Why Not Become a Medical Assistant?

The healthcare industry has an immediate need for qualified, self-motivated personnel in all areas of the industry, especially nursing. Hospitals have cut back on scheduling because there are not enough staff members to cover the shifts available. This makes for increased workloads, overworked staff and insufficient personnel to cover patient needs.

Over the past ten to fifteen years, there has been a need to find well-educated, high-quality nursing staff who could be available to help carry the load since it appears that Registered Nurses seem to have become an endangered species. This is especially true in medical clinics and in private practice. In order to fill this need, the medical assistant role has been created to fill in the gap, allowing the more educated LPN and RN to fill positions in hospitals and surgical units where the need is greatest.

You may ask, "What does the medical assistant do to help fill that gap?" In doctors' offices, medical assistants perform a great majority of the detail work, both in the front and back office arenas. The front office personnel gathers patient information, inputs it into the computer, creates the bare bones of a patient chart, verifies insurance coverage, makes appointments and takes payments. They also handle requests for medical records, answer the phones and help patients with check-in procedures.

In the back office, MA's are responsible for obtaining pertinent patient information such as height and weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respirations. They perform a number of necessary tests, such as glucose finger sticks, electrocardiograms, and blood draws. In addition, they are also responsible for phoning in requests for prescriptions at local pharmacies and are trained to assist the physician in hearing tests, eye screening, and physicals. Further education is required to become certified in urine drug screening and breath alcohol testing. They are the collectors of information. They do not diagnose nor do they offer advice. It is up to the doctor to evaluate the information and make a decision as to how to treat the patient.

Everyone who has been to a doctor's office has met the medical assistant. Usually, the first person that the patient sees is the MA, who writes a brief medical history of the patient's illness, records the vital signs and informs the patient that the doctor will be in soon. Once the doctor has seen the patient and made a diagnosis, the MA follows the written instructions in the chart for any treatment to be given the patient while he/she is still in the examining room. Whether the patient needs an injection or prescription, it is up to the MA to record the procedure in the chart and give the patient instructions on how the prescribed medicine is to be taken.

In order to be qualified to practice medicine, it is mandatory that one complete an accredited course in medical assisting and graduate with a average above 80%. The course may be as short as nine months or as long as two years in order to obtain an associate degree. Students are also required to successfully complete an externship in a medical clinic for a prescribed number of weeks. Since the time is spent under the direction of a doctor and nursing staff, the student is still considered to be in training and will be unpaid. Nine month courses often require three weeks of externship, while those seeking a degree will complete eight weeks of training on site. Then, there is a state exam one must pass in order to be licensed to practice medicine. It is hoped that the student will become an asset to the community and maintain high ethical standards in providing excellence assistance in the medical field.

Choosing a career in Medical Assisting should not be made hastily. As with all nursing positions, one must take into consideration one's feelings on the subject of handling body fluids. Have you ever cared for a sick relative for any length of time? If so, does the sight of blood make you faint? Are you prepared to set aside time for education requirements necessary for license renewal? How do you, personally, feel about studying? Does medicine interest you to the point that you research topics on your own time?

Perhaps, more important, do you follow doctor's instructions to the letter? Do you take time to help out friends and family understand their medication? Their diseases? Do you volunteer to sit at the bedside of a dying family member? These are questions you need to ask yourself before any decision is made.

Once you have made your decision, research the schools that offer the best programs.
What are you getting for your money? Are books and scrubs included in the tuition? Will there be any hidden costs not mentioned by the recruiter? Does the school offer financial assistance? Do they offer to help you qualify for obtaining a grant? Will you be able to work, support yourself and still go to school?

Some schools offer highly condensed courses that are designed to help the student obtain a degree in less than two years. This means that instructors give exams two to three times a week in addition to medical terminology vocabulary words, prefixes, and suffixes. Lectures will be lengthy and discussions will be fun. Laboratory time will usually be held during the last half of the class, allowing the student time to practice the hands-on skills needed in back office work.

Also, many students have chosen a career college in lieu of going to university. Some students have never held a job because they have just finished high school. There will be a broad variety of older students who have made the decision to pursue a second career. Naturally, there will be some students who make you wonder why they are there because they never seem to attend classes yet are the first ones to complain. Lastly, there will be the ones who cannot pass a simple ten word vocabulary test.

Some students will drop out of school. Many will have been threatened by jealous spouses, and they will quietly disappear, only to have the spouse leave anyway. Only the plucky survive. Be selfish with your education. You deserve to be your best self.

Your field of study deserves the best students. Do yourself a favor. Strive to help others. Be that one person on whom others can count. Set aside time to study.

Give yourself a reason to be proud.