Online Class: Medical Assistant 101 — Career Overview

Medical assisting is a relatively new career choice, and it is a booming industry. With the current economic crisis, many health care providers are looking for talented and willing individuals to train with them as assistants to help them care for more patients each day. With the coming of senior citizen status for baby boomers, the opportunity to serve them is mushrooming.

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  • 15
    Lessons
  • 30
    Exams &
    Assignments
  • 11
    Hours
    average time
  • 1.1
    CEUs
 
 

Course Description

Medical assisting is a relatively new career choice, and it is a booming industry. With the current economic crisis, many health care providers are looking for talented and willing individuals to train with them as assistants to help them care for more patients each day. With the coming of senior citizen status for baby boomers, the opportunity to serve them is mushrooming.
Medical people range from the highly skilled physicians and surgeons, radiologists, clinical lab technologists and nurses to the less highly educated nurse's aides, and respiratory technicians. As a Medical Assistant you will be working as part of a medical team.  There is no greater job satisfaction than helping others. If you can relieve a person of pain and anxiety, that is gratifying. If you are able to help diagnose a problem for the patient, this is self-satisfying. If you are able to ease the load of your fellow workers, that is a great feeling. This course will provide a wealth of information about this career path. You will learn how to increase opportunities to expand your skills and abilities. Pursuing this career path and you may be given the opportunity to learn how to become an x-ray assistant or a phlebotomist. There is also the possibility to branch out into the physical therapy assisting field or train to become a hemodialysis technician. The more you can do, the more value you will bring to the job, the more you will be able to help the patients under your care, and the more money you will make. This course will help you see your future in this booming industry and provide you with the information you'll need to be successful.

Course Motivation

Medical Assisting is a field that attracts people who are interested both in people and in medicine. The field of Medical Assisting covers administrative, clinical, and transdisciplinary tasks. Many jobs in the field of Medical Assisting can cross over, and the more you know about all these respective tasks, the more valuable you will be to your employer.  

  • Administrative Medical Assisting – Administrative procedures and finances
  • Clinical – Fundamental clinical principles, diagnostic orders, and patient care
  • Transdisciplinary – Professionalism, communication, legal, and ethical concept

Types of People in Medical Assisting Fields 

Medical assisting, both clinical and administrative, is an appealing field to people who love helping others and who enjoy learning about the practice of medicine. The skills you learn, and the knowledge that you acquire, will stay with you for the rest of your life, and the number of employment opportunities expands as your capabilities increase.  

You can find work as a medical assistant anywhere in the world where medicine is practiced, allowing some people in this field to lead exciting lives in exotic regions of the world. You will be highly stimulated because your job will never be the same every day. Your environment and required duties change based on the needs of the patients who are seen.  

Being a medical assistant is not just a job, it is a career. If you have the following characteristics of: dedication, integrity, sensitivity to the pain and suffering of others, commitment, a positive attitude, an ability to shoulder responsibility, and a willingness to learn new skills as required, you will find that you are well suited for this field. 

How the Field is Changing 
 
In the early 1900s, the administrative duties of a medical practice were relatively minor and easy for a physician to handle. However as the tremendous volume of paperwork and record keeping has increased, the number of patients seen has also increased; the field of medical assisting has grown exponentially. 

Physicians must focus entirely on their patients and leave the administrative and clinical tasks of their patients' medical care in the hands of their medical assistants. Over the years, the duties of medical assistants have grown and expanded both in capacity and in authority. Learning everything you can about your specific job, and the skills that you will be required to use, will position you as a very valuable member of the medical team of the medical care facility you choose to work with. 

There are two types of health care delivery systems: 

  • Traditional Care – where a patient pays a fee-for-service to the doctor or clinic of his/her choice, then submits claims to the insurance company and the insurance company pays the maximum amount allowed. These patients can choose their doctors, their laboratory facility, even their own hospital.
  • Managed Care – a system where costs are managed by promoting preventive medicine, utilizing services and providers that are within the plan. Most visits require pre-approval or pre-authorization. Among the most common managed care systems are Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Independent Practice Association (IPA), Exclusive Provider Organization (EPO), and Point of Service Plan (POS).  

