What do medical assistants do?

By Remington College Posted March 11,2019

Are you a compassionate person with a desire to help others? A career in the healthcare field could be perfect for you! Luckily, there are many opportunities in the medical industry popping up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of healthcare occupations is projected to grow 18 percent from 2016 to 2026, adding around 2.4 million new jobs.^{1 3}

As healthcare grows, there are certain positions in high demand. One career with ample employment opportunities is medical assisting. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics states employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 29 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.¹

Medical assistants are crucial members of staff in the offices of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare facilities. They have a wide range of duties from administrative to clinical tasks. Typically, medical assistants:

• Record patients' medical history and personal information
• Schedule appointments for patients
• Check vitals
• Assist physicians during exams
• Prepare blood samples for tests

If you're interested in seizing opportunity in this growing field, there are a few steps you should consider. Although some people enter this career with nothing more than a high school diploma, others have participated in medical assistant programs at a technical school. To set yourself up for success, you could register for medical assistant training at a tech school and earn your medical assistant certification.

Remington College is proud to offer a medical assisting associate degree and medical assisting diploma at campuses across the U.S. ²

Students in the medical assisting associate degree program will receive lecture instruction, as well as receive hands-on training. The curriculum covers tasks that many medical assistants complete every day on the job, including preparing patients for exams and treatment, filing medical records, handling insurance forms and scheduling appointments. In addition to the coursework, students have the opportunity to participate in an externship and work alongside medical professionals.² To further prepare our students, we encourage graduates to earn a medical assisting certification. Your tuition includes the cost of your first attempt at the Certified Clinical Medical Assisting (CCMA) exam as well as the cost for the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification.

If you're ready to begin your path to a medical assisting career, Remington College wants to help you. To learn more about our programs, visit http://b71.knowledge-gate.com or call 1-800-208-1950.

¹ BLS statistics represent national job growth expectations and are not necessarily reflective of local market conditions.

²Program availability varies by campus. Must meet minimum GPA requirements to qualify for externship program. Additional requirements may apply.

³Employment not guaranteed for students or graduates.

Sources

• Bureau of Labor Statistics on healthcare
  • http://www.healthcaredive.com/news/hospitals-sparked-industry-job-growth-in-january/547500/
• Bureau of Labor Statistics on medical assistants
  • http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm
• Medical assistant duties
  • http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm#tab-2
• Medical assisting associate degree
  • http://b71.knowledge-gate.com/medical-assistant-degree/
• Medical assisting diploma
  • http://b71.knowledge-gate.com/medical-assisting-diploma-overview/
• Prefer to hire certified assistants
  • http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Healthcare/Medical-assistants.htm#tab-4