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What Is a Medical Assistant?
Medical assistants are allied health professionals who support physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and other health professionals. Often, they are entrusted with administrative duties such as answering phones, filling out medical forms and updating medical records. However, medical assistants can also perform clinical duties such as preparing patients for examinations, basic laboratory tests, preparing medications and administering medications. Medical assistants have seen a sustained surge of demand caused by the general increase in the demand for healthcare.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Become a Medical Assistant?
It is important to note that medical assistant can be a rather inexact term. As a result, interested individuals should always look at the requirements for the exact position that they are looking into, because there can be significant variation from position to position. Still, it is very common for employers to require candidates to have either degrees or certifications from a reputable program.
It can be laborious and time-consuming for employers to check up on the claimed qualifications of candidates. In contrast, if said individuals have either a degree or a certification from a suitable source, employers will know they can be trusted to have the necessary expertise, experience and education. So, even if a position doesn’t strictly require interested individuals to have one of these two things, a degree or a certificate can still provide them with an increased chance of getting the role they want. Aspiring medical assistants can acquire both to show their exceptional qualifications.
Of course, interested individuals should make sure that their program of choice has been approved by a reputable organization. Unfortunately, this can be a complicated process. For instance, there isn’t a single organization responsible for overseeing such programs in the United States. Instead, there are a number of them, with one example being the American Association of Medical Assistants and another example being the American Medical Technologists. On top of this, there is even the National Center for Competency Testing. Interested individuals should always do research to understand exactly what they are getting into.
Where Do Medical Assistants Work?
Typically, medical assistants worked in a more limited range of workplaces. Examples included clinics, urgent care facilities and outpatient care centers. However, more and more medical assistants are employed in a wider and wider range of medical facilities. For example, they can now be found in both public and private hospitals. Similarly, they now work in everything from general practices to specialty doctor’s offices. Summed up, the opportunities for medical assistants are becoming not just more numerous but also wider-ranging in nature.
Contact Us
Interested in becoming a medical assistant? Check out FVI School of Nursing and Technology’s Medical Official Administration program, which can help interested individuals on their way to their career of choice. Find out more information by calling 786.574.3350.
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