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What Do Medical Assistants Do?

Medical assistants perform clinical and administrative tasks in medical settings such as doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. Since the places where medical assistants work are so varied, duties can differ greatly depending on the care setting, the size of the facility, and the specialties of the physicians who work there.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, some job activities medical assistants can be responsible for include:()

• Recording patient history and personal information
• Measuring vital signs, such as blood pressure
• Helping physicians with patient examinations
• Giving patients injections or medications as directed by physicians and as permitted by state law.
• Scheduling patient appointments
• Preparing blood samples for laboratory tests
• Entering patient information into medical records

The role of a medical assistant continuously evolves. As the federal government pushes for medical records to be stored electronically as electronic health records (EHRs), a medical assistant will likely need to adapt to EHR software.

How to Become a Medical Assistant

While certain aspects of becoming a medical assistant can be regulated by state, generally there are a few ways to become one. Here are the steps to become a medical assistant.

Complete Your Basic Education

The education needed for a medical assistant career begins with high school. Applicants to a medical assistant program must provide proof of a high school diploma or GED equivalent. ()

Complete a Medical Assistant Training Program

Complete a Medical Assisting program at a community college, career-focused college, vocational school, or technical school. Programs can be completed in as few as 9-12 months and typically award a diploma or certificate. Some programs can be extended to award an associate degree.

Gain Hands-On Experience

Receive on-the-job training. While it may be possible to skip an education program and just receive on-the-job training, it may be beneficial to attend a Medical Assisting program. Even after an education, you will likely receive additional training depending on your employer’s needs and preferences.

Obtain Professional Certification

While most states do not require medical assistants to be certified, some employers may be more willing to hire those who are. Some agencies that certify medical assistants include:

• Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) from American Medical Technologists ()
• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association ()

Medical Assistant Education and Training

Medical assistant programs teach a blend of clinical and administrative skills, including how to take vitals, draw blood, perform medical billing/coding tasks, and maintain electronic health records.

Â鶹´«Ã½ is experienced in producing highly trained medical assistants who are ready to enter the workforce. Our Medical Assisting program features small class sizes, hands-on training, skills labs, and faculty with real-world experience.

Medical Assistant Certification Explained

Upon completing a Medical Assisting program, students may choose to sit for credentialing exams offered by national medical assistant organizations.* Completing a credentialing exam signals to employers that you meet certain standards of care. Some medical assistant credential exams include:

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)

The Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association is open to students who possess a high school diploma or equivalency. They also must have completed a medical assistant training or education program within the last 5 years, or have at least 1 year of supervised work experience in the medical assisting field in the last 3 years, or 2 years of supervised work experience in the medical assisting field in the last 5 years ().

Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)

The Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) certification from the American Medical Technologists demonstrates that you meet national standards for both clinical and administrative competencies in healthcare. ()

Skills Needed to Become a Medical Assistant

Medical assistants rely on a combination of technical and interpersonal skills to support patients and healthcare teams. Some important skills include:

• Communication and listening skills
• Organization and attention to detail
• Critical thinking and problem-solving
• Basic computer and electronic health record (EHR) skills
• Empathy and professionalism when working with patients

Medical Assistant Career Growth and Job Outlook

Employment of medical assistants is projected to be bright, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (). Growth is driven by both the need to replace workers exiting the workforce and the growing size of the older adult population, which typically requires more healthcare services than younger age groups.

Explore Medical Assisting at Â鶹´«Ã½

Interested in a career as a medical assistant? Find out more about our Medical Assisting program.