Medical Office Administration (MOA)

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”

Nature of the work

             Medical assistant perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and optometrists running smoothly.

             The duties of Medical Assistants vary from office to office, depending on the office location, size, and specialty. In small practices, Medical Assistants are usually “generalists,” handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other healthcare practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular are under the supervision of department administration.

             Medical Assistants perform many administrative duties. They answer telephones, greet patients, update and file patient medical records, fill out insurance forms, handle correspondence, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services, and handle billing and book keeping.

             Clinical duties include taking medical histories and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, preparing patients for examination, and assisting the physician during the examination. Medical Assistants collect and prepare laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They instruct patients about medication and special diets, prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, draw blood, prepare patients for X-rays, take electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change dressings.

 

 

Working conditions

             Medical Assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. They constantly interact with other people, and may have to handle several responsibilities at once.

             Most full-time Medical Assistants work a regular 40 hour week. Some work part-time, evenings or weekends.

 

 

Employment

              Medical assistants held about 387,000 jobs in 2004. About 6 out of 10 worked in offices of physicians; about 14 percent worked in public and private hospitals, including inpatient and outpatient facilities; and 11 percent worked in offices of other health practitioners, such as chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists. The rest worked mostly in outpatient care centers, public and private educational services, other ambulatory health care services, State and local government agencies, employment services, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and nursing care facilities.

 

 

Job Outlook

             Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the healthcare industry expands and because of technological advances in medicine the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. In fact, medical assistants is projected to be one of the fastest-growing occupations over the 2004-14 period.

 

 

 

Earnings

             The earnings of Medical Assistants vary depending on their experience, skill level, and location. Median annual earnings of Medical Assistants were $24,610 in May 2004. The middle 50 percent earned between $20,650 and $28,930. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $18,010 and the highest 10 percent earning more than $34,650.

 

 

- Information taken from the Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007