| A medical assistant is a crucial part of a doctor's | | | | medication or create an appointment with a specialist. |
| office; they handle most of the front end of the clinic | | | | Often, these tasks can save valuable minutes when |
| and also assist with in-office procedures. Without a | | | | the doctor sees the patient. Be sure to note whether |
| medical assistant, many offices would not be capable | | | | the doctor prefers the measurements in pounds, or |
| of running - as doctors are busy seeing patients and | | | | kilograms and inches or centimeters. |
| do not have the time to take care of administrative | | | | Being able to assist with other procedures is essential |
| tasks. | | | | when preparing for a CMA career. Often, these |
| Getting a medical assistant education can be | | | | procedures include assisting with yearly physicals, or |
| completed at many community college and online | | | | completing eye tests within the office for medicals. |
| programs. In as little as a year, you can begin a | | | | Along with these procedures, medical instruments must |
| program and graduate as a certified medical assistant | | | | be cleaned and sanitized within the office to ensure |
| (CMA). This diploma program is popular with recent | | | | that the patients are protected when procedures such |
| graduates and those looking to upgrade their career to | | | | as stitching, or stitch removal within the office. Highly |
| become part of an office environment. | | | | specialized sanitizing tools are used to sanitize these |
| As a CMA, you will learn to become familiar with | | | | instruments. Steam is used to clean the instruments |
| computer systems that are used in an office | | | | and sanitize them so they are safe for use with |
| environment. Patients phoning to book an appointment | | | | another patient. |
| will have to be entered into a database program. A | | | | Medical terminology is an essential part of preparing. |
| CMA must be proficient with the database program to | | | | The terminology used will allow you to converse with |
| enter new patient information into the program, update | | | | specialist offices when booking appointments for the |
| contact information, as well as booking future | | | | patients, or to understand laboratory results when they |
| appointments. Often, training will be completed on | | | | have arrived in the office. This way, you can |
| these general types of programs in CMA training | | | | determine whether lab results are critical and must be |
| programs and experience with these programs will | | | | attended to immediately. |
| help the graduate when they are trying to find jobs. | | | | The first step to getting a job as a CMA is applying for |
| Other office duties that are important for a CMA are | | | | a Medical Assistants Degree The medical assistant |
| taking patient information once they have entered the | | | | program will not only open the door to many CMA |
| office and charting notes such as height, weight or the | | | | jobs, but also allow the student to increase their |
| reason for the visit at that time. A CMA will chart this | | | | medical knowledge and gain valuable contacts within |
| information, so it is able to save time for the doctor to | | | | the medical industry. |
| complete the exam, talk with the patient and prescribe | | | | |