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Medical Assistant
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Occupational Duties Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks under the supervision of healthcare practitioners or office managers. Medical assistant duties vary greatly between medical offices and environments, as well as by geographic location. Medical assistants who exclusively perform administrative duties, including answering telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms, handling correspondence, scheduling appointments, arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services, authorizing drug refills as directed, handling billing and bookkeeping and keeping the waiting room clean, are referred to as front office medical assistants. Medical assistants who exclusively perform clinical duties, which include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, assisting the physician during the examination, disposing of contaminated supplies and sterilizing medical instruments, are referred to as back office medical assistants. Back office medical assistants may give injections and provide basic patient education with instruction from a healthcare practitioner. In California, unlike some other states, medical aAssistants are not legally permitted to draw blood or take x-rays unless they are a California State-certified Phlebotomist or Radiographer. In small practices, medical assistants usually perform both administrative and clinical duties and report directly to an office manager or health practitioner. medical assistants in large practices or health organizations tend to focus their duties to either the front or back office. According to training providers and individuals interviewed for the Healthcare Navigator project, Bay Area employers, regardless of size, prefer to hire medical assistants who are knowledgable of front office and back office procedures and who are willing to perform some crossover duties. Demand Individuals interviewed for the Healthcare Navigator project in Winter 2007 indicated that employer demand for medical assistants has declined and that employers are being more choosy in their hiring (looking for employees with other transferable skills such as coding experience, good soft skills, etc.). Further, individuals interviewed indicated that it is preferable for office staff to have medical billing and coding experience. Click here for the Employment Development Department-Labor Market Information Division employment projections for medical assistants. The Bay Area is not currently experiencing rapid growth or extremely high demand for medical assistants at this time. According to the majority of employers, most job openings are the result of separation, not sustained new growth. Future growth may come in slow spurts as large outpatient medical facilities expand because these types of facilities require a high proportion of support personnel, particularly medical assistants who can perform both administrative and clinical duties, but a dramatic spike in the number of medical assisting jobs is not expected in the next few years. Bay Area employer demand for medical assistants peaked several years ago and there are many individuals who have completed formal training or are in the process of becoming trained. Employers interviewed indicated that they did not have a problem finding medical assistants to fill open positions (though getting the right candidates can be a challenge); many employers indicated that they receive considerably more job applications than they could process. Several individuals interviewed indicated that a community college education and CMA credential (through the AAMA) are preferred by employers. Because customer service and patient care are the core of the medical assistant profession, employers are highly unlikely to employ medical assistants who are ineffective communicators or who do not practice good customer service. Employers also indicated that medical assistants are often the most visible individuals in a medical practice and good hygiene and a sense of professionalism must be evident. Because of this strong preference for superior soft skills, many employers prefer to hire medical aAssistants who have completed an internship with their organization and who have demonstrated these capabilities over time. Wages Click here for information on medical assistant wages from the California Labor Market Information Department. Individuals who provided information for the Healthcare Navigator study indicated that wages vary considerably and that medical assistants earn anywhere from $14 to $19 per hour depending on experience, credentials, and any special training completed. The vast majority of medical assistants earn between $15 and $16 per hour, regardless of experience. Medical assistants who work in hospital-based health clinics and organizations (Kaiser, Stanford, and Sutter affiliates) usually earn more than medical assistants who work in private physician offices. The pay range for Certified Medical Assistants at these facilities is usually $15-$18 per hour, depending on experience. Medical assistants who work in independent physician offices usually earn between $13 and $16 per hour. For this reason, most medical assistants pursue positions within the larger healthcare networks. Experienced medical assistants who complete additional formal training to become Certified Podiatric or Opthalmic Medical Assistants or Orthopedic Technicians/Medical Assistants usually earn $16-$20 per hour, and can earn as much as $23 per hour with time. Very few medical assistants seek additional certification in a specialty area because the demand is low and most employers do not want to pay for the additional expertise. Individuals who do choose to specialize usually work for several years as a clinical medical assistant before pursuing specialty training. Medical assistants who are employed on a full-time basis by a single employer are given benefits; however, some employers will hire several medical assistants on a part-time basis to avoid paying for costly benefits. This practice has become increasingly popular in recent years. Education and Training The State and Federal Government do not mandate that medical assistants complete formal training. Regardless, employers are unlikely to hire an individual as a medical assistant who has not completed a training program because there is not a shortage of qualified medical assistants and extensive on-the-job training would be required for an untrained individual to learn Medical Assisting duties. The majority of practicing medical assistants hold a certificate of completion from a training program; some hold an Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting. While many employers would like their medical assistants to have an associate degree, the certificate of completion or proficiency is the industy