Medical assistants are healthcare professionals who really support doctors and ensure a smooth practice. They are accepted in a number of clinical and administrative tasks and thus remain a part of the healthcare providers’ team. Many people are choosing to enter this field, and hence, they are enrolling in Medical Assistant Training in Manhattan to learn the necessary skills before starting a job.
Clinically, medical assistants record medical histories, prepare patients for examinations and discussions with the provider, and communicate procedures or treatments.
The work of an assistant includes helping the physician and nurse during examinations, giving injections, dressing wounds, and conducting certain elementary tests such as blood pressure and throat tests. MAs also obtain lab specimens, including blood and urine, and forward them to laboratories for tests.
Some of the administrative tasks carried out by medical assistants include Coordinating Appointments. Besides updating patient records, the medical assistant is charged with answering important telephone calls, handling billing-related work, and handling other correspondence.
They also ensure liaison between patients and healthcare providers by providing clarity and smooth workflow. They support these crucial processes to enable physicians to offer care to patients.
What Sets Patient Care Technicians and Medical Assistants Apart?
Although both PCTs and MAs assist patients, the two have very different jobs and roles in focus and scope of practice in a healthcare facility.
The major duty of a Patient Care Technician is to provide technical assistance to patients. This may involve doing activities like feeding, dressing, washing, or getting the patients to use the bathroom.
PCTs also monitor vital signs, give emotional comfort and emotional support, and even engage in activities like drawing blood or dialysis. Their work is focused on patient comfort and basic care, usually in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
On the other hand, a Medical Assistant performs all clinical and administrative duties. MAs help patients register in the facility, prepare the patient for examinations, manage appointment booking, maintain medical records, and bill, among other administrative procedures. A person can easily learn these duties by enrolling in Medical Assistant Training.
Much as MAs have to interact with clients, their attention is more on the successful running of a medical facility rather than providing daily constant care as a PCT would.
Benefits of working as a medical assistant
Work Location Flexibility
One of the primary advantages of being a medical assistant is the flexibility of work location. MAs can work in various settings, such as physician’s offices, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and even remote administrative positions.
Some medical assistants can also take a work-from-home opportunity or a remote contract in various states, which provides an exciting opportunity to broaden their skills and gain diverse experience while maintaining a good work-life balance.
Ability to Specialize or Generalize
Medical assistants have the capacity to specialize in a particular area of medicine or be generalized when it comes to patient care. In most small offices of physicians, MAs are often seen to fill a number of different roles, ranging from clinical activities to the administrative side.
Alternatively, in larger healthcare organizations, MAs can focus on a specific area, for example, pediatrics or cardiology, and take on more defined tasks, thus providing an opportunity to acquire deeper expertise in a chosen area.
Strong Employment Growth and Security
Much improvement is expected to be realized in the coming years in the demand for medical assistants, with job opportunities expected to rise. This growth will be based on the progressive growth of technology and increases in the aging population, thus resulting in an ever-increasing demand for continuous delivery of health care.
As patient numbers continue to rise, more medical offices are likely to open in the industry, which means strong job security and considerable long-term career prospects for medical assistants.
The Power of Teamwork
Medical assistants are able to provide support to any healthcare team. Generalists work for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, or physicians’ assistants in examinations, minor office procedures, or as administrative staff.
Having an organized pattern of operation where everybody is involved in every practice strictly developed to be a team results in having satisfactory jobs for people who coordinate well within a group.
Opportunity to Learn Patients
Another highly fulfilling aspect of the role of a medical assistant is direct contact with patients. MAs are often an assurance factor in a visit, easing the patient’s anxieties and creating a pleasant experience.Â
Many patients feel comfortable enough to share private health information with MAs than with other staff, allowing MAs to establish profound, trusting relationships with patients that serve as the foundation for quality patient care.
Variety of Work Tasks
A medical assistant has a varied and dynamic day-to-day role, offering variability in both clinical and administrative duties. Depending upon the practice setting, MAs can perform certain roles, such as taking vitals, preparing lab work, scheduling appointments, or managing patient records. This diverse workload keeps the job dynamic, so no two days are ever the same.
Hands-On Experience Before Graduation
Most other careers require at least a little post-graduation experience before starting work. Medical assistants gain practical work experience while training, in part through internships.
Such internship experiences can help MA aspirants deepen themselves into the realities of the job: that is, which healthcare settings and specialties are most aligned with their interests and objectives. It can set them up for long-term success in a chosen field. If you are interested in becoming a part of the healthcare team, you can consider choosing a medical assistant as a career. But remember to enroll in Medical Assistant Training in Manhattan and gain the required knowledge before you start looking for opportunities in this field.