Duties of a Medical Assistant

If you have ever been to the doctor’s office, you know how busy this facility is. Numerous patients keep doctors extremely busy. Without the help of a medical assistant, many doctors would struggle to see a dozen patients per day. Medical assistants help keep patient traffic flowing smoothly from beginning to end. You will know if your doctor uses medical assistants as those who do will rarely keep you waiting.

Medical assistants require at least one year of training. They spend many hours multitasking, so if you are interested in medical assisting career, you must be able to handle multiple tasks at once.

In California, medical assistants handle a variety of administrative and clinical tasks. A strong grasp of office administration and basic health care procedures are necessary. More than 65% of all medical assistants work in a doctor’s office, usually working for practitioners, chiropractors, ophthalmologists, and podiatrists. The remaining 35% are hired by hospitals or managed health facilities (nursing homes or respite houses.)

If you are planning to become a medical assistant, expect to handle the following daily chores on a daily basis.

Scan all patient rooms and waiting rooms to ensure they are clean and well stocked with the necessary supplies
Check list of patient appointments and set up equipment trays for the first patient
Greet the patient
Walk the patient to the appropriate waiting room and take down a general health history, weight, height, and blood pressure reading
If a finger prick or urine test is required, you will handle those tests and have the lab preparing them, if possible, for the doctor to review
Let the doctor know the patient is waiting
When the doctor completes his or her portion of the visit, medical assistants can administer necessary vaccinations if required
If a prescription is involved, hand the patient the prescription form that has been filled out and signed by the doctor
Go over any dietary changes, medication information, and follow-up care
Once the patient has left, you will move onto the next patient if necessary
The computer records for each patient will be entered by you if the health care office is not set up with a discharge clerk
If a phone-in prescription is required, you will fax the paperwork to the pharmacy
When hospitalization, lab tests, or other appointments are required, you are responsible for setting up the appointments and referrals for the patient
As required, you will also handle the telephones taking appointments and directing calls to the appropriate person

Additionally, some medical assistants have special training that allows them to handle patient x-rays and then develop them. In a hospital setting, medical assistants will read patient charts at time of discharge and go over any physician recommendations before the patient is discharged.

A higher pay scale is offered to medical assistants who have completed Certified Medical Assisting testing. You are required to graduation from an accredited medical assisting schooling program. These courses always cover:

Anatomy
Bookkeeping
CPR
Diagnostic Procedures
Ethics
Externship
Insurance Procedures
Lab Procedures
Medical Computer Programs
Medical Law
Medical Terminology
Medications
Office Administration
Pathology
Physiology
Vaccinations

Once you have completed the necessary courses, you take the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) CMA (Certified Medical Assistants) exam. The testing fee is $95 for AAMA members or $170 for everyone else. While California does not require medical assistants to complete this test, the duties you can perform as a medical assistant are limited if you opt not to gain CMA certification. In fact, many doctors will only higher medical assistants with CMA certification because they are a more valuable team member.

The CMA exam covers:

Anatomy
Bookkeeping
Computer Programs
Critical Thinking Skills
Dietary Needs
Emergency Care
Equipment Usage
Ethics
Infection Control
Job Interviews
Making Appointments
Medical Law
Medical Terminology
Medications
Office Procedures
Patient Management
Patient Treatment
Physiology
Processing Office Mail
Running Routine Tests
Taking A Health History
Telephone Skills
Writing Skills

Three hundred questions make up this test. You must wait until the test results are mailed to you to see if you have passed. Once you gain your CMA papers, you must renew your certification every five years. To become recertified, you must take the recertification exam or have completed sixty additional credit hours in that five-year span. CPR certification is also required.

To find a medical assisting program near you, visit our list of medical assisting schools in California.