Registered Medical Assistant

The job of a registered medical assistant is one which consists of all duties that are clinical and administrative in nature. This means that along with helping doctors in their everyday work of treating patients, they even work towards maintaining the functioning of the facility they are employed in.

Being from the health care sector, the demand for such jobs is predicted to grow at a faster rate than any other jobs in their class. According to a survey conducted in 2008, there were approximately 483,000 registered medical assistants working, out of which around 60% were providing their services in the offices of doctors. Others were employed by private medical health care centers and settings. In few cases, these professionals may be given on-the-job training. However, some may find employment after completing a one or two year educational program in the same field.

Job Duties

As mentioned earlier, the certified medical assistant job description includes roles and responsibilities which are both administrative and clinical. Administrative duties include handling the front office and reception, greeting patients who come for treatment, keeping patient details, handling medical records, dealing in the facility's accounts and expenses, performing medical billing and claims, carrying out health insurance formalities, and other similar duties.

On the other hand, there are certain clinical duties of a medical assistant. These include assessing the medical condition of the patient and informing it to the medical practitioner; looking after the operative and medical equipment, cleaning them, and preparing them for procedures; explaining to the patients about the treatment; assisting the doctors in taking X-rays and performing other therapies; etc. All clinical duties of a medical assistant have to be strictly carried out under the guidance of the physician or any other licensed medical professional.

Becoming a Registered Medical Assistant

In order to get into this medical career, there are some requirements which prominently consist of the education as well as the certifications. When it comes to the required education, you will have to undertake a certificate program of one year's duration or can choose doing an associate degree of two years from a reputed school.

After the education comes the certification, which is generally offered in two categories such as Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) and Registered Medical Assistant (RMA). Some employers demand certification for service, whereas other may not. You also need to note that if you have been employed as a medical assistant for five or more years without completing the related program; you may still be allowed to obtain the certification. Another important point to remember is that you should get the certification renewed every five years.

Registered Medical Assistant Salary

Yearly Salary by Work Experience
Freshers: $19,000 to $32,000
1 - 4 years: $21,000 to $30,000
5 - 9 years: $25,000 to $35,000
10 - 19 years: $24,000 to $35,000
Over 20 years: $26,000 to $38,000

Yearly Salary by State
California: $24,000 to $36,000
Florida: $21,000 to $34,000
New York: $24,000 to $34,000
Georgia: $22,000 to $33,000
Texas: $20,000 to $31,000

As you can see, the medical assistant salary seems to be low, unless you opt for further education. By reading the above article; hopefully you might have understood much about registered medical assistant job description, salary range, and about the requirements to become a medical assistant.