Certified Medical Assistant Job Description

One word to quantify the job description of a medical assistant would be 'multitasking', as they are required to perform various duties to ensure that doctors and patients do not face any obstacles in the health care setting. Medical assistants' work conditions may vary according to the employer organization they work under, and the clinic, hospital or group practice settings. As medical assistants do not require any license or certification to work, this is a great option for those who wish to work in the health care industry. However, most employers will prefer candidates with certification offered by the American Association of Medical Assistants. You can opt for the certified medical assistant exam to further your career in this vocation.

Education and Salary

You can enroll in a one year certification program from an accredited institute. Community colleges and vocational training institutes offer programs that last up to two years and upon successful completion, you will have an Associate degree. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers certification exams. However there are several organizations which might hire you for this medical job but the candidates with a certification will be given preference.

The average salary can range anywhere between USD 23,000 to USD 32,000 annually. If you check the national data for hourly wages of certified medical assistants you will find that they earn around USD 10-15. Like most other hospital jobs, the certified medical assistant salary also depends on education, location, experience, etc. To help you understand this, the salary for a certified medical assistant in the state of Washington is around USD 15-19 per hour while in Illinois it stands at around USD 11-16 per hour.

Job Description

The job involves taking on administrative duties as well as clinical responsibilities. They will report to the office manager for administrative duties and are answerable to the doctor for clinical responsibilities. The certified medical assistant job profile encompasses multitude of tasks that contribute to the smooth running of the health care operations. Here are some of the duties of a medical assistant:

• They are the first point of contact for patients in hospital or clinic settings, they will take the patients medical history, and information pertaining to the patients visit to the doctor. This information may include signs and symptoms of the ailments or disease affecting the patient.
• The medical assistant job description also involves performing administrative duties like filing reports, scheduling appointments and attending to communication channels like phone and e-mail. They are also responsible for handling the insurance work like filing the forms and notifying concerned authorities.
• They are required to record vital signs of the patient to help the doctor with diagnosis. Assistants will also prepare patients for examination and give them before and after instructions. Collecting samples like blood, urine, etc., and sending them for laboratory investigation is a part of the certified medical assistant duties.
• Maintaining records of office and medical supplies and ordering required items. Book keeping is also one of the tasks that a medical assistant has to perform. Processing medical bills and guiding patients and their families with admission and discharge formalities also falls under the certified medical assistant job profile.
• Some medical assistants also help administer medication to patients and appraise them about the doctors instructions. They will also assist nurses in dressing the wounds of the patient and removing the sutures. In an in-patient setting they will regularly visit patients and check on their condition and see how they are responding to the treatment.

The job involves skills like accounting, use of computers and soft skills like communication. According to analysts, the job outlook for this profession is very good and employment is predicted to rise in the coming years.