There are so many different kinds of workers -- all with different job titles and descriptions -- necessary to make a healthcare facility function properly. Among those workers are medical assistants. Without trained and certified medical assistants on staff doctors’ offices, hospitals, and clinics would not run as smoothly and efficiently as they could otherwise.

Medical assistant jobs are pretty variable when it comes to the types of tasks these professionals do. Depending on the facility they may do everything from maintaining patient paperwork to performing minor care in the office. To give you a better idea, below we’ll look at some of the more common environments where medical assistant work.

Hospitals - In the hospital setting a medical assistant usually has one of two responsibilities: patient record-keeping or insurance claim processing. Both tasks may seem trivial to the casual observer, but they are anything but. Without medical assistants to handle patient records the nursing staff and/or doctors would have to get involved. As for insurance forms, they are a highly specialized area in and of themselves.

Private Practice - In the private practice a medical assistant might have multiple tasks. For example, at the office of a small primary care practice there may be two or three medical assistants sharing the tasks of record-keeping, phone monitoring, and prepping patients to see the doctor. Without these workers doctors and nurses would be able to see fewer patients; office organization would also suffer.

Public Health Clinic - The public health clinic is another hotbed for medical assistant jobs. In that environment medical assistants are indispensable because they can do so many different tasks. They do all the little things behind the scenes to keep a clinic running and the patients getting the care they need.

Nursing Homes - At nursing homes and assisted-living facilities the medical assistant has the privilege of working with the elderly. Though there are some frustrations, the ability to contribute simply by being a friend is one of the most important things a medical assistant can do in a nursing home environment. Without them, a facility is less of a home more of an institution.

Becoming a Medical Assistant

In most states formal education and certification is not necessary to become a medical assistant. But practically speaking, few facilities hire assistants without some sort of certification. Thankfully, there are certification programs all over the country along with several accreditation organizations offering certification exams.

A clinical medical assistant desiring to specialize in some sort of feel like obstetrics and gynecology would most certainly need to get some additional education. A good place to inquire about educational opportunities would be your local hospital or a regional nursing school. Community colleges sometimes offer medical assistant courses as well.

Medical assistant jobs are readily available if you're interested in joining the healthcare industry as it continues to grow and expand. It's a great career that can last you a lifetime or provide a stepping stone to something different.