A Career In Medical Assisting
My name is Danni R, and I am a certified medical assistant and online educator. I am writing this article to introduce you to an exciting career in the allied health profession that has existed for quite a long time but is just recently gaining the attention and recognition it deserves. I am talking about a career in medical assisting!
A Career In Medical Assisting
Medical assisting is a field full of opportunity for those who enjoy working side by side with physicians and others in a medical office or clinic regardless of gender.
Traditionally, medical assisting has been a profession dominated by women, mostly because of biased counseling and recruiting, and misconceptions about the workforce.
However, opportunities abound for men and women with multiple health care skills and state-of-the-art knowledge in various medical sciences. The key to a successful medical practice or clinic is to hire competent medical assistants to handle routine administrative and clinical tasks.
The common goal of all medical assistants is the care and treatment of patients whether male or female.
More and more men are entering into the medical assisting profession which proves that this career is a field full of opportunity for anybody regardless of gender. Male medical assistants, just like their female counterparts, are highly valued and respected members of the healthcare team who enjoy working side by side with physicians and other healthcare practitioners!respected members of the healthcare team who enjoy working side by side with physicians and other healthcare practitioners!
Who Are Medical Assistants?
In general the medical assistant is a highly trained, multiskilled professional who plays an important role in the medical office or clinic, either in the front or in the back offce.
Medical assistants who work in what is called the front office schedule appointments, greet the patients, handle referrals, call and return phone calls from patients, call the pharmacy, oversee paperwork, handle correspondence, make sure lab test results are mailed to patients, arrange for hospital admission, and take care of billing and bookkeeping.
Medical assistants who work side by side with the physicians and nursing staff in the back office call the patients in from the waiting area, take their vital signs, show them to the exam room and treatment areas, ask them about the reason for their visit, and collect information such as a list of medications.
Medical Assistants collect specimens as ordered, and make sure that lab work is done, help with examinations and treatments, sterilize instruments and supplies, assist with minor surgery, and administer medications as ordered by the physician, and last but not least they make sure the office's onhand supply of medications is properly maintained and samples are restocked, and last but not least the waiting areas and exam rooms are kept clean and attractive.
Occupational Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the medical assistant field will be one of the fastest growing occupations through the year 2010. Medical assistants held about 329,000 jobs in 2000. Sixty percent worked in physicians' offices; 15 percent worked in hospitals, including in- and outpatient facilities.
The rest were employed in nursing homes, offices of other health practitioners and other healthcare facilities.
Training
Formal training in medical assisting while generally preferred is not always required. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, although this is becoming more and more less common than in the past. Applicants usually need a high school diploma or the equivalent.
Recommended high school courses include mathematics, health, biology, typing, bookkeeping, computers, and office skills. Because medial assisting students must acquire both administrative skills, and competencies, and clinical skills and competencies prior volunteer experience in the healthcare field, or working as a nurse assistant or home health aide can be very helpful.
As a matter of fact medical assisting has become a transitional career for many nurse assistants and home health aides. Although there is no licensing for medical assistants, some States require them to take a test or a course before they can perform certain tasks, such as taking x-rays.
Employers prefer to hire experienced workers or certified applicants who have passed a national examination, indicating that the medical assistant meets certain standards of competence.
An Important Question!
Recently I was asked whether a medical assistant has to know the strenght of drugs and how medications are prescribed. This is an important quiestion!
I explained, that safe and effective drug therapy requires more of you than simply handing out or administering a drug or a prescription to a patient.
Therefore, an important part of the vactional training of a medical assistant is pharmacology. Not only is it an important part of the medical assisting education, it is essential!
A medical assistant is expected to have a basic knowledge of medications, which means they must be familiar with common types of medications, i.e. prescription drugs (regulated drugs,) and Over the Counter (OTC) medications, their brand and generic names, their usual indications, and their recommended dosages, and dosage forms.
Also, the medical assistant is expected to know the purpose and effect of drugs, conditions under which drugs may or may not be used (i.e. pregnancy, drug interactions, toxicity,) and be able to summarize possible reactions to a drug. In addition, the medical assistant must be able to read and understand all medical terms and abbreviations that appear on a prescription label and on a (written) prescription.
