A Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant: Key Duties and Requirements

If you're considering training to become a medical assistant, it's helpful to understand what the education and job requirements are and what the work entails on a day-to-day basis. Many medical assistant positions require candidates to have at least a diploma, and career advancement may be possible with an associate degree.

What Is a Medical Assistant?

A medical assistant is someone who helps doctors and other medical professionals with administrative and clinical tasks. They typically work in hospitals, medical offices, outpatient clinics, and ambulatory health care facilities. Competent, reliable, and honest medical assistants are vital for the smooth functioning of health care facilities and are in high demand in the medical field.

The medical assistant profession is generally in high demand. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in the field will grow by 16% between 2021 and 2031. This is much faster than the 5% average for all occupations. (1)

What Are the Education Qualifications of a Medical Assistant?

To begin a medical assistant career, you need a minimum of a high school diploma. However, you're likely to benefit from acquiring formal educational qualifications in medical assisting. Depending on whether you decide to get a certification, diploma, or degree, a one- or two-year educational program will likely be required.

Many community colleges, technical schools, vocational schools, online colleges, and regular universities offer courses in medical assisting. These courses generally cover administrative and clinical topics and offer externships at selected health care facilities. These programs also cover medical terminology as well as subjects like anatomy, biology, and chemistry. Some programs have business and computer studies depending on the length of the program.

On completing these programs, you can take a certification exam to qualify as a certified medical assistant or a registered medical assistant.

After getting a formal education, the next step is learning further medical assisting skills by undergoing hands-on training in office practices, working with patients, obtaining patient health information, doing practical lab work, and maintaining digital patient records. Depending on the facility, the training can take several months.

Medical Assistant Duties: What Is a Typical Day in the Life of a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistant duties can range from administrative to clinical work. While different health care facilities may have varying work requirements, a typical workday for a medical assistant tends to be quite busy. Working in the morning, afternoon, or evening, most medical assistants generally have 40-hour work weeks but may put in overtime or work on weekends if necessary.

Clinical Duties of a Medical Assistant

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Clinical duties involve interacting with and treating patients. Some common clinical duties of a medical assistant include:

• Taking patient history and vital signs: A patient's history reveals the social, environmental, and health factors that may be contributing to their current complaint, and their vital signs may reveal new problems. Both can inform the physical exam and diagnosis.
• Collecting samples and administering injections: If the physician orders a lab test, it's often the medical assistant's duty to collect the fluids needed to run the diagnostic. Similarly, if the physician orders an injection, the medical assistant may be the one to prepare the patient and deliver the medicine. However, whether a medical assistant performs these duties may depend on the laws of the state in which they work.
• Providing patient education: If the physician has recommendations for improving the patient's outcomes, the medical assistant might deliver these instructions and inform the patient of suggested health measures.

Administrative Duties of a Medical Assistant

Administrative duties refer to office responsibilities that are necessary for the proper coordination of operations in a facility. A medical assistant's administrative duties include:

• Scheduling patients: If the patient needs a follow-up appointment, the medical assistant may recommend a date and time before informing a receptionist of the appointment.
• Entering patient data into electronic health records: A medical assistant may also update the patient's health record by inputting the findings from their recent encounter.
• Answering correspondence: A medical assistant maintains correspondence with patients by answering their questions, primarily through the messaging function of the electronic health records system.
• Registering and checking in patients: A medical assistant might guide new patients through the process of registering and checking in with reception.
• Verifying patient information: Accurate details concerning a patient's identity and insurance are essential for proper care delivery and billing.
• Assisting with coding and billing: Medical assistants can help with coding and billing because they're often present for patient encounters and can clarify which codes to use.

Essential Skills of a Medical Assistant

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To work as a medical assistant, it's beneficial to have the following skills:

• Technical skills: Medical assistants need to be computer literate and know how to use different software to manage medical data. They must be able to create new patient records, input the latest data into existing patient records, and find patient medical histories to evaluate their current conditions.
• Organizational skills: Scheduling all their tasks in the order of completion or urgency and tackling them without procrastinating helps to prevent medical assistants from feeling overwhelmed by their workload. It also helps them to be more reliable, which is an essential trait, as both doctors and patients are dependent on them to a great extent. They must be able to organize and arrange medical supplies and equipment to make them easier to find, keep track of, and replenish as required.
• Time management skills: Medical assistants must be able to complete their allotted tasks within the given time frame and schedule appointments that are convenient for both patients and doctors.
• Comprehension skills: They must be able to listen well and comprehend both the patient's concerns and the doctor's instructions. As many medical assistants actively assist doctors during patient examinations and treatment, understanding medical terminology and the correct sequence of medical procedures is a must. They must be able to hand the doctor the right tools, materials, and medications. Additionally, they must be able to assess the patient's condition and relay that information to the doctor.
• Communication skills: Strong communication skills are vital for medical assistants, as they spend a large part of their workday interacting with a wide range of people, including doctors and medical staff, patients, and medical supplies providers. They must discuss patients with doctors and explain medical conditions, procedures, and the doctor's instructions to patients and their families. In addition, building rapport with patients is essential for getting them to open up about their medical history.
• Interpersonal skills: They must be able to get along with different personalities and have an aptitude for calming anxious, distraught, or angry patients. It's essential to have strong self-control, enjoy assisting others, and be able to maintain a nonjudgmental and compassionate attitude toward all patients as much as possible. To improve interpersonal skills with patients and work colleagues, it's helpful to listen to their concerns and try to resolve issues with calm consideration.
• Problem-solving skills: While medical assistants must follow exact medical directions, they must also have quick thinking and problem-solving abilities to deal with difficult situations that might arise when the doctor is not around.

Start Your Education for a Medical Assistant Career

While it can certainly be tough to work as a medical assistant, it's a profession that involves helping others, interacting with different personalities, and making a positive difference in people's lives. Concorde's medical assistant program can help you develop the clinical and administrative skills to thrive in the role, with diploma programs in multiple states.

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