Are you looking into the medical field but find yourself confused by all the different terms and jobs? For the most part, everyone is familiar with the terms nurse and doctor, but when asked about a medical assistant, people are unsure what to say and are confused about what they do. If you are looking into becoming a medical assistant, it is important that you understand your roles and how you will work to make your workplace a better environment. Just like a nurse or doctor, a medical assistant has plenty of duties and tasks they execute throughout the day. While they are not as high up in the medical world as a nurse or a doctor, they are still a very important cog in the machine and without them, healthcare services would not be running as smoothly as they do.

Here is a list of some duties that medical assistants carry out on the daily.

Preparing Charts and Medical Records

The first thing a medical assistant does is to make sure the office is running efficiently and with a high degree of organization. Though often overlooked, the office work in a doctor’s office is essential and without a good medical assistant, even the best doctor would fall apart. As a medical assistant, you would be responsible for updating patient info and their charts. This means that every time a patient visits, you are to confirm that their personal information is correct, and put their chart together based on the reason for their visit. This ensures that the doctor does not have to spend time gathering all this information and can quickly move from patient to patient to maximize their time. After the patient meets with the doctor, you are to gather all of the new information obtained and put it onto the patient’s chart. It is always your responsibility as the medical assistant to keep that document updated with all relevant information. Medical paperwork is one of the main duties of a medical assistant

Scheduling and Billing

Are you able to find someone who is willing to work every day of their life for free? Are you willing to work for free also? I assume that you answered no to both of these questions, that is why billing and scheduling is another important duty of a medical assistant. It is up to you to create accurate invoices that are to be delivered to the patient based on the type of service they received from the doctor. It is important to recognize that not every visit to the doctor is the same and some might require more extensive treatment that will also cost more money. After billing, it is also your responsibility to set up follow up appointments if necessary, or schedule appointments for lab testing and hospital admissions.  Many doctors request that patients follow up around a week later to see if symptoms have cleared up. Check in with the patient as they are leaving to see if they have to come back anytime soon, and from there help them to schedule an appointment in a time that works for both the doctor and the patient. Also, get in contact with any lab the doctor has sent them to and set up an appointment there as well. Scheduling and billing your patients are an important aspect of a medical assistant that helps to keep the office running.

Preparing the Patient and Room

Things can be hectic at a doctor’s office, with people constantly leaving and coming in. As a medical assistant, you have to keep track of what rooms are currently occupied, and what rooms are open. From there, it is up to you to instruct patients to go into a room and help get the room ready for the doctor to see them. This includes assessing the vitals of the patient and having them get into a gown if necessary. You could also be tasked with changing the bandages of a patient or taking a blood sample for analysis. One of the least talked about duties performed by a medical assistant is greeting the patient and helping them feel comfortable. According to https://medassisting.org/medical-assistant-duties/, patients often come into doctor’s offices nervous and unsure of what will happen. Many of them worry about needles, as well as possible costs for the visit. A medical assistant is there to help reassure them, and make them feel comfortable for the upcoming appointment. Patient preparation work is another major task you will perform as a medical assistant.

Medical assistants are there to help the office run much smoother. Without them, the doctor would be spending much more time with each patient, leading to even longer wait times than there already is. Do not let the fact that a medical assistant is lower than a nurse and doctor discourage you from becoming one. Just like any occupation, a medical assistant is greatly appreciated by those around them and help to make patients feel comfortable while providing doctors with all the necessary information. So, what got you interested in the medical field?