Because of the change from traditional health care to more managed care systems, you must constantly stay on top of the regulations that limit you, and it will often be your job to educate the patients about their benefits, non-benefits, and limitations that are part of their contract.  


Training Processes 

Many jobs that are posted as "Medical Assistant" often only require a high school diploma and a certificate from a one- or two-year medical assisting program, or an associates degree, or the equivalent in work experience and continuing education. 

If you are fortunate enough to be hired in at an entry level position, you will find that as the years pass, you are given greater and greater responsibilities because you have received and mastered the "on the job" training required. 

Unfortunately, it is not as easy to find these entry level positions, so getting some type of certification will certainly help you get your foot in the door. 

Skills and Abilities You Should: 

  • Know basic medical terminology
  • Math skills
  • Know anatomy and physiology
  • Have some knowledge of disease processes, surgery, medical specialties
  • Have various administrative skills, such as insurance claims forms completion
  • Have computer, typing, and office equipment skills
  • Know how to use procedure and diagnostic code books
  • Have the ability to take orders, follow directions, work as a team, work independently
  • Have excellent communication skills
  • Have excellent patient interaction skills 

Job Responsibilities may include:  

  • Understanding the ethical and medicolegal responsibilities as they relate to the patients, the physician, and your place of business
  • Telephone skills, both making and receiving calls, taking and relaying messages
  • Schedule appointments
  • Greet and interact with patients
  • Register new patients, initiate and update medical records
  • Handle mail, both physical and electronic
  • Maintain a tidy office and waiting/reception area
  • Maintain inventory, order supplies
  • Prepare, file, refile charts
  • Transcribe patient chart notes as dictated
  • Manage the financial aspect of the business for both the patient and the employer accounts
  • Handle billing and patient payments
  • Handle delinquent accounts
  • Manage Insurance Claims
  • Process care forms and paperwork
  • Minor patient care, history, vital signs, specimen collection, and blood collection
  • Good interpersonal skills when interacting with the medical and office team as well as patients and their families
  • Any other job as required for your position 

The job of a medical assistant is often that of a multi-skilled health practitioner who may find that they are cross trained to provide more than one function. This makes it possible to actually gain certification in more than one area of medical assisting. 

Licensure is the credentialing that is sanctioned by the government of each state. This type of licensure varies by state, with some states requiring that you be a graduate from an accredited medical assisting program. Accreditation can be achieved by meeting the state standard or by passing an evaluation by a national organization.  

There are many vocational schools that offer medical assisting programs ranging in length from 6 to 18 months.  

Certification is not controlled by the government. It is based on voluntary action of an organization in your field that develops a system to recognize those practitioners who meet or exceed an established level of training and experience. Many times these certifications can be accomplished on the job as you gain skills in additional areas.  

One national certification program, American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)offers a national certification exam for students of a medical assisting program. Those who pass this exam can claim the title of Certified Medical Assistant (CMA).  

The American Medical Technologists (AMT) offers a certification to become a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) in one of three categories: 

  1. Students who graduate from a medical assisting program that is accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
  2. Those who have logged five years of on the job training with verified work experience.
  3. Students who complete a medical assisting course as established by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation (COPA), and have one year of experience as a medical assistant. 

As you can see, you can begin working as a medical assistant in most states prior to any type of certification. However, with certifications come promotions and pay raises. 

Because medicine is constantly changing, you will need to stay current on those changes. Keeping up with those changes requires that you read professional publications, attend seminars that further educate you on changes, and actively seek out information on the internet. It is always good to establish a professional network within the medical community as a way to learn about new treatment techniques that you will be required to know in your job. 

Employment Opportunities 

Because you are entering a field where you will be "assisting" other medical personnel, you can find yourself working almost anywhere in a variety of environments. Medical assistants can work in private practice with a single physician, or with a group of physicians. Or you might be working in a hospital or recuperative care facility. Every specialty in medicine requires the skills of medical assistants, from dermatology, to obstetrics and gynecology, from geriatrics, to orthopedics, and everything in-between. 

Becoming a medical assistant, whether clinical or clerical, is the beginning of a whole new career for you. It is one that will constantly challenge and stimulate you to perform at higher and higher levels of excellence. 

