What Do Medical Assistants Do?

Certified clinical medical assistants play important roles in the chain of responsibility for any healthcare facility. Their tasks can vary dramatically throughout the day, as they must perform whatever is needed to help doctors, nurses and other medical professionals care for patients.

Specific tasks often assigned to a medical assistant include:

• Administering medications

• Assisting with minor procedures

• Recording vital signs

• Taking medical histories from patients

• Preparing patients and rooms for examinations

• Offering education to patients before and after exams

Medical assistants are needed in almost every healthcare facility. This is why the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 19% growth in the number of medical assistant jobs over the next decade. This is equal to nearly 140,000 new jobs — and one could be yours, with the right training.

First Steps to Become a Medical Assistant

Not sure if medical assistant training is right for you? A great way to find out is to take MedCerts’ free online career training readiness quiz. This tool provides a personalized report to help you determine what career opportunities are best for your strengths and social style.

The medical assistant training program lasts 27 weeks, making you job-ready in a little over six months. The program is completely online, and you can complete the training on your own schedule. Four modules are needed to complete the online training:

• Customer Service Professional I

• Introduction to Human Anatomy and Medical Terminology

• Medical Office Procedures and Administration

• Clinical Medical Assisting

To get started on this path to become a medical assistant, apply online today.

Skills and Training Needed to Get Hired

As part of the medical assistant training program through MedCerts, you will learn valuable skills. You will learn how to:

• Understand the vocabulary needed effectively communicate in a healthcare facility

• Comply with HIPAA/HITECH, OSHA, and CMS regulations

• Comprehend diagnosis and procedure codes used in electronic health records

• Recognize best practices used in infection control and environmental safety

• Collect specimens and perform other important tests

• Administer medications

• Record vital signs

What Comes After the Training Program?

Once you’ve completed the necessary training to become certified as a medical assistant, you still may need help landing your first job. MedCerts helps with this, too.

Through the student services department, you can receive career coaching, experiential training, and assistance from industry connections through the MedCerts National Employer Partner Network.

With the help of these career guidance professionals, you’ll be able to go from student to professional in the healthcare industry smoothly and quickly.