How to become a Medical Assistant - Medical Assistant Information

A brief video explaining the best ways of becoming a Medical Assistant and a Certified Medical Assistant.

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In essence, Medical Assistants are the back­bone of doctor's offices. Medical Assistants per­form many important duties such as administra­tive and clinical tasks to ensure that the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners and professionals run smoothly. The day-to-day duties of Medical Assistants vary greatly from office to office, especially depending on the practitioner's specialty and on the location and size of the practice.

In smaller practices Medical Assistants usually do many different tasks such as administrative and clinical duties and, eventually, specialize in a particular area -- under the supervision of other health practitioners.

In larger practices, Medical Assistants tend to specialize in specific areas, related to the prac­tice in which they work. Usually this specialization is done under the supervision of the department's administrators.
Medical Assistant -- Some facts

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, here are some facts regarding Medical Assistants:
- Employment is projected to grow much faster than average, ranking Medical Assistants (MA) amongst the fastest growing occupations over the next decade.
- About 62% of Medical Assistants work in offices of Physicians.
- Job prospects should be excellent -- especially for those with a Medical Assistant certifica­tion or with experience.
- Some Medical Assistants are trained on the job; however, many prefer to complete a one (1) or two (2) year program before-hand.

In 2008, Medical assistants held about 483,600 jobs. As mentioned above, about 62 percent of Medical Assistants worked in offices of physicians; 13 percent of Medical Assistants worked in public and private hospitals — which includes inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent of Merdical Assistants worked in offices of other health practitioners — such as chiropractors and optometrists. Most of the remainder of Medical Assistants worked in other health-care industries, such as nursing, outpatient care centers and residential care facilities.

In the Medical Assisting industry, it is generally preferred to have previous formal training, how­ever it is not required given that many Medical Assistants are trained on the job. If you wish to become a Medical Assistant, it is recommended that during high school you take classes such as mathematics, health, biology, keyboarding, record keeping and book-keeping. It is also very helpful if you have volunteering experience within the healthcare industry. As a rule of thumbs, Medical Assistants who are trained on the job usually spend their first few months attending dif­ferent training sessions while working closely with more experienced workers and practitioners.

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Education

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• certified medical assistant
• Medical assistant
• MA
• CMA
• medical
• assistant
• certification