Medical assistants need to be attentive to ensure that the physician is aware of all medications, again, both prescription and OTC, that the patient is taking.
Furthermore, the medical assistant must be familiar with and follow federal, state, and legal guidelines, maintain awareness of federal and state health care legislation and regulations, and maintain and dispose of regulated substances in compliance with government guidelines and be aware of office policies and procedures. Because controlled drugs ae subject to many laws, a medical assistant is legally responsible for adhering to all related regulations.
The most efficient way to prepare for these responsibilities is to read the package inserts and drug labels that accompany all medications, whether they are drugs from drug company representatives (drug-reps), or drugs ordered by the practice.
Another excellent source of information is the Physician's Desk Reference, or PDR, which most medical offices receive free of charge every year.
About The Author
My name is Danni R., I am a certified medical assistant (CMA, CCMA, and CMAA) and former medical assisting instructor at Porter & Chester Institute, and Branford Hall. I also teach medical assisting, basics of medical terminology, anatomy, and health care sciences online classes at UniversalClass.com. You may also visit my web sites at www.certmedassistant.com, www.medicalbillingandcoding.net, www.MApharm.com, or www.phlebotomycert.com to get better acquainted with me and my work!
 Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:07:34 GMT European space probe completes asteroid fly by - Reuters
Reuters - BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Space Agency obtained on Saturday the first images of an asteroid 360 million km (224 million miles) from earth, part of a space mission which scientists hope will help them understand the origins of the planets. Rosetta spacecraft takes asteroid photos Spacecraft flies by remote asteroid, camera stops Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:13:31 GMT Movies opening this week - San Jose Mercury News
San Jose Mercury News - By Mercury News "Burn After Reading" (R): The Coen brothers follow "No Country for Old Men" with a dark comedy about two inept gym employees who get hold of a CD-ROM containing a CIA operative's memoirs. Toronto Review: The Coen Brother's Burn After Reading Pitt Rocks to Madonna Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:56:32 GMT Jenkins: Murray willing to play the spoiler - San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle - (09-06) 18:24 PDT New York -- Andy Murray must feel very alone just now. He's a long way from his native Scotland. He's carrying the hopes of British tennis, but the London press would really prefer him to be English. Federer beats Djokovic to reach US Open final Split stadiums for US Open semis ruffles crowd Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:44:27 GMT Report: Samsung working to acquire SanDisk - San Jose Mercury News San Jose Mercury News - AP Samsung was reported Friday to be considering buying Milpitas-based SanDisk, whose revenue has diminished and stock has plummeted in recent months due to the saturated flash-memory market. SanDisk Shares Soar on Samsung Interest SanDisk Shares Surge as Samsung Considers Acquisition (Update3) Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:19:13 GMT Palin and McCain’s Shotgun Marriage - New York Times
New York Times - By FRANK RICH SARAH PALIN makes John McCain look even older than he is. And he seemed more than willing to play that part on Thursday night. An Apostle of Alaska 'Sarah Palin Is Wasilla': Town Stands Behind VP Pick Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:18:29 GMT Dodgers overtake first place - MLB.com
MLB.com - By Michael Schwartz / MLB.com LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez's five RBIs propelled the Dodgers into first place in the National League West for only the second day all season Saturday after a 7-2 win over the D-backs at Dodger Stadium. Ramirez, Billingsley lead streaking Dodgers into first place Dodgers move into first place Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:14:26 GMT Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News
CNET News - Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy. Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy You Thought Vista Was Bad? Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT Display RSS Feeds on Your Website |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... What is a Career Portfolio?The original portfolio used by artists... Read More Informational interviews are designed to get as much information as... Read More More than four out of ten thirtysomething professionals want to... Read More Have you ever heard of liquid air? The process of... Read More If your current CV or resume is not generating the... Read More Chuck was the best of the twenty-four candidates. Still, he... Read More It is not realistic for HR Managers to believe that... Read More Many people today have lost jobs after decades of service;... Read More "To love what you do and feel that it matters,... Read More If you are thinking of breaking into the petite modeling... Read More Are free resume templates a viable answer to preparing a... Read More Can music help you with your next job interview? It... Read More Mystery shoppers visit businesses "disguised as normal customers," and do... Read More As they always say "It's not what you know, it's... Read More This article relates to the Career Opportunities competency and explores... Read More You may be astonished to realize that retrenchment may occur... Read More More than ever, employers want employees who can produce results!... Read More In Part One we'll look at how Positioning or "Coming... Read More It can happen to anyone. there's a change in the... Read More How is your job hunting going? Have you had problems... Read More You've seen the commercials and web sites about starting medical... Read More Do you have the courage to ignore the experts? Do... Read More It has been over twenty five years since I started... Read More The dot com boom of 1990s brought with it a... Read More She was waiting for me when I returned from a... Read More
Adsense
websites
Why Well Produced Career Portfolios Are Replacing CVs
Conduct An Informational Interview
Do Dream Jobs Really Exist?
