Medical Assistant Schools

The medical assistant job description is quite varying in its list of duties. If you are starting at step one, you can begin with our information about the current medical assistant job outlook , and several reasons why medical assisting is generally regarding as a smart career pick These articles, and others that help paint the 'big picture' of medical assisting, are great introductions to what medical assisting is like.

Clinical duties include obtaining medical histories, recording vital signs, preparing patients for examinations (pediatrics to gerontology), performing EKG's, sterilization of instruments, collecting and identifying specimens, routine urinalysis, fecal analysis, clinical bacteriology, and phlebotomy.

Medical Assistant Roles and Responsibilities - Topics covered in these courses include the legal responsibilities of physicians and healthcare team members; the importance of asepsis and sterile techniques; medical emergencies and first aid procedures; and how to interact and communicate effectively in a professional environment.

You will be trained to conduct various clinical procedures including administering medications, assisting with minor surgery, performing an electrocardiogram, obtaining laboratory specimens for testing, educating patients, and maintaining clinical equipment in an ambulatory care setting.

There were 527,600 medical assistant jobs in 2010, and that number is expected to jump to 690,500 by 2020. Expect to study anatomy and physiology, clinical procedures, medical terminology, medical law and office administration. Other options include the National Certified Medical Assistant (NCMA) from the National Center for Competency Testing and the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) from the National Healthcareer Association.

You will learn how to draw blood, take vital signs, communicate with patients and doctors, update charts and provide general medical office support. NOTE: The program's health requirements and American Heart Association Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate must be completed prior to placement in externship.

In your medical assisting training program, you will learn how to give patients injections and prepare laboratory samples. The following ranked list of schools should serve as a helpful starting point in your search for the best online associate degree in medical assisting programs in the United States.

Success: our graduating classes have earned 100 percent pass rates on the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) national certified medical assistant (CMA) exam for 15 years. In order to be eligible to sit for the CMA exam, you must complete a medical assistant training program through an accredited school.

As a medical assistant, you have the opportunity to offer a very important service to the community, by participating actively in the ongoing process of patients' care and by channeling your efforts towards improving the patients' health. You can choose from schools that offer classroom instruction on campus, online programs, or a hybrid of the two.

CMAA exam may be offered at your medical assisting school location. Based on the most recent Annual Report Form submitted to the Medical Assisting Education Review Board (MAERB) and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

One is the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the other is the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). Courses include medical terminology, computer, medical insurance policies, patient care considerations and CPR.