What education, training, and experience must one have to function as a Medical Assistant?
Some Medical Assistants are trained on the job, but many complete one- or two-year academic programs. Applicants to post-secondary medical assisting programs typically have a high school diploma. Courses in the program cover anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology as well as typing, transcription, record keeping, accounting, and insurance processing. Students learn laboratory techniques, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical principles, the administration of medications, and first aid. They study office practices, patient relations, medical law, and ethics. Accredited programs often include an internship that provides practical experience in physician offices, hospitals, or other health care facilities. How and by whom is a Medical Assistant supervised? In small practices, Medical Assistants usually handle both administrative and clinical duties and report to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in larger practices tend to specialize in a
