A Career In Medical Assisting

My name is Danni R, and I am a certified medicalwhile generally preferred is not always required. Some
assistant and online educator. I am writing this articlemedical assistants are trained on the job, although
to introduce you to an exciting career in the alliedthis is becoming more and more less common than in
health profession that has existed for quite a longthe past. Applicants usually need a high school diploma
time but is just recently gaining the attention andor the equivalent.Recommended high school courses
recognition it deserves. I am talking about a career ininclude mathematics, health, biology, typing,
medical assisting!A Career In Medical AssistingMedicalbookkeeping, computers, and office skills. Because
assisting is a field full of opportunity for those whomedial assisting students must acquire both
enjoy working side by side with physicians and othersadministrative skills, and competencies, and clinical skills
in a medical office or clinic regardless ofand competencies prior volunteer experience in the
gender.Traditionally, medical assisting has been ahealthcare field, or working as a nurse assistant or
profession dominated by women, mostly because ofhome health aide can be very helpful.As a matter of
biased counseling and recruiting, and misconceptionsfact medical assisting has become a transitional
about the workforce.However, opportunities aboundcareer for many nurse assistants and home health
for men and women with multiple health care skillsaides. Although there is no licensing for medical
and state-of-the-art knowledge in various medicalassistants, some States require them to take a test
sciences. The key to a successful medical practice oror a course before they can perform certain tasks,
clinic is to hire competent medical assistants to handlesuch as taking x-rays.Employers prefer to hire
routine administrative and clinical tasks.The commonexperienced workers or certified applicants who have
goal of all medical assistants is the care andpassed a national examination, indicating that the
treatment of patients whether male or female.Moremedical assistant meets certain standards of
and more men are entering into the medical assistingcompetence.An Important Question!Recently I was
profession which proves that this career is a field fullasked whether a medical assistant has to know the
of opportunity for anybody regardless of gender.strenght of drugs and how medications are
Male medical assistants, just like their femaleprescribed. This is an important quiestion!I explained,
counterparts, are highly valued and respectedthat safe and effective drug therapy requires more
members of the healthcare team who enjoy workingof you than simply handing out or administering a
side by side with physicians and other healthcaredrug or a prescription to a patient.Therefore, an
practitioners!respected members of the healthcareimportant part of the vactional training of a medical
team who enjoy working side by side with physiciansassistant is pharmacology. Not only is it an important
and other healthcare practitioners!Who Are Medicalpart of the medical assisting education, it is essential!A
Assistants?In general the medical assistant is a highlymedical assistant is expected to have a basic
trained, multiskilled professional who plays anknowledge of medications, which means they must
important role in the medical office or clinic, either inbe familiar with common types of medications, i.e.
the front or in the back offce.Medical assistants whoprescription drugs (regulated drugs,) and Over the
work in what is called the front office scheduleCounter (OTC) medications, their brand and generic
appointments, greet the patients, handle referrals, callnames, their usual indications, and their recommended
and return phone calls from patients, call thedosages, and dosage forms.Also, the medical
pharmacy, oversee paperwork, handleassistant is expected to know the purpose and
correspondence, make sure lab test results areeffect of drugs, conditions under which drugs may or
mailed to patients, arrange for hospital admission, andmay not be used (i.e. pregnancy, drug interactions,
take care of billing and bookkeeping.Medical assistantstoxicity,) and be able to summarize possible reactions
who work side by side with the physicians andto a drug. In addition, the medical assistant must be
nursing staff in the back office call the patients inable to read and understand all medical terms and
from the waiting area, take their vital signs, showabbreviations that appear on a prescription label and
them to the exam room and treatment areas, askon a (written) prescription.Medical assistants need to
them about the reason for their visit, and collectbe attentive to ensure that the physician is aware of
information such as a list of medications.Medicalall medications, again, both prescription and OTC, that
Assistants collect specimens as ordered, and makethe patient is taking.Furthermore, the medical
sure that lab work is done, help with examinationsassistant must be familiar with and follow federal,
and treatments, sterilize instruments and supplies,state, and legal guidelines, maintain awareness of
assist with minor surgery, and administer medicationsfederal and state health care legislation and
as ordered by the physician, and last but not leastregulations, and maintain and dispose of regulated
they make sure the office's onhand supply ofsubstances in compliance with government guidelines
medications is properly maintained and samples areand be aware of office policies and procedures.
restocked, and last but not least the waiting areasBecause controlled drugs ae subject to many laws, a
and exam rooms are kept clean andmedical assistant is legally responsible for adhering to
attractive.Occupational OutlookAccording to theall related regulations.The most efficient way to
Bureau of Labor Statistics the medical assistant fieldprepare for these responsibilities is to read the
will be one of the fastest growing occupationspackage inserts and drug labels that accompany all
through the year 2010. Medical assistants held aboutmedications, whether they are drugs from drug
329,000 jobs in 2000. Sixty percent worked incompany representatives (drug-reps), or drugs
physicians' offices; 15 percent worked in hospitals,ordered by the practice.Another excellent source of
including in- and outpatient facilities.The rest wereinformation is the Physician's Desk Reference, or
employed in nursing homes, offices of other healthPDR, which most medical offices receive free of
practitioners and other healthcarecharge every year.
facilities.TrainingFormal training in medical assisting