What is a Clinical Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants help with administrative and clinical duties in the healthcare field. Clinical medical assistants in particular act as supporting staff working alongside doctors and nurses to educate and help with patient care. Due to the fast-paced nature of healthcare, clinical medical assistants work as a vital part of the day-to-day operations of healthcare facilities.

Depending on state regulations and laws, duties may vary.

Clinical medical assistant duties may include:

• Note patient history and personal information
• Help doctors with patient exams
• Measure vital signs like blood pressure
• Give patients injections or medications per doctor orders (as permitted by state law)
• Prep blood samples for lab tests
• Sterilize medical equipment
• Update patient details in medical records
• Schedule patient appointments
• Change sutures, dressings

Where do Clinical Medical Assistants Work?

Clinical medical assistants work in a variety of settings including:

• Outpatient clinics
• Hospitals
• Doctors’ offices
• Health clinics

Depending on the size of the practice, location, and specialty, job duties may vary. There’s also a high demand for clinical medical assistants — the field is expected to grow 29% through 2026.

Why Should I Get Certified?

For professionals looking to get ahead in the medical assisting world, certification is a step in the right direction. Aside from making yourself more marketable and getting better paid, it also encourages re-certifying often. By re-certifying, as required, it helps you become more confident in your skills as a medical assistant.

How Much Does a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant Make?

The median yearly wage for medical assistants is $32,480 per year. Wages vary depending on location and healthcare settings.

What’s the Difference Between a Clinical Medical Assistant vs an Administrative Medical Assistant?

An administrative medical assistant generally works on medical aspects of the job including some administrative duties as well. On the other hand, a medical assistant often handles more administrative tasks like patient scheduling, filing insurance paperwork, putting together reports, and more.

Both positions need medical knowledge to properly assist patients.

Many healthcare employers require medical assistants to be certified in the field. Individuals who go through a certified training program are eligible to take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exams. MedCerts covers the cost of the CCMA exam.

Certification Creates More Opportunities

To find a job as a medical assistant, most individuals are required to have a certificate. Depending on the job, you may also find on-the-job training opportunities for additional skills needed for medical assisting work.

Because medical assisting is such a fast-growing field, there’s a huge demand for individuals with the highest professional standards. With the successful completion of a certification, you prove to potential employers you have the knowledge needed to properly work alongside physicians and other healthcare professionals caring for patients.

With so many job seekers applying for medical assistant positions, applicants with multiple national certifications tend to stand out. Today's Medical Assistants are expected to take on additional responsibilities – chief among them related to and around the practices of Phlebotomy and Electrocardiography (ECG/EKG). At MedCerts, we offer multiple programs where you can earn more than one certification. If you're hoping to move into a career as a Medical Assistant, we offer three online Medical Assistant programs depending on what certifications you are interested in.

When you get certified through the National Healthcare Career Association or other recognized healthcare associations, you have respected credentials that healthcare employers require for top-paying jobs in the industry.

Want to learn more about becoming a CCMA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant? Set up an appointment with a MedCerts education consultant today!