Medical Assistant Job Duties: Job Description & Responsibility

Introduction

The role of a medical assistant is an important one in the healthcare industry. The job description of a medical assistant includes a wide range of duties and responsibilities.

These can range from administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments and maintaining patient records, to clinical duties such as taking vital signs and assisting with minor medical procedures.

A certified medical assistant must have completed a training program and meet certain educational requirements in order to perform these tasks.

It is the responsibility of a medical assistant to ensure that patient medical records are accurately maintained and to provide quality care to all individuals seeking medical assistance.

Medical assistants also have a crucial role in supporting physicians and other healthcare professionals in delivering high-quality care to patients.

Overall, the medical assistant career can be a rewarding and fulfilling one for those who are passionate about helping others and providing essential support to the healthcare team. 

So, let’s get started!

An Insight into Medical Assistant

A medical assistant is someone who makes sure medical facilities run smoothly. They help support patients in a variety of ways, like doing simple care activities and carrying out administrative tasks.

Plus, they are a link between the patient and their doctor, giving patients comfort and reassurance. If you have a passion for helping others and keeping things organized, you might just be what a medical assistant needs.

Physician assistants and medical assistants are two distinct professions. They have the authority to diagnose and treat patients, with the help of a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Medical assistants, on the other hand, can help with things like patient care and record keeping, but they don’t have the authority to diagnose or administer treatment.

Medical Assistant Job Description 

Medical Assistants work for doctors in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

• They help to make sure things run smoothly by completing important tasks, like talking to insurance companies and providing excellent customer service.
• They also do additional jobs like reassuring patients and completing basic tests.
• In short, they make it possible for medical professionals to give people the quality care they need.

Without Medical Assistants, healthcare facilities wouldn’t be able to operate as efficiently!

Medical Assistant Job Duties

Medical assistants provide vital support for medical professionals and their patients.

• Their role could involve a mix of clinical and administrative duties, from helping to put patients at ease to keeping records up to date.
• They work directly with patients and support other healthcare staff such as doctors and nurses.
• With the right experience, they could make a real difference to people’s lives and health.

When taking care of patients, they may help in a variety of ways. This could mean:

• collecting information and medical histories,
• checking vital signs,
• giving medications (if allowed),
• giving injections,
• assisting the doctor during exams,
• preparing patients for tests or x-rays,
• explaining procedures,
• handling basic wound care.

Working in a doctor’s office involves more than just interacting with patients. Behind the scenes, they’ll take care of:

• scheduling appointments,
• sending blood samples for testing,
• updating medical records,
• answering calls,
• sterilizing medical equipment,
• supplying stocks,
• completing insurance forms

You’ll be aiding doctors in taking care of their patients’ needs!

Medical assistants play an important role in healthcare, typically working in both small and large practices. The tasks they perform everyday depend on the size of the practice and the specialty of the office – ranging from patient care to paperwork.

For example, some MA’s work in primary care offices, while others work in specialty clinics or optometrists’ offices, where they carry out basic vision tests.

So whatever kind of practice or specialty a MA is in, they make sure all the day-to-day operations run smoothly and help ensure people get the care they need.

Jobs in Medical Assisting

1. Clinical Medical Assisting 

Want to work with a doctor and help people? Clinical medical assisting might be the job for you!

• You’ll use medical equipment and get to work closely with physicians.
• Don’t worry – you’ll still get to do some of the administrative work that comes with the job. 

i.) Ophthalmology

If you care about eyesight, then there’s a career in ophthalmology waiting for you!

• Ophthalmic medical assistants are responsible for making sure our eyes stay healthy.
• They help with eye exams, fit contact lenses, ask about your health history, and even assist with minor surgeries.
• If you’re passionate about preserving perfect vision, this could be the career for you.

ii) Podiatry

Podiatry is all about feet.

• As a podiatric medical assistant, you’ll use your knowledge of feet anatomy and give a helping hand during foot casts, X-ray processing, and podiatric surgeries.
• If you like working with people in pain and want to get into sports medicine, becoming a podiatric medical assistant is an excellent way to start.

iii) OB-GYN Medical Assistant

Do you want to help expectant mothers?

