Medical Assisting Allows For People to Specialize in a Field They Love
Due to people living longer and requiring professionals in the medical field to offer the right amount of care for their health needs, a person may seek a medical assisting degree in Fort Collins. Becoming a medical assistant is one of the fastest growing careers in the United States. This field offers a wide range of opportunities for people to work in different types of medical facilities. a person with this degree may work in a physician’s office, hospital, podiatry clinic, ophthalmology center and a range of other clinical settings. Once a person gains their medical assisting degree, they may specialize in a certain line of work.
Specialization Based on Duties
Cheyenne, Wyoming colleges will cross-train medical assistants in both clinical and administrative work so that they understand the basic duties found in most medical settings. The state where the medical assistant works in and the size of the clinic or office will also dictate the types of duties they will perform.
Clinical Work
Clinical work involves the basic duties such as performing laboratory tests, preparing patients for medical exams, helping the physician during the exam, drawing blood, giving authorization for a patient’s prescription refills, changing dressings and talking with patients about the medications. A medical assistant should not be confused with a physician assistant who can perform medical exams and diagnose conditions when under a physician’s supervision.
Clerical Work
Clerical work comprises all the administrative tasks that are often found at the front of the office. People who have a medical assisting degree will take appointments for patients, greet patients who enter the main waiting room, answer phone calls, fill out insurance forms, handle medical billing, and update a patient’s medical records. The medical assistant may also purchase supplies and medical equipment for the physician’s office.
Specialization Based on Office Environment
Medical assistants can also become specialized in certain duties based on the type of workplace setting they are in. Some medical assistants may feed or give a patient a bath in a surgical step-down unit. Other medical assistants may perform vital sign tasks in the hospital’s oncology department. In a hospital’s emergency room setting, a medical assistant may work with patients to gather medical information and prepare them for surgical procedures.
