The Types of Jobs Medical Assistants Can Do
All medical assisting jobs involve a combination of administrative and clinical duties that serve a crucial role in the smooth functioning of healthcare facilities. Medical assistants work in hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices and other medical facilities to assist in providing the best level of patient care.
Depending on the details of the job description, to some degree all types of medical assistants have responsibilities to perform both front desk clerical tasks and clinical duties. They play a vital role in helping physicians and other staff to deliver the highest standards of patient care.
The typical educational requirements to work as a medical assistant are 1-2 years of training on an accredited medical assisting certificate or diploma program or the completion of an associate’s degree. This training can be done through online programs, enabling students who have work or family commitments to study in their own time rather than having to attend classes at a traditional campus based school. How much medical assistants can earn varies according to state, the type and size of healthcare facility and the requirements of the job. Some earn an annual salary, but most receive an hourly wage.
Administrative medical assistants focus mainly on clerical tasks, whereas clinical medical assistants have more hands-on involvement in patient care. You don’t have to be certified as a CMA or registered as a RMA to work in medical assisting. However, certified and registered medical assistants have passed an exam and hold the highest qualification for their profession, so they can expect to be paid more than those that are without certification or unregistered.
If you have a real passion and interest for a particular area of medicine, you may plan to become a specialized medical assistant. If you choose to specialize, there are further training programs and certification exams you can take. Areas of specialization that medical assistants might choose include pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, cardiology or urology.
Whatever type of medical assistant you plan to become, now is a good time to enroll for an online degree program and complete your training. Demand for medical assistants is growing with the aging population, so this is one of the best jobs to get for financial security and a rewarding career.
You can learn more about the different types of medical assistants here:
