Medical assistants are healthcare professionals who fulfill various responsibilities within their workplaces. They collaborate with colleagues under a physician or provider’s supervision to help treat patients and maintain facility operations. Employers count on these essential workers to deliver quality services.
Long-term demand for people who serve in this profession is forecasted to stay high. Prism Career Institute offers a Medical Assistant program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, New Jersey. Here, we discuss what a medical assistant is, how to become one, and the job’s outlook.
What Work Does a Medical Assistant Do?
A medical assistant completes patient care and facility management tasks throughout the workday. This position involves regular interactions with patients and being able to quickly adjust to working on different assignments. The typical duties of a medical assistant include:
Clinical Tasks
A medical assistant may spend most of their time working with patients to help address their healthcare needs. They are often the first people to meet with a patient during an appointment, discussing whatever issue they’re experiencing. The information a medical assistant receives from a patient can help a physician determine an accurate diagnosis. Clinical responsibilities for medical assistants commonly include:
- Taking a patient’s vitals (blood pressure, pulse, or temperature)
- Talking to a patient about their medical history and recording the information
- Assisting a physician during a medical test
- Collecting patient specimens for evaluation
- Completing basic laboratory assessments
- Helping a patient get ready for a medical examination
- Performing phlebotomy to produce a blood sample
- Reviewing a physician’s medication or treatment directions with a patient
- Running an electrocardiogram (EKG)
- Treating wounds
Administrative Tasks
When they aren’t helping with patient care, medical assistants help preserve their facility’s services. Their administrative responsibilities may include completing work at a desk, managing information, or communicating with different healthcare entities. These tasks can include:
- Answering phone calls
- Booking appointments
- Contacting insurance companies or other healthcare providers
- Greeting patients when they arrive at a facility
- Entering health data into databases
- Filling out forms
- Keeping examination rooms and medical equipment clean and sanitized
- Maintaining a physician’s schedule
- Managing billing and bookkeeping issues
- Monitoring medical supply inventory
- Placing physician-approved prescription orders or refills
- Properly discarding broken or contaminated items
- Updating medical records
The Medical Assistant Training Process
Working in this role first requires completing education through a medical assistant program. By receiving an advanced education through different certifications, an individual can also stand out to potential employers. Training to become a medical assistant involves:
- Receiving a high school diploma or GED: Many medical assistant programs require this as a minimum prerequisite for acceptance.
- Developing workplace skills: Someone considering this career should review if they communicate effectively, handle stress healthily, show empathy, work well with others, and perform computer work competently.
- Enrolling in an accredited medical assistant program: The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) accredited each of Prism Career Institute’s Medical Assistant program locations.
- Completing curriculum requirements: Medical assistant programs typically involve passing courses on subjects such as anatomy, physiology, and laboratory procedures. Students can also develop their clinical skills during an externship.
- Pursuing certifications: Earning a credential from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) can help distinguish a healthcare professional from their colleagues.
- Gaining experience: Internships and volunteering opportunities can help someone develop relevant medical assistant skills and make professional industry connections.
- Applying for jobs: Candidates can consider opportunities that range from local clinics to major healthcare organizations.
What’s the Career Outlook for a Medical Assistant?
Along with understanding what a medical assistant is and the necessary training to become one, prospective professionals want to have a sense of their future stability. The role is projected to be in long-term high demand, which is in line with the healthcare industry’s continued growth. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical assistant employment is expected to rise by 15 percent by 2033. Factors creating the need for more medical assistants include:
- Healthcare developments: An increase in using telemedicine gave more patients healthcare access and opened up different ways for medical assistants to apply their services.
- Higher focus on preventative care: As more patients seek ways to reduce the risks of developing a disease or condition, they rely on medical assistants to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- More people living longer: An aging population requires providers to offer comprehensive healthcare services to more people at a given time.
- Rise in technology use: Healthcare providers seek to hire individuals who can use a facility’s computer network effectively or apply other innovations properly to their work.
- Versatility within the role: Medical assistants who perform different tasks well and understand ways to streamline their responsibilities can help a healthcare facility manage costs and operate more efficiently.
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
While most medical assistants are employed within a healthcare setting, it’s important to note several employment options are available depending on what type of facility they want to work in. Any industry responsible for overseeing a group of people’s health interests may seek out these professionals. Places where medical assistants often work can include:
- Chiropractor offices
- Clinics
- Clinical trial or research centers
- Colleges, schools, and universities
- Hospitals
- Hospice centers
- Insurance companies
- Medical laboratories
- Military institutions or organizations
- Nursing homes
- Outpatient care venues
- Prisons
- Physical therapy centers
- Physician offices
- Retirement facilities
- Urgent care centers
Ideal Qualities of a Medical Assistant
While the right training is vital to a graduate’s success as a medical assistant, they must also possess some key characteristics to perform their duties effectively. These include:
- Adaptability
- Attention to detail
- Being an effective communicator
- Efficient time management
- Listening actively
- Maintaining a professional demeanor
- Showing compassion and empathy
- Working well with others
These essential personal qualities enhance how a medical assistant carries out their various functions and can help maximize their value to an employer.
The Medical Assistant Program at Prism Career Institute
The key to success in the medical field is receiving a quality education and developing the required skills for this profession. The Medical Assistant program at Prism Career Institute provides students with in-depth skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their careers. Our outstanding instructors and valuable firsthand experiences through an externship can give them the abilities and insights to provide effective patient care.
We can accommodate busy schedules by offering day classes at our Philadelphia location and daytime and evening classes at our two New Jersey sites. Our Career Services Department can further help students prepare to work in the healthcare industry. We also offer financial aid to those who qualify to help take some of the financial burden off students.
Start Your Medical Assistant Journey at Prism Career Institute
Understanding what a medical assistant is makes many people want to work as one. This role can allow someone an opportunity to have a long, fulfilling career in the healthcare industry. By learning through Prism Career Institute’s Medical Assistant program, students can take the first steps in their career development. Apply online today or contact us for more information.