Ten Things You Need to Know About Medical Assisting
Posted On October 18,2016
Many people may have misconceptions about what exactly the work of a medical assisting professional entails. If you’re considering becoming a medical assistant you will need to educate yourself as to the exact nature of the job. Below are ten things you should know going in:
It is a career
Today, medical assisting is regarded as one of the fastest growing careers out there, although a lot of people perceive it merely as a stepping stone toward greater achievements. On the contrary, medical assisting is a bona fide profession and career choice. Many medical assisting professionals stay in this particular field for life because they find the job so rewarding.
It offers limitless specialties
Medical assisting has an attractive variety of specializations and can involve working with just about every type of doctor in every type of medical practice out there. Medical assisting positions exist in every specialty, be it podiatry, obstetrics, or medical weight loss.
It offers limitless career tracks
Your initial medical assisting job rarely is the end of your career’s story. Although some MAs retire after staying with the same doctor and practice, most branch out to explore and experience other options, becoming nurses, physician assistants, radiologists, or even office managers. The career options are as limitless as the specialties.
The work is directly under medical doctors
Medical assistants are under the jurisdiction of medical doctors, which means they work directly under MDs, unlike nurses who are under the Nursing Practice Act. MAs can therefore competently perform whatever duties they are trained to do by their physician or practice. They can run ECGs, collect blood, or take out stitches depending on their practice.
Office responsibility
Although the front office and receptionists have a great deal of control regarding how things operate, medical assisting practitioners are responsible for patient flow. This involves movement from the waiting room, waiting in the exam room, and seeing the physician. They are responsible for moving patients through the front and back offices because they facilitate communication between both. They can also solely run the front office and take on the responsibilities of patient care and scheduling, depending on the size of the practice.
Constant changes
This field changes constantly and even though MAs rarely move to a different practice, the universe of medical assisting changes a lot. As a result of constant innovations, the work requires continual adaptation and learning.
No bedpans or diapers
Medical assistants typically work in ambulatory care facilities as opposed to long-term patient care, although exceptions exist. Unlike many healthcare positions, medical assisting rarely entails cleaning, bathing, or changing sick patients, although sometimes the work can still be messy.
It is meaningful work
Although most people entering this field are interested in something more, some simply need employment. As with every other healthcare-related position, medical assisting often changes lives and since it requires compassion and nurturing, it usually is a meaningful career.
Medical assistants are equal to doctors in clinics
From the perspective of the HR department and as employees of the practice, MDs and MAs are equal, an empowering factor to those interested in this field. Like MDs, MAs are healthcare professionals and contributing members in the business of patient care in the eyes of the clinic.
Your education and certification matters
Although you can become an MA through on-the-job-training, certification exams require education. In Toledo OH, studying medical assisting improves your demeanor with patients, makes you better at your work and enhances your overall preparedness for career advancement. It does not merely provide better credentials.
