Medical Assistant Job Description

The job description of a medical assistant consists of duties that help medical practices run smoothly. These duties include clinical and administrative tasks in the offices of health providers such as physicians, chiropractors and podiatrists. The size and specialty of the practice and location of the medical office will determine the duties expected from an assistant.
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Medical Assistant Job Description

In most cases an assistant working in a small practice will have a wider range of duties than one working in a larger practice. In such a practice the tasks would include administrative as well as clinical duties and the assistant would report directly to an office manager, physician, or other health provider. Those working in large practices usually have responsibilities in a specific area supervised by a department administrator.

A medical assistant is not the same as a physician assistant who examines, diagnoses and treats patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

Below are the two categories of medical assistant: administrative and clinical.
An administrative medical assistant performs tasks that help keep the office running smoothly. These include updating and filing patients’ medical records, completing insurance forms, arranging hospital admissions and laboratory services. They also have duties that are not related just to medical settings. These include answering telephones, greeting patients and checking them in, scheduling appointments and billing and bookkeeping duties.

A clinical medical assistant’s duties depend on the laws of the state in which they work. Some of the tasks that are common to all assistants include taking a patient’s medical history and recording vital signs explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examinations, and assisting physicians during examinations. Other duties performed by those in this category include collecting and preparing laboratory specimens, disposing of contaminated supplies, and sterilizing medical instruments. Some medical assistants perform basic laboratory tests.So Medical Assistant Job Description varies according to the states reqyirements and the job setting.

Medical Assistant Job Description

Under the direction of a physician, medical assistants often instruct patients about medications and special diets, administer medications, authorize drug refills, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.

Other routine duties include arranging examining room instruments and equipment, purchasing and maintaining supplies and equipment, and keeping waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.
Just as there are many specialties for physicians there are also specialties for medical assistants. A few examples are: ophthalmic medical assistants, optometric assistants, and podiatric medical assistants. These specialized assistants have additional duties to those in a general medical practice.

Ophthalmic Medical Assistant Job Description

An ophthalmic medical assistant helps an ophthalmologist provide eye care. Their duties include diagnostic testing, measuring and recording vision, and testing eye muscle function. They apply eye dressings and also show patients how to insert, remove, and care for contact lenses. Under the direction of the physician, an ophthalmic medical assistant may administer eye medications. In addition they maintain optical and surgical instruments and may assist the ophthalmologist in surgery.

optometric Medical Assistant Job Description

Like an ophthalmology assistant, an optometric assistant also helps provide eye care and perform many of the same tasks. Working under the supervision of an optometrist their duties include: provide chair-side assistance, instruct patients about contact lens use and care, and conduct preliminary tests on patients.

Medical Assistant Job Description working for a podiatrist have duties such as making castings of feet, exposing and developing x rays, and assisting the podiatrist in surgery.

The working environment for medical assistants is good; they work in a well-lighted, clean environment.
Medical assistants need to have good people and organizational skills as they constantly interact with others and may have to handle several responsibilities at once. The work schedule varies and some medical assistants work part-time, but most are full- time and work a regular 40-hour week.  The Medical Assistant Job Description may not show all of the advantages but when compared to some other occupations the job is very disirable.

The employment rate is projected to grow much faster than average.
As in the health care field as a whole the job prospects in this career are very good. Over 60 percent of medical assistants work in physicians’ offices. Even though some medical assistants are trained on the job, the trend is for this job to have some formal training and many complete 1-year or 2-year programs.