Medical Assisting

A medical assistant is a healthcare worker who performs various duties, both clinical and administrative in nature, and in practices both large and small. Technically, a medical assistant can be licensed or unlicensed, with the level of education or certification required depending on the duties performed, in accordance with state laws.

In general, some of the duties performed by a medical assistant would include administrative duties like answering phones and assisting with patient intake, file and records management, some assisting with initial examinations, filling out forms, billing, hospital admissions, etc. Clinical duties may include collecting and handling of lab test materials, assisting physicians with various aspects of examinations, fielding general patient questions, explaining medications and usages, etc. Clinical duties performed will vary by state, level of certification and employer's practice size.

A career as a medical assistant has a very positive outlook as demand for qualified medical personnel increases and levels of specialization emerge. Additionally, demand will continue to grow with the aging segment of the population increasing. The most flexible medical assistant will be most in demand and valuable, having experience and expertise in both the administrative and clinical aspects of the job. It's no coincidence that medical assisting has been estimated to be the fastest-growing occupation over the next 4-5 years.

The Medical Assistant average hourly pay is in the area of $12-13, with an average salary of approx. $26,000-$27,000 anually (These are just averages, and closer to starting salaries. Wages and salaries will vary by state, employer, degree of experience, etc.).

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