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Medical Office Personnel Medical Assistant
Career data updated last on 9/10/2014
	Medical Assistants perform many tasks in physicians' offices or other medical settings. Duties vary from office to office and depends on office location, size and if a MA specializes or not. In small offices, most Medical Assistants handle both administrative and clinical duties and are considered generalists. Also, MAs in small offices tend to report directly to a physician, health practitioner or office manager. In larger offices, most Medical Assistants tend to specialize in a particular area report to department administrators or other operations management. Administratively, they may obtain patient information, perform medical transcription and handle billing. Clinical duties may include preparing a patient for examination, taking vital signs (pulse, temperature and blood pressure), helping with examinations and performing routine laboratory procedures.
Salary	$16.52 hourly- $34,370 annually
Significant Points	Medical assisting is one of the nation's fastest growing careers through 2012, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job prospects will be best for medical assistants with formal training or experience, and particularly those with certification.
Specializations	Podiatric medical assistants make castings of feet, expose and develop x rays, and assist in podiatrists in surgery. Ophthalmic medical assistants help ophthalmologists provide medical eye care; conduct diagnostic tests, measure and record vision, and test eye muscle function. They show patients how to insert, remove and care for contact lenses; apply eye dressings. They may administer eye medications under care of the physician and they maintain optical and surgical instruments. They may also assist the ophthalmologist in surgery.
Work Environment	Medical assistants are employed by physicians' offices, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and other medical settings. They work with doctors, nurses and other personnel and may supervise medical secretaries and clerks.
High School Prep	A high school diploma or equivalent is required. Courses in mathematics, biology and typing are recommended.
Academic Requirements	Education is available from an accredited medical assisting program. This program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The curriculum covers anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, administrative, examination room, and laboratory procedures, medical record management and other related topics. Graduates of accredited programs are eligible to take the certification examination given by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants. Certification is not mandatory in Colorado, but some employers may require it. They prefer to hire experienced certified workers, indicating that the medical assistant meets certain standards of competence.