|
|
|
Is a Medical Assistance Career Right For You?
Achieving your career dreams and goals is actually much easier than you might imagine. Thanks to an unprecedented demand for medical assistance professionals there are more job opportunities and training programs available than ever before, focused on this particular vocational group. More than 60% of these support assistance workers are placed in physician’s offices for employment. This profession is one of the fastest growing employment areas in the United States today.
Sometimes called certified medical assistants, supportive assistants, or CMA’s, this group forms the supportive foundation for the health care industry. Well educated and trained in every aspect of medical, psychological, and administrative health, you will find these dedicated workers in hospitals, clinics, hospices, and doctor’s offices. Many have two-year associate of arts and sciences degrees. However, there are training programs specifically focused on various areas of medicine that certify medical assistants in as little as nine months.
Performing a multitude of duties, they may answer directly to the supervising physician or in some cases to a supervising registered nurse. Such duties may include but are not limited to, patient history intake and record-keeping, insurance billing and form completion, checking patient vital signs, preparation and collection of laboratory specimens, disposition and sterilization of medical instruments, preparation of medications, removal of sutures, and other clinical duties as supervised and directed by the doctor in charge.
There are also ophthalmology assistants that help to provide eye care, site testing, assist with eyewear fittings and other duties related to the office of an ophthalmology specialist. Specific duties of clinical assistants are predicated upon individual state law and may vary from state to state. Medical assistants working with nutritionists and bariatric specialists may be well versed in educating patients regarding special diets, nutritional needs and various medications. Given the huge increase in gastric bypass surgery procedures, it is no wonder this is an open field.
The general care, administration, and level of quality of a physician’s office may fall directly upon the shoulders of its supportive medical staff. Even such things as first impressions and initial patient contact are usually facilitated via supportive staff. Thus, the importance of well-educated, well trained medical assistance staffing cannot be overstated. The opportunities ahead for well-qualified people are unprecedented, given the aging population of the United States in this era. More information can be found online at numerous related websites.