Air Liquide: Driving Liquid Air
Why Your CV/Resume is Not Generating The Interview Offers You Want
Dont Settle
Make The Right Career Move
Acceptance is the Answer to All Our Problems
Love What You Do!
Should You Join a Modeling School for Petite Modeling?
Writing a Resume: To Template or Not To Template?
Job Interviews & the Magic of Music
What is Mystery Shopping, and Can You Really Get Paid to Shop?
Serious Business Networking
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Career Opportunity and Employee Retention
Business Careers: Keys to Moving on from Retrenchment
Five Qualities Employers Want
How To Pick The Best Career For You, Part 1
How To Deal With A Nightmare Boss
Using Freelance Websites to Telecommute
Medical Billing Businesses Are Growing Fast And Providing A Needed Service For Doctors
Do You Have the courage to ignore the experts?
5 Things Every New Caterer Should Know
Formal Business Attire is Making a Comeback
Kill the Hype
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
The Role of a Medical Assistant in a Modern Medical Practice
Many physicians are unsure of what tasks are appropriate to... Read More
Cleaning Houses for a Living Has Some Unexpected Benefits
If you're looking for a way to earn a living... Read More
How to Insure Job Security
The attorneys I coach have one common problem. They don't... Read More
80,000 Americans Work in the Oil Change Industry
There is a huge shortage, which effects franchises costs in... Read More
Recruiting on the Web Requires Special Record Keeping for Legal Purposes
by Lesli Peterson, Business Analyst, VCGwith Phil McCutchen,... Read More
Resume Tune Up
Employers have fears, uncertainty and DOUBT (the FUD factor) over... Read More
How To Find Your Dream Job
Here's the bottom line: many people work in jobs that... Read More
Discover What You Really Want To Do
Are you doing what you really want to do or... Read More
Wanted: A Diva for the Job of a Lifetime!
"When I was a child, I always thought the world... Read More
How to Improve Your Work Situation
buWhy are so many people unhappy in their work situation?... Read More
Your First Job
"Your first job is an extension of your education"Fresh out... Read More
Skilled Mechanic Wage Study Review
Well what is a good mechanic worth these days? You... Read More
The 7 Tough Job Interview Questions That Can Make or Break You - and How to Answer Them
Some interview questions are asked so frequently that they've become... Read More
Updating Your Plum Job Now That Youre a Parent
It's startling to discover how having kids changes the way... Read More
Job Interviews: Plan Your Appearance to Make a Great First Impression
Your personal appearance is a critical component of that all-important... Read More
Why Become A Truck Driver?
There are a great number of good reasons for someone... Read More
Top Career Advice ... More Choices and A Better Way of Life
Why Career Advice Is So ImportantChoosing a career presents a... Read More
Have You Been Fired? Laid Off? No? You Will Be!
It's true. Things have changed. You need to know the... Read More
Top 10 Resume Writing Tips to Get You the Interview
There are many reasons why you could be in the... Read More
Targeting Your Resume is So Important For Your Career
Targeting your portfolio, (resume and cover letter) can get you... Read More
5 Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an Outplacement Firm
With today's economy, more and more companies are... Read More
How to Write a Scientific Resume
You're a scientist, you're very well educated, you're intelligent, and... Read More
Get In Career Shape
Research suggests that as many as 8 out of 10... Read More
Self Describing Skills - Key Strengths
You need to be the best you can at describing... Read More
Job Interviews: Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's... Read More
Careers, Jobs & Employment |