• OB-GYN medical assistants support physicians to provide the best care for pregnant women.
• As a medical assistant, you should have knowledge about menopause, HPV, and female anatomy.
• Be part of the team that helps deliver the best healthcare for expecting families.

iv) Chiropractic Medical Assistant

Are you looking for a natural approach to medicine? Working as a chiropractic medical assistant could be the perfect fit!

• You’ll help chiropractors treat patients with therapies like hot and cold treatments.
• It’s a great way to make a difference in people’s lives while working with natural therapies.

2. Administrative Medical Assisting 

Enjoy organizing and managing details? Medical assisting in an administrative setting could be the perfect job for you. If you choose to focus on non-clinical roles, you could take on tasks like medical billing, coding and providing administrative support. 

As a medical biller and coder, you’ll get to do both!

• You’ll be responsible for taking patient records, coding them for insurance billing and talking to doctors to make sure the information is accurate.
• For those looking for less of the numerical side, medical administrative assistants are perfect for you.
• You’ll be scheduling appointments, dealing with insurance companies, and gathering information from patients.
• There’s also a chance for you to use your creativity through crafting documents and taking meeting notes.
• A good medical assistant school should offer courses that teach you both administrative and clinical skills. You’ll need to be comfortable working both in and out of the office.

Plus, once you graduate, you may still have some on-the-job training to do to get used to a specialized medical office. Start your search for the right medical assistant school now!

Skills Clinical Medical Assistants Need

Clinical Medical Assistants provide vital healthcare support.

• They often work in doctor’s offices, hospitals and clinics.
• Their roles can be flexible, depending on the needs of the setting. There are usually similar duties across all environments.
• Clinical Medical Assistants take vital signs, like heart rate and blood pressure.
• They also help the doctor during exams by taking tests and providing supplies or other equipment the doctor may need.

When not performing medical tasks, they might manage medical records or do administrative tasks like scheduling patient appointments.

1. Patient Service 

Clinical medical assistants help make experience at the practice or organization go smoothly.

• When you arrive, they greet you and get you set up for your appointment – this could mean scheduling the appointment, helping you understand any new equipment, or getting the examination room ready.
• During your appointment, they keep an eye on how you’re responding to treatment and let the doctor know if anything looks unusual.
• Most importantly, they’re focused on making sure you feel comfortable and have all the information you need.
• Clinical medical assistants can specialize in specific areas like labs, radiology, and respiratory therapy.
• They help care for patients by completing some of the same duties in their area of expertise. 

For example, clinical medical assistants who work in a hospital lab can draw blood for tests.

• Those in radiology may help patients get in position for x-rays or ultrasounds.
• Specializing like this is an important way to make sure the right care is given to each patient.
• Certified clinical medical assistants are an important part of home health agencies.
• They do many of the same tasks as other medical staff, but with the direction of a home healthcare provider.
• Certain clinical medical assistants can even specialize in certain types of patient care.
• These clinical medical assistants monitor patients beforehand to make sure they’re safe during and after the procedure.

For instance, a clinical medical assistant who works with anesthesiologists can serve as their eyes and ears during a surgery. 

2. Administrative Tasks 

Clinical medical assistants have an important job: to look after our health.

• They do more than just provide medical treatments — they also take care of the administrative side of healthcare.
• It involves scheduling appointments, handling insurance paperwork, and making sure everything in the office follows the right protocols.
• On top of that, they also prepare reports on patients’ treatments and give patients the educational materials they need.
• At hospitals, clinics, and care centers, medical assistants have a special role: they take care of patients’ records and databases.
• It doesn’t matter how big the practice is – this is an important, vital task! Without medical records staff, so much of medicine would be chaotic.

So be sure to thank your medical assistant for their hard work and dedication to patient records. They really are the unsung heroes!

• Clinical medical assistants help simplify complex medical treatments.
• They collect samples for testing and make sure laboratory equipment works properly.
• They also help with sterilization so treatments take place in a safe way.
• Other tasks they may have include collecting exam materials, making sure lab equipment works, preparing paperwork, and sterilizing tools.

Taking care of these tasks makes things run smoothly and quickly.