Congratulations on making this decision to embark on a new career.

 

 

Course Lessons

  • Lesson 1: Medical Assisting: What the Job Entails

    Medical assisting, both clinical and administrative, is an appealing field to people who love helping others, and who enjoy learning about the practice of medicine.
  • Lesson 2: Types of Medical Assisting

    Not all medical assistants do the same thing in every medical facility.
  • Lesson 3: Human Behavior in the Field

    By learning as much as you possibly can about human behavior, you will find that you are much more effective in dealing with the patients, as well as your co-workers and other health-care providers you encounter during your professional life.
  • Lesson 4: Dealing With Patient Mortality

    Learning what you can about the death and dying process can make you a very valuable member of any health care team.
  • Lesson 5: Types of Medical Practices

    Today, physicians work in a great many places, and the need for competent medical assistants has increased in these areas as well.
  • Lesson 6: Legal and Ethical Responsibilities

    You are expected to be loyal to the physician and carry out orders as directed, unless you are asked to do something illegal or unethical.
  • Lesson 7: Administrative Responsibilities

    A Medical Assistant may initially work as a receptionist in a medical office.
  • Lesson 8: Communication

    The phone technique used in a medical practice can either make or break the business.
  • Lesson 9: Appointments

    Every medical facility will have very detailed methods on how they want you to schedule appointments.
  • Lesson 10: Medical Records

    A patient's medical record is the file, either physical or computerized, that documents the patient's condition, tests, and procedures that have been completed on the patient.
  • Lesson 11: Patient Care

    If you are a medical assistant, the interpersonal relationship with a patient is key to your success.
  • Lesson 12: Clinical Fundamentals

    In order to understand the "language" of a patient's medical chart, and what the physician is saying when dictating, you will need to learn a great deal of medical terminology.
  • Lesson 13: Specimen and Culture Collection

    After the patient has been examined by the physician, there are often body specimens that need to be collected for further examination to aid in diagnosis of the patient's condition.
  • Lesson 14: Diagnostic Testing

    As a medical assistant, you are morally responsible to handle any body secretions of a patient in an ethical and safe manner.
  • Lesson 15: Treatments

    This lesson will introduce you to some basic tasks that are often assigned to a Medical Assistant in a variety of medical settings.
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Define medical assisting, types of medical assisting, and what to expect from medical assisting as a career.
  • Describe human behavior in the field of medical assisting.
  • Describe ways of dealing with patient mortality.
  • Define types of medical practices.
  • Summarize legal and ethical responsibilities.
  • Summarize administrative responsibilities, methods of communication, creating appointments, and handling medical records.
  • Describe the basics of patient care in relation to medical assisting.
  • Summarize specimen and culture collection procedures.
  • Describe diagnostic testing and treatments that relate to the role of a medical assistant.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
 

Student Testimonials

  • "Excellent presentation." -- Marie M.
  • "Every single part was helpful." -- Beatrice I.
  • "Excellent, fast to get the reply email!" -- Supalak B.
  • "The information provided was interesting and educational. The instructor responded quickly on test and assignment reviews and provided excellent feedback on the results. I learned a lot about the responsibilities of a medical assistant as well as medical procedures in general. The materials were easy to follow, and well written." -- Donna M.
  • "It explained the difference between administrative and clinical medical assisting very well. In addition, it explained the type of certification available and that one didn't necessarily need certification if the doctor's facility offered on the job training." -- Kari U.
  • "I appreciated the prompt feedback." -- Shirley L.
  • "I think these courses are great! I have learned alot. I have already sent people to take classed." -- Deb S.
  • "I enjoyed the class. It had a lot of helpful information." -- Elissa C.
  • "All of the course was very helpful" -- Thomas V.
  • "I absloutly LOVED this course. It was wonderful. All the information was fantastic. I want to say that I am taking an online college course from my local college and universal class is far more informative and fun. The assisgnments are fun and a little bit of a challenge. I loved it. Im getting my mom to sign up for your platinum membership in a few days =) thanks for providing such a great source of learning for a great price." -- Amanda P.