College of Natural
& Health Sciences

Biological Sciences

     

Medical assistants are multi-skilled health care professionals trained to serve with physicians in the medical office performing administrative and clinical duties.  The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that medical assistant is one of the ten fastest growing occupations in the United States and is predicted to continue to expand through the year 2016.

Certified medical assistants perform many administrative duties which may include maintaining patients' medical records, receiving patients and scheduling appointments, billing and insurance claims, and general office management.  The clinical duties include taking the patient's medical history, assisting the physician with the examination or minor surgery, performing basic laboratory testing, observing and instructing patients, and preparing and administering medications prescribed by the physician.   Competence in the field requires that  medical assistants maintain ethical and legal standards of professional practice and consistently demonstrate professional characteristics.

Medical assistants may be certified as a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) by the American Association of Medical Assistants or as a Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) by the American Medical Technologists. 

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