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Are you looking for an exciting healthcare field where you can make a difference in someone’s life? Medical assisting might be right for you.

What is a Medical Assistant?

A medical assistant is imperative to the successful operation of a healthcare facility. These medical professionals are responsible for direct patient care, assisting physicians, and some administrative duties.

The medical assisting field is not only challenging and growing, but rewarding as well. If you are the perfect candidate for this exciting profession, you’ll certainly be pleased with the daily job duties and responsibilities you’ll encounter as a medical assistant.

Explore more information on medical assisting including job duties, skills, demand and programs below.

Job Duties

Medical Assistant Job Duties

Medical Assistants are responsible for performing a variety of tasks that may include:

• Taking a patient’s medical and family history
• Assisting the doctor with patient exams
• Scheduling patient appointments
• Giving patient injections as directed by the doctor
• Preparing specimens for laboratory tests
• And more

Career Skills

Medical Assistant Skills

Medical assistants need a variety of skills and characteristics to properly perform their job duties and excel in the field. Some of these skills include:

• Interpersonal Skills: These professionals are often responsible for providing direct patient care and administrative duties. Understanding customer service and adapting to a patient’s needs is crucial. Being helpful and polite is also vital.
• Organizational Skills: Medical assistants work in a busy environment, constantly juggling multiple tasks at once. Being able to stay organized and complete the work needing done is essential to assisting physicians or patients.
• Attention to Detail Skills: In healthcare, even the smallest mistake can cause serious consequences. Medical assisting is no different. As is the case for any healthcare field, every detail matters and can impact the patient’s overall well-being.

Demand

Medical Assistant Demand

As the population continues to age and the demand for healthcare professionals remains steady or increases, the career outlook for medical assistants is expected to remain strong. This field is projected to grow by 31 percent between now and 2020.*

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Medical Assistants, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm

Programs

Medical Assistant Programs & Training

In medical assistant programs students can learn a variety of necessary skills they will utilize in the field. Some courses students can expect to encounter in medical assistant schools include:

• Human Anatomy
• Physiology
• Medical Law & Ethics
• Medical Records
• Patient Preparation
• And more

Do you want a future that involves caring for others and working as an integral part of a healthcare team? If so, medical assistant training might be right for you. Explore more information by locating medical assistant programs at a healthcare school near you today. Start now.

Program availability and/or degree offerings subject to change. Employment and salary are not guaranteed.

Medical Assistant Schools

SBI Campus – an affiliate of Sanford-Brown- Melville

In keeping with our commitment to offer our students relevant, real-world education, we recently made the decision to become part of the SBI family of schools – bas...
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Associate and Certificate
Health Care Management, Health Information Management, Medical Assistant

Sanford-Brown Institute - Garden City

Sanford-Brown is known throughout the healthcare industry as an educator of professionals who have acquired the real-world knowledge and practical skills to fill vi...
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Certificate
Medical Assistant , Medical Billing and Coding , Pharmacy Technician