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Curious about what it takes to be a medical assistant? CHAC College offers a 9-month diploma program that provides students with the skills necessary to get hired as an entry-level Medical Assistant and the foundation to build a lasting career.
But, before you decide whether a medical assistant program with CHAC College is right for you, it is important to know what to expect on the job.
The more you know about the daily routine and tasks of a medical assistant, the easier it will be to decide if it is a good fit. With that in mind, let us look at a typical day in the life of a medical assistant.
The general job of a medical assistant is to assist the physician and help to ensure their medical facility runs smoothly. The tasks that fall under that vary depending on where the assistant works. Typically, medical assistants work in physician’s offices, urgent care centers, outpatient centers and medical clinics.
Obviously, how busy you will be will greatly depend on the size of the facility and the number of patients that frequent the center on a regular basis. If you do complete a medical assistant training program, do not be afraid to branch out and look at different healthcare facilities when you are initially searching for a job. CHAC College also has a Career Services department especially dedicated to finding you an externship site upon completion of the didactic portion of your curriculum as well as assisting you in finding your first job out after graduation.
It is required that a medical assistant works directly under the supervision of a licensed healthcare professional when they are directly caring for a patient. Some of the professionals a medical assistant can expect to work with include:
Because medical assistants are also responsible for many clerical efforts, often assuming the role of an office manager, it is important to note that you’ll be dealing with the public/patients on a daily basis, too. This is a unique role in that it combines direct patient care with administrative work and allows you to interact with a variety of people daily.
Medical assistants wear many different hats within healthcare facilities. You will usually start your day by checking your facility’s Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to view the schedule of patients and to plan your physician’s day ahead. Once you have gone over the schedule, you can do things like prepare exam rooms and make sure the staff has the supplies they need for the upcoming appointments.
As patients start to come in for their appointments, it is the responsibility of the medical assistant to guide them from the waiting area to the doctor’s office. There, you will be able to get basic information from them during the patient interview, as well as go over their health history, medications, etc. This is information the doctor will use in the exam. Once all the information is entered, you can take a patient’s blood pressure and other vital signs, recording them for the physician.
As you might expect, depending on how many patients are scheduled for the day, this area of the job alone will leave you very busy! On top of dealing with patients, medical assistants are also responsible for things like preparing exam rooms and equipment, calling other healthcare facilities to obtain records and reports, and explaining test results to patients from the doctor.
Even though you will learn the necessary skills to be a medical assistant through the CHAC College’s program, including our hands-on, real world externship training, it’s not uncommon to go through additional on-the-job training wherever you work. This is simply because there is so much variety to what a medical assistant can do daily. So, if you like to stay busy, work with medical professionals and patients, and you also have a knack for administrative work, this could be the perfect career choice for you!
If you are interested in learning more about CHAC College’s Medical Assistant Program, call us at (310) 826-7622 or visit us online at www.chac.edu.
California Healing Arts College (CHAC) offers great health care training programs in the medical career field including medical assistant, massage therapist & physical therapy aide, veterinary assistant and medical coding & insurance billing. We are centrally located in Carson but serve the surrounding areas including Avalon, Wilmington, Compton, Long Beach, Lawndale, Lakewood, Lynwood, South Gate, Downey, Gardena, Torrance, Inglewood, Lomita, Harbor City, San Pedro, Cypress, Huntington Park, Bellflower, and Hawthorne.
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