What is a Medical Assistant? What are their duties?

A Medical Assistant (MA) is a multi-competent health care professional involving administrative and clinical task to keep the offices, clinics, and laboratories of physicians running smoothly. The duties vary from on office location, size, and specialty. In small practices, Medical Assistants usually are "generalists," handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, or physician. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area under the supervision of department administrators.

Administrative duties

Medical Assistants answer telephones, schedule appointments, greet patients, update and file patient charts, order supplies, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, handle billing, collections, and bookkeeping.

Clinical duties

Clinical duties vary according to state law and include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. Medical Assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens and sterilize medical instruments. Medical Assistants telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for x-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.  Medical Assistants should not be confused with physician assistants who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

Medical Assistants find employment in a variety of settings including:

• physician offices
• private health care facilities
• industrial firms requiring health care personnel
• hospital clinics
• laboratories
• health industry providers
• independent clinics private duty

San Jose and San Francisco are 2 of the 5 top paying metropolitan areas in California for Medical Assisting. The earnings of medical assistants vary, depending on experience, skill level, and location. 

5.   What is the job outlook for a Medical Assistant?

The medical assisting field is one of the fastest growing fields as it is expected to grow 59% by 2012 (Source – Bureau of Labor Statistics). This growth is due to the expansion in the health care industry because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. Growth at such high rates indicates a stable and demanding career.

In just 8 months, you can become a medical assistant at Unitek College. The medical assisting course combines lecture and hands on lab experience in real medical lab rooms. The program runs 4 hours per day, for a total of 20 hours per week with flexible schedules that allow you to choose morning, mid-morning, and evening classes to work with your schedule. The program tuition is all-inclusive; it covers your tuition, books, lab fees, testing fees, uniforms, and bag-pack. The externship provides a first-hand opportunity to put this foundation of learning to the test and get ready for the real world. Unitek College’s program is the ONLY ONE of its kind that guarantees National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) certification at the completion of the program.

We are so confident that you will pass the national exam that we pay for the exam fees. The program is designed so that student’s can join in any of the first six modules listed below. The externship portion can only be started once the first six modules are satisfactorily completed. On satisfactory completion of all program requirements, the student graduates from the program. Upon completion of the program, the graduate will be prepared to take an entry-level position into various medical settings.

 

Class Schedule

Class	Days	Time
Morning Session	Monday to Friday	8 am to 12 noon
Mid-Morning Session	Monday to Friday	10 am to 2pm
Evening Session	Monday to Thursday, Friday off	5:30 pm to 10:30 pm

Module Name	Description
MA 91	Introduction to Medical Assisting, Externship and Job Opportunities, History of Medicine, Medical Practice System, Medical Ethics, Medical Law, Communicating with Patients and Colleagues, Patient Reception, Telephone Techniques
MA 92	Patient Assessment, Assisting with Primary Physical Exams, Principles of Pharmacology, Assisting in Orthopedic Medicine, Assisting in Dermatology Medicine
MA 93	Assisting with Cardio-Pulmonary Medicine, Assisting with Endocrine Medicine, Office Emergencies
MA 94	Assisting with Otorhinolaryngology Medicine, Assisting with Ophthalmology Medicine, Assisting with Neurology Medicine, Assisting with Gastroenterology Medicine, Assisting with Urology and Male Reproduction Medicine
MA 95	Assisting with OB/GYN Exams, Assisting with Pediatric Exams, Assisting with Geriatric Exams
MA 96	Written Communications and Record Keeping Computer, Filing Methods and Record Keeping, Coding and Claims, Phone skills, and Peg Boards.
Medical Assisting Externship

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