Average Salary & Job Outlook of Certified Medical Assistant 

Medical assistants are in high demand and can expect to make about $37,190 per year on average. The pay can vary depending on where you live, what specialty you’re in, your experience, and any other certifications you have.

So, with a bit of experience, you could be making up to $53,000 per year! More money for you and more help for those in need.

Working as a medical assistant comes with some awesome benefits. You get paid time off, health insurance, and sick leave. Plus, the job outlook for medical assistant positions is excellent – much better than most other jobs!

The field is expected to grow an impressive 16% in the next 10 years. So, if you’re looking for an exciting career with good perks and plenty of opportunity for growth – medical assisting might be the perfect fit for you.

Specialization in Medical Assistant Career

Medical assistants have the option to specialize if they work somewhere with a large medical facility or are employed by a clinic that focuses on a particular specialty. Specializing gives them the chance to focus more and become more effective at their job. 

Specialization options for medical assistants include: 

1. Clinical Medical Assistant

• Clinical medical assistants provide essential support in medical offices and hospitals.
• They take on a variety of tasks such as conducting laboratory tests, sterilizing medical equipment and disposing of contaminated supplies.
• They may also prepare patients for x-rays, draw blood or remove stitches when necessary.
• They are important members of the healthcare team, helping healthcare professionals deliver high-quality care to patients.

2. Administrative Medical Assistant

• Medical administrative assistants take care of administrative tasks at healthcare facilities.
• They record patient info, complete insurance forms, schedule appointments, and answer phones as needed.
• More importantly, they provide vital help for medical staff and make sure everything runs smoothly.
• Keeping healthcare facilities organized requires a special skill set and strong attention to detail—and that’s where administrative medical assistants come in.

3. Obstetric Medical Assistant

• Obstetric medical assistants work in the office of an obstetrician.
• They help out with breast exams and minor obstetric surgeries.
• They also take care of pregnant women who visit the office.
• They work closely with obstetricians and other medical professionals to ensure quality care for expectant mothers.

4 Ophthalmologic Medical Assistant

• Ophthalmologic medical assistants are a great support to eye doctors.
• They help with medications and can even assist with eye surgery.
• Whether it’s keeping an eye on patient care or helping with small procedures, these medical assistants make a real difference in people’s lives.

Clinical Medical Assistant vs Administrative Medical Assistant

• Clinical medical assistants and administrative medical assistants may have some similarities but they also have key differences.
• They are typically more hands on and work closely with physicians.
• They often perform procedures and collect samples.
• Administrative medical assistants spend more time behind a desk – working with paperwork, phones, and computers.
• They may even get special training in fields such as EKGs or wound care.
• Medical assistants have the rewarding job of helping their patients. No matter the role, they make a difference in people’s lives.

Under Whom do Medical Assistants Work?

A Medical Assistant reports to a Physician who works in the same location. The Physician could give some of the supervision of the Medical Assistant to someone like a Physician Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, or Registered Nurse.

In some cases, a Medical Assistant with more experience and education might be in charge of receptionists or similar staff. They also work closely with Phlebotomists, Laboratory Analysts, and other medical professionals.

Medical Assistant vs Physician Assistant

Medical Assistants work directly under a Doctor’s supervision and perform both administrative and clinical tasks. Physician Assistants are able to work more independently and collaborate with Physicians. They consult Doctors before making major decisions.

This setup makes it easier for Physician Assistants to work from home and communicate with patients online. Many Medical Assistants, on the other hand, work in call centres and other similar environments.

Conclusion

Thus, here’s the thing about being a medical assistant – you get to do all kinds of important stuff to help the office run smoothly and take good care of patients.

On the admin side, you’ll schedule visits, update patient files, handle bills. When working with patients, you’ll take vitals, get exam rooms ready, assist with basic medical tests.

So you get to switch between office work and hands-on care. Key skills are being organized, careful with details, and able to work solo or on a team. Bottom line – medical assistants pitch in on lots of key tasks so docs and nurses can focus on healthcare.

Patients benefit from the care and attention of the whole staff. It’s a rewarding way to make a difference in people’s lives.

Good Luck!