Medical Assistants Play An Essential Role

Not All Programs Are Equal

To be eligible for certification, medical assistants must complete a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).

Not all programs are accredited, so students should check this out before enrolling. For more information, visit the American Association of Medical Assistants, www.aama-ntl.org.

Medical assistants perform a variety of tasks in clinics, doctors' offices and urgent care settings. "Here in the Midwest, assistants usually do clinical work," says Michelle Blesi, who directs the medical assisting program at Century College. "Elsewhere, they do both administrative and clinical tasks."

Clinical duties may include greeting and "rooming" patients, taking vital signs, helping with examinations and treatments, drawing blood, sterilizing instruments and supplies, taking X-rays, assisting with minor surgery and administering medications.

Administrative duties may include answering phones, handling correspondence, maintaining patient records, filling out insurance forms, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission, billing and bookkeeping. Assistants are so versatile that they've been called "the Swiss Army knife" of healthcare.

Education And Outlook

Successful completion of the diploma or degree qualifies graduates to sit for a national certification exam. "For entry-level assistants, certification is more important than a degree," Blesi says. "But for those who hope to continue school or go into clinic management, a degree is necessary."

Medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing professions in healthcare. Blesi says that virtually all who graduate from the Century College program find jobs immediately. In the metro area, the average starting hourly salary is about $14. Newly graduated assistants are usually expected to pass the national exam within the first year of employment.

Springboard

Medical assisting is an attractive field for career-changers. "Between 10 and 20 percent of my students are looking for a new career or retraining after a layoff," Blesi says.

Medical assisting can also be the springboard to other careers such as nursing or medical imaging. "Medical assisting allows you to get your feet wet and see if you really like healthcare," she says. "Then if you want to go on to nursing school, for example, you can take advantage of your employer's educational benefits to help pay for your tuition."