Skills & Duties of A Medical Assistant

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make. If you’re interested in the medical field, you might want to consider looking at certified medical assistant schools in Margate, FL. Becoming a medical assistant is rewarding and satisfying work. Your duties will depend heavily on who you work for and what kind of medical assisting you’ll be doing, but there are some key skills and duties that are common across the board. Read on to find out what it takes to become a successful medical assistant.

Necessary Skills As a medical assistant you might be asked to do a whole host of things, including working directly with patients, performing blood draws and taking vitals. You might also be dealing with paperwork and filing. Office and clinical tasks may vary by employer, but most of the following skills will be necessary for both kinds of tasks. • Communication Skills – You’ll need good communication skills. You’ll often be interfacing with patients, doctors, nurses and sometimes vendors. For many patients the doctor’s office can be an intimidating place to go, and many might feel nervous or even scared. Having the skills to talk to patients and put them at ease is important. You’ll also need to relay information concisely and clearly to doctors, patients, and staff by both speaking and writing. This is a key skill for a medical assistant. • Organization – You’ll also need to be highly organized and develop clerical skills, if you don’t have them already. You might need to file paperwork, answer phones, schedule appointments, and perform other office duties. • Computer Skills – If your duties include office tasks, being comfortable with computers and navigating computer programs is important. Many physician’s offices now use technical software to store medical records and track patients. • Medical Knowledge – To be an effective medical assistant, you need to have a strong knowledge of basic medical vocabulary, anatomy, and how to treat minor wounds, draw blood, or do other basic medical procedures. Also, being certified in CPR and have a knowledge of first aid procedures is a plus. • Understanding of Safety Protocols – Understanding safety and sanitation protocols is necessary for a medical assistant. A medical assistant needs to follow strict rules about disposing of bio-hazardous waste and keeping areas sanitary.

Expected Duties A medical assistant’s duties will depend heavily on their employer. Large offices or institutions may have a medical assistant specialize in one small area only with a limited number of tasks. Smaller offices may have medical assistants perform all tasks they’re qualified for including clinical and administrative duties. Clinical tasks may include checking vitals, collecting patient medical histories, cleaning medical supplies and rooms, giving medication, performing basic lab tests, disposing of medical waste, and other similar tasks. Administrative duties might include answering phones, following up with patients, updating medical records, order and restock supplies, and perform other tasks as instructed by the physician. A career as a medical assistant can be an exciting one as no two days will be alike, your constantly meeting new people and will most likely learn something new on the job each day. If you like a career that is fast paced and different training to become a medical assistant may be for you. If you’re interested in becoming a certified medical assistant, go to https://www.hi.edu for information about enrolling in a program