Who Does What At Your Doctor’s Office

Going into the doctor is not always the most fun experience. It can be overwhelming to go to the doctor’s office, especially if you do not know that much about the medical field. To make visiting the doctor a little bit less overwhelming, you can learn more about the people that may work in your doctor’s office below.

Different Workers in Your Doctor’s Office

When you go to your doctor, you might not actually know who has what medical knowledge and experience because there are a lot of people that work in a doctor’s office. Learn more about some of the people that work here below.

• Receptionist – When you first walk into a doctor’s office, you are often greeted by the receptionist. This person will check you in, verify your appointment, and help you with paperwork for your appointment. This person does not have to have any specific medical training, but they might have some basic knowledge or training.
• Technician – A technician is someone who does specialized tasks or tests. For example, a radiology technician, also known as an x-ray technician, is someone who prepares the patient for x-rays. A radiology tech also adjusts and maintains the machines for the x-rays. This person works under the supervision of a physician, but they help prevent unnecessary radiation exposure for patients.
• Medical Assistant – A medical assistant can perform administrative tasks as well as basic medical tasks. A medical assistant might be the person who takes you back to your exam room and asks you questions about your medical history. Medical assistants can also perform basic medical tasks, such as taking vital signs. This person gathers information for the doctor, but they do not give you medical advice.
• Nurse – A nurse has more training and education than that of a medical assistant, so they are qualified to give you some basic medical advice as well as giving vaccinations and basic tests. However, a nurse may also be the person that takes you back to your exam room and takes your vital signs. Whether that person is the nurse or a medical assistant will depend on the specific facility.
• Physician’s Assistant – A physician’s assistant has more education than a nurse. Physician’s assistants are allowed to practice medicine as long as they are under the direction of a physician or doctor. That means a physician’s assistant could be the one treating or interpreting the results of labs or tests you may have. Physician’s assistants even have the ability to prescribe medication.
• Doctor – A doctor or physician has the most training of anyone in this list. They have more training than a physician’s assistant, so they can have their own practice for medicine. They can perform tests, diagnose patients, and administer treatments. Doctors are not reporting to anyone like a physician’s assistant, nurse, or medical assistant is.

Above, we discussed who does what at your doctor’s office. As you can see, there are many different people working, and each of these people has different levels of knowledge and education.
When you have questions at your doctor’s office, you may not know who to ask. Generally, you can ask anyone you come across, and they can direct you to the person that can help. However, a good general rule is to direct your medical questions to doctor’s, physician’s assistants, and nurses. If you have questions about appointments or billing, you can generally ask the receptionist or medical assistant. As discussed, each person has different levels of expertise, so it is a good idea to direct your questions to the people with the right knowledge to help you.

Getting a Job in the Medical Field

There are a lot of different jobs in the medical field and even in your very own doctor’s office. For many people, the medical field offers alluring careers because it gives you the ability to truly help others and do meaningful work. However, for many people, the idea of becoming a doctor can seem overwhelming or impossible. The good news is there are a lot of other jobs that you can start off in the medical field. For example, working as a medical assistant does not require a lot of education, but it still allows you to work in a doctor’s office and help patients with basic medical care and information.
Medical assistant school is a great way to set yourself up for this career in the medical field. FVI School of Nursing and Technology or FVI has a great medical assistant program that you can attend. Learn more here about this program from FVI. It could set you up for a great job in the future.
For more information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website:
https://fvi.edu/consumer-information/.