Medical Assistant

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Administer basic health care or medical treatments.
• Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
• Assist practitioners to perform medical procedures.
• Give medications or immunizations.
• Record vital statistics or other health information.
• Interview patients to gather medical information.
• Explain technical medical information to patients.
• Assess physical conditions of patients to aid in diagnosis or treatment.
• Conduct diagnostic tests to determine patient health.
• Schedule patient procedures or appointments.

Typical Working Conditions

• Frequent contact with others.
• Working with a group or team.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Close physical proximity with other people.
• Exposure to disease or infections.
• Responsibility for others’ health and safety.
• Serious consequences if mistakes are made.
• Dealing with unpleasant or angry people.
• Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
• Meeting strict deadlines.

Tools & Technology used by Medical Assistants

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Medical Assistants

• Speaking—Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Coordinating with Others—Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Helping Others—Actively looking for ways to help people.
• Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Medical Assistants

• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Clerical—Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Public Safety and Security—Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Conventional—Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• Social—Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 18.4% growth new for Medical Assistants to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: ONetOnline

Education & Training
This career is best for those with at least a High School degree, but most professionals do attend college. This job does not require a license, but certifications could aid in showcasing knowledge.

View the local post-secondary education options for this career from Central Lakes College.

Spotlight on Central Lakes College

• Why consider CLC?
• Virtual Campus Tours: Brainerd Campus, Staples Campus
• Learn more about the CLC Honors Program.
• Attend CLC, and you may never need to buy a textbook.

If you have a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive condition that requires educational support, learn about support options at CLC.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Anatomy
• Chemistry
• Community Health
• Computer Applications
• Human Development
• Medical Ethics
• Nutrition
• Research Methods
• Safety and First Aid/CPR
• Sociology
• Statistics
• World Languages

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise