Medical Assistants perform a number of secretarial duties such as, taking patient history and maintaining medical records, arranging for medical and clinic supplies and equipment, coordinating laboratory services, placing and answering phone calls for scheduling appointments and handling the correspondence and billing.
Physician Assistants perform duties that entail direct contact and involvement with patients, therefore are qualified to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services, as directed by a physician. Some tasks include examining and recording vital signs, explaining treatment procedures to patients, drawing blood for lab services and change dressings, may prescribe medications and diet plans to patients as instructed by the physician.
Top online Medical Assisting schools offer online degree and certificate programs in Medical