also maintain records, database of patients and their medical situations. For this, one requires having basic administrative knowledge as well as management skills. A medical assistant has almost every responsibility that needs to be undertaken for running a clinic in a healthy and smooth manner.

Minimum Age to Be a Medical Assistant: 

A medical assistant needs to be at least above 21 years. Though the legal application age is 18, they cannot apply for this position without completing some specific degree courses in the same field.

Medical Assistant Education Requirements:


Education and knowledge of medicine to be in this field is a major criterion. To fulfill that and be assured of their eligibility, here is the following education degree that one needs to achieve:

  • Minimum graduation degree in health, medicine and management.
  • Clearing examination for certification.
  • It’s better if the candidate is a recent graduate.
  • There are some professional courses like ABHES or CAAHEP, or equivalent program training and degree which are needed.

Medical Assistant Job Description

Medical assistants have a responsible job that requires a lot of attention in three major fields:

  1. Analytical. Here they need to analyze the requirements of patients and set their appointments accordingly. Besides, they also have to provide an analytical conclusion to the doctor so that it gets easier for him to focus on the main aspect of treatment.
  2. Medical. This is the most important thing that they need to do - provide knowledge about medicines. They would take care of the medical needs, offer proper guidance and assistance as per the dosage. Also, they check at times their medical history and inform the major points to the doctor.
  3. Management. Medical assistants also need to manage appointment, the number of patients and clinic timings for the doctor.

Medical Assistant Job Duties and Responsibilities

There are many duties and responsibilities that a medical assistant should fulfill. These have to be segregated to give more detailed information about their job profile.

Job duties (Clinical)

  • Recording medical history of patients
  • Explaining the need or particular treatment and procedure
  • Preparing patients for medical examinations like- blood tests, CT scan, X-rays, etc.
  • Collecting, preparing and assisting in testing of specimen
  • Instructing medical dosage, measuring pills and giving diet charts to patients
  • First aid and dressing

Job responsibilities (Administrative)

  • The basic knowledge of computer and maintaining database
  • Attending telephones and checking emails
  • Arranging papers for admission, booking and discharge
  • Handling payments and billing

Medical Assistant Requirements

There are certain skills ‘must’ for a medical assistance to perform their job efficiently. Apart from their educational eligibility, there are other applied skills that you should possess to be more proficient in the field. For starters, they need to be very well in communication as they will be the one doing actual talking with patients and taking details about their history. In situations of panic, they need to ease the patient and provide emotional support to keep their blood pressure and palpitation in control.
They also have to sound very patient in the billing, payment, and insurance procedures.

How to Become a Medical Assistant

To become a medical assistant, one needs to have proper vocational training and of course, they have to be prepared to face odds. They cannot fall weak by witnessing physically distressed situations. Along with that, they need to be prepared for urgency and shift duty. There can be times when they need to be present at clinics or hospitals at night. These are some of the requirements that will polish an individual to be a successful medical assistant.

Medical Assistant Salary

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is a chance of 23% of more jobs opening in the next 8 years as medical assistance. This proves that it is a sector, which has high job requirements and opening. Along with it, the salary structure is also very good as they get around $30,000 per annum. This can increase a lot if an individual has experience.

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