Medical Assistant: Duties & Market Demand

by Kara Wahlgren

Medical assistants handle the nitty-gritty of a health care facility's operations, juggling the administrative and clinical tasks that keep the office running smoothly. If you can follow strict office policies, stay calm in an emergency, and communicate well with patients, you may find success as a medical assistant.

Duties of a medical assistant
As the job title suggests, medical assistants aid in the day-to-day operations of a hospital or physician's office. Medical assistants are primarily responsible for administrative duties such as updating patient records, filing insurance forms, scheduling appointments, answering phones, and arranging for tests.

Medical assistants shouldn't be confused with physician's assistants, who are licensed to practice and prescribe medicine under supervision. However, qualified medical assistants may perform some basic clinical tasks - such as bloodwork, injections, or routine tests - under the supervision of a doctor, nurse, or physician's assistant.

Where to find medical assistant jobs
Medical assistants can find job opportunities wherever health care is provided. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60 percent of medical assistants work in physicians' offices. The rest are employed by hospitals, health practitioners' offices, outpatient care centers, and residential care facilities.

Medical assistant programs
Many community colleges and technical schools offer programs in medical assisting. Coursework may include medical terminology, anatomy, lab techniques, clinical procedures, typing, accounting, and insurance processing. Although some medical assistants are trained on the job, this has become less common, and accredited programs often include an internship requirement. In some states, medical assistants are allowed to perform advanced clinical procedures after passing an exam.

Demand for medical assistant jobs
If medical assisting sounds like a good fit for you, you're in luck, because it's one of the fastest-growing fields out there. Medical assistants are in high demand at hospitals and clinics - especially those assistants who are qualified to handle clinical tasks. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that job opportunities for medical assistants will grow by 35 percent between 2006 and 2016. If you'd like to be a hospital's helping hand, you'll enjoy a rewarding career and plentiful opportunities.