Medical Office Assistant

Medical assistants are in charge of the administrative and clinical duties found in the medical office of a physician or healthcare facility. Duties vary based on the practitioner’s specialty and the size of the office; while a small office’s medical assistant may be in charge of all administrative and clerical duties, a larger office may have a medical assistant in a particular area under the supervision of a department administrator.

Prospective healthcare workers interested in becoming a medical assistant may request more information about accredited medical assistant training schools available. Medical assistants should not be confused with physician assistants; a physician assistant examines, diagnoses, and treats patients under the supervision of a physician.

Salary

Salary varies based on experience and location, but the median wage sat at approximately $28,000 in May 2008. The lowest 10% earned approximately $20,000 and the highest 10% earned approximately $40,000. This is taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Training and Qualifications

While some medical assistants are trained on the job, most complete 1-year or 2-year programs at accredited medical assistant training schools. These schools may be found at the community college level, at vocational training programs, or at technical training schools such as Southern Careers Institute. It may also come in the form of an associate degree.

Becoming a medical assistant involves courses in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, keyboarding, transcription, record keeping, accounting, and insurance processing. There are two accreditation agencies that approve medical assistant programs; these agencies typically require students at medical assistant training schools to complete an internship for qualification.

The associations that provide certification include the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT).

Job Outlook

Medical assistants have a bright future ahead. Those interested in becoming a medical assistant may look forward to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ projections, ranking the career as one of the fastest growing titles in the 2008-2018 decade. About 62% of medical assistants are expected to be located in the offices of physicians.

Advancement

Medical assistants may advance to other occupations through additional training and experience, which may also be provided at the medical assistant training schools they began their education. They may go on to teach medical assisting, pursue additional education for nursing, or take up a position as a higher health care worker. Administrative medical assistants may also advance to office managers or a higher administrative support role.

Learn More

Learn more about becoming a medical assistant by completing the following form.