Medical assistants have numerous responsibilities. They must often attend to patients, explain test results, prepare people for minor medical treatments to be administered by physicians, and make sure examination rooms are clean. They also have administrative responsibilities, such as record maintenance, appointment scheduling, and billing. However, the amount of duties medical assistants are responsible for depends on the type of clinic they are employed at.
Prospective medical assistants can complete their schooling at vocational schools, traditional 4-year colleges, community colleges, and online universities. Common curriculum includes accounting, record maintenance, physiology, anatomy, biology, and various courses designed to enhance administrative skills. Most online medical assistant associate’s programs can be finished in two years or less.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that job growth for medical assistants should increase at a quicker rate than growth in most other industries until 2016. About 60 percent of medical assistants are employed in physician clinics. Those wanting to spend their careers assisting and working with others should consider pursuing medical assisting.
Explore Associate Degrees in Medical Assisting
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