Medical Assistants

conventional interests patient registered medical assistant medication information equipment obtain medical information medical history clinical duty

Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractor Assistant, Doctor's Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)

What they do:
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
On the job, you would:
  • Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
  • Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
  • Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.

Knowledge

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Business

  • customer service
  • administrative services

Health

  • medicine and dentistry
  • therapy and counseling

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Skills

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • talking to others

Social

  • understanding people's reactions
  • changing what is done based on other people's actions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Abilities

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic

  • notice when problems happen
  • use rules to solve problems

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

They do well at jobs that need:

  • Integrity
  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Concern for Others
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Cooperation

Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Medical software

  • eClinicalWorks EHR software Hot Technology
  • Epic Systems Hot Technology In Demand

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint Hot Technology

Electronic mail software

  • Email software
  • Microsoft Outlook Hot Technology

Education

certificate after high school or
high school diploma/GED
usually needed

Get started on your career:

Find Training
Find Certifications
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Job Outlook

Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

Salary:

$44,200
$35,020
$57,830
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about medical assistants.