What is a Medical Assistant?

Medical assistants are highly versatile professionals in both clinical and administrative realms. Their knowledge base consists of a wide array of medical subjects:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Medical terminology
• Pharmacology
• Medical billing and coding

A typical day in a medical assistant career is never lacking in excitement. As a medical assistant, your primary responsibility is to ensure that everything is working smoothly. You're an important extra set of hands for nurses and health administrators. You'll communicate with a wide variety people including doctors, nurses, patients, medical billing staff, insurance representatives and pharmacists.You may stock supplies, answer phones, set up an EKG, draw blood or explain treatment procedures to patients. In a fast-paced medical assistant career, you'll need to solve problems and be everywhere at once, while remaining calm and professional.

Jennifer Krintz, a veteran medical assistant, highlights the importance of empathy in her work: "When a patient comes in, I'll record their medical history, discuss current symptoms and take their vital signs. I help make the patient feel as comfortable as possible and prepare them to meet with the doctor. Everyone, especially patients, can get stressed out in this environment; you can't take things personally. It's essential to understand where they're coming from."