standard at this point and the Associate's Degree in Medical Assisting does not necessarily increase earning potential. If an individual would like to continue their education or is considering a career in a more advanced area of allied healthcare such as Registered Nursing or Respiratory Therapy, it would be prudent to earn an associate's degree in a subject area other than medical assisting as the "upper level" medical assisting courses are not generally transferable to four-year institutions or advanced healthcare training programs as subject credit (health technology or medical assisting courses would likely be viewed as elective or miscellaneous credit-individuals should meet with the registrar of their academic institution). Individuals interested in medical assisting should attend an accredited training program. Two agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education accredit programs in medical assisting: The Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). In order to be eligible to take the exam to be come a Certified Medical Assistant through the American Association of Medical Assistants, the credential strongly preferred by Silicon Valley healthcare employers, an individual must graduate from a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited training program. Click here to see a list of CAAHEP accredited programs and here for ABHES accredited programs. Students may also want to seek out regionally accredited WASC institutions as if they are considering an associate's or bachelor's degree in the future, though this will not necessarily guarantee that credits will transfer (students hoping to transfer credits between WASC institutions should speak with an academic counselor to review course articulation agreements). Medical assistant training programs are typically offered in vocational and technical schools, adult education centers, and community colleges. Programs usually last 8 months to 1 year, resulting in a certificate or diploma, or 2 years, resulting in an associate degree. Medical Assisting curriculum covers basic anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, as well as typing, transcription, recordkeeping, and insurance processing. Students also learn basic laboratory techniques (not phlebotomy or venipuncture) and clinical skills such as taking vital signs. Community college programs often require students to be CPR-certified and employers generally prefer individuals working in the clinical environment to possess current CPR and AED certification at the provider level. Accredited programs include a mandatory internship that provides practical experience in physicians’ offices, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities. Some training programs experience great difficulty in securing internships for their students and this can delay completion of the program. Students with the highest grades are sometimes given priority in receiving an internship. Internships are a key networking opportunity for Medical Assisting students and a significant percentage of students entertain employment offers from the facility that hosted their internship. Across the board, employers indicated a preference for graduates of community college programs. If a client decides to pursue a career as a medical assistant, it is advisable that s/he seek training from a community college. In the South Bay Area, DeAnza College and West Valley College Medical Assisting programs were mentioned most often by employers as the programs that repeatedly produced the most job-ready graduates. Historically, the job-seekers served by the One-Stop centers have not elected to pursue medical assistant training at community colleges, most likely due to issues relating to program length and costs associated with attending a program that is not on the ETPL (Bay Area community college medical assisting programs are not currently on the ETPL). Click here to see which programs are currently on the ETPL. Certification and Licensure Medical assistant is not a licensed or mandatory certificated position, though certification is widely preferred by employers. Certification ensures that medical assistants meet national standards for competence in medical assisting. Numerous certifications are available, but the Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential awarded by the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) is regarded by some employers as the preferable medical assistant certification. To be eligible to take the CMA exam, individuals must graduate from a CAAHEP or ABHES accredited training program. (NB: The DeAnza College Medical Assisting program is not CAAHEP accredited as of 5/2007 and though this program is highly regarded by employers, individuals must decide if they are willing to forego the CMA credential to attend the program). The CMA credential is a requirement for employment in several States. The American Medical Technologists Association awards the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential, which is a respected, albeit lesser-known medical assisting credential. Individuals who are not eligible to take the CMA exam through he AAMA, should be advised to pursue the RMA credential by exam. This credential is more closely associate with front office medical assisting. Other certifying bodies offer medical assisting credentials, but these credentials are not as recognizable as the CMA or RMA. Some individuals may pursue the California Certified Medical Assistant (CCMA) credential through the California Medical Assistant's Association in conjunction with the CMA or RMA credential. Career Ladder Opportunities With experience and/or additional education, medical assistants may become medical office managers, podiatric or ophthalmic medical assistants, or medical assisting training program educators in a vocational college program. Medical assistants may choose to pursue other allied healthcare occupations with increased responsibility and greater earning potential, such as Registered Nurse, Licensed Vocational Nurse, or Respiratory Therapist. Unfortunately, medical assisting courses will not satisfy the prerequisite or curricular requirements for these programs and being a medical assistant will not shorten the program length for these occupations. Medical Assistants may find, however, find that some of the course content is similar and that healthcare work experience provides an advantage when entering the workforce in a new role. Significant Points
Additional Resources Training Programs DeAnza College Medical Assisting Program West Valley College Medical Assisting Program Chabot College Medical Assisting Program Canada College Medical Assisting Program Gavilan College Medical Assisting Program City College of San Francisco Medical Assisting Program Information Resources Medical Board of California–Medical Assistants Homepage UCSF California Medical Assistant Workforce Report |