In order for a hospital to run smoothly, there are key workers needed. Some people may think that hospital workers are limited to doctors and nurses but there are jobs that are required for the whole operation of the clinical and medical world. There are people in the hospital who attend to patients before they are looked by doctors or assisted by nurses. There are people behind counters and tables to make the hospital services and transactions as comfortable and easy as possible. One of these important jobs in a hospital or clinic is the job of the Medical Assistant.
What is a Medical Assistant MN?
A Medical Assistant is someone who is responsible for the efficient flow of a hospital operations be it in an administrative or clinical nature or the doctor’s office.
Duties of a Medical Assistant MN
- A Medical Assistant may have varying duties depending on the specific tasked that he assigned to do. A medical assistant’s duties can be in clinical, administrative or specialized.
- In the administration area, an Administrative Medical Assistant is responsible for the administrative tasks of a medical practice. He is obligated to maintain and update the patients’ records, fill out forms for insurance and assist the patients in filing the insurance claims, he also organizes the procedure of required laboratory tests and admissions in the hospital. It is also imperative that the medical assistant takes care of the smooth flow of the hospital office wherein he answers phone calls, schedules appointments and handles the medical practice’s communications. For small offices, the medical assistant may also need to do the accounting of bills and other accounts of the medical practice.
- For the Clinical Medical Assistant, a state defines the limitation of the extent a medical assistant can do in assisting doctors in their medical procedures. In Minnesota and most states, a medical practice may allow the clinical medical assistant to prepare patients before a procedure wherein he explains to the patient what to expect in a test to be taken or gives the patients instructions for a specific diet. He also responsible to assist the physician in an examination, administer a patient’s needed medication, instruct a pharmacy on the required prescription, remove stitches, change bandages, draw blood and can even administer tests like an electrocardiogram.
- A Specialized Medical Assistant works in a clinic that has a specialized or specific type of medical practice such as ophthalmology, podiatry or chiropractic medicine. This type of medical assistant is expected to do tasks that are related to the specialized practice. Like in ophthalmology, a medical assistant may do vision tests to determine the patient’s eye muscle function or assist in teaching the patient the proper use and care of contact lenses. In an obstetrician-gynecologist clinic, the medical assistant takes the vital signs of the patient and assists the OB-Gyne in any manner needed.
Work Condition of a Medical Assistant MN
A Medical Assistant MN typically works in a place with a medical environment which includes a hospital, clinical or administrative in nature or in a specialized doctor’s office. This job requires the individual to be physically fit as the work can become demanding especially in times when patients are abound. The work schedule of a medical assistant may vary depending on the assigned work and the clinic schedules of the doctors that he may be assisting. Long hours may be a possibility during busy days.
A Medical Assistant must have the patience and the willingness to work with people with difficulties. A positive attitude is needed for a medical assistant to be able to work under pressure. The ability to multi-task is also required of a Medical Assistant.
Educational Requirements of a Medical Assistant MN
To land the position of a Medical Assistant in Minnesota, the minimum educational requirement is a completing an accredited medical assistant program from a community or junior college. Most medical assistant jobs do not require certification of a medical assistant even in Minnesota but is usually preferred by employers. A certification can be acquired through the American Association of Medical Assistants.
Occupation and Progress of a Medical Assistant MN
There is a high demand for medical assistants nowadays as patients are rising especially in the aged population. A medical assistant who desires to further their career in their field must be willing to work hard and experience a lot in the job to reach a higher position. In a hospital setting, whether in the clinic or administrative offices, a medical assistant can become a supervisor or office manager with the appropriate experience incurred. To have the advantage, a medical assistant can acquire more credentials through different medical assistant associations that can give him certifications on certain specializations.