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Medical Assistant

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Health Care

Medical Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS

A certificate, high school or General Educational Development (GED) diploma, or Associate’s degree in “Medical Assisting” entailing 10 months to 2 years of study accredited by a nationally recognized certifying body, such as Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES); and/or Medical Assistant – On the Job Training (OJT) programs, Apprenticeships, Medical Healthcare Workforce Job Training or Experience; that include topics covering general health & hygiene, human anatomy & physiology, good working knowledge of medical terminology, basic medical procedures like drawing blood or dressing a wound, first aid, CPR, developing Radiographs (X-Rays), etc.; besides prescription drug administration, basic nursing, patient handling of and communication with patients, convalescent children, and people with disabilities, besides other administrative functions.

AVERAGE HOURLY PAY
(Credits: www.payscale.com)

Entry-level (0-12 months) $ 13.55
Early career (1-4 years) $ 14.56
Mid-career (5-9 years) $ 16.00
Experienced (10+ years) $ 16.92

PROJECTED GROWTH
(Credits: www.bls.gov)

Medical Assistant is an in-demand occupation, in which employment is projected to grow at a blistering 19 percent from 2019 to 2029.

SKILLS/ TRAITS NEEDED

Besides good health care, working medical knowledge, and nursing skills, the Medical Assistant must be proactive, agile, and alert with a high degree of patience, perseverance and have great listening, interpersonal, communication; they must possess administrative skills, compassion, dexterity, time management & prioritization; and most importantly be extremely flexible and committed to performing the Medical Assistant duties and responsibilities. They are expected to have a good working knowledge of medical terminology, besides being “hands-on” in basic medical procedures and prescription drug administration; be self-organized and liaise & report effectively and efficiently with the Medical Team and the patient’s household; taking care of the health, well being, and safety of the patients.

WORK FUNCTIONS

Medical Assistants play a vital role in the health care system performing a mix of administrative duties and providing clinical support. A typical workday of a Medical Assistant may entail assisting the patients, and supporting the Medical Team with physical exams, developing Radiographs (X-Rays), basic non-invasive medical procedures like drawing blood or dressing a wound, first aid, CPR, etc.; assisting in basic nursing and prescription drug administration, monitoring patient health, basic medical checks & diagnostics, attending to medical emergencies, alerting or reporting progress or changes in the patient’s health to the nurse, doctor, or physician. Administrative responsibilities include scheduling appointments, welcoming patients, attending telephone calls, using computer applications, updating and filing patient medical records, filling out insurance forms and other paperwork; besides arranging for hospital admissions and laboratory services, handling correspondence, billing, and book-keeping, etc. They may be needed to work in shifts.

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