A Medical Assistant (MA) is a healthcare professional who works directly with doctors at medical offices, clinics, and hospitals. They are trained to perform both administrative and clinical tasks, such as scheduling appointments, taking patients vital signs, and updating medical records. They are often the first point of contact for patients and are responsible for making them feel at ease in the physicians office. Medical assistants are cross-trained to perform a variety of duties, including:
Administrative Duties:
- Filing medical charts
- Coding and completing insurance forms
- Communicating with patients
- Handling prescription refill requests
Clinical Duties:
- Checking vital signs
- Drawing blood for lab tests
- Updating medical histories
- Verifying prescriptions
- Doing electrocardiograms (heart test) and other medical tests
Medical assistants are instrumental in helping patients feel at ease in the physician’s office and often explain the physicians instructions. They are also essential members of the patient-centered medical home team. Medical assistant roles require significantly less training compared to physician assistants (PAs) . Most states do not have formal education requirements, but many employers prefer to hire assistants who have completed an accredited training program. The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) offers certification to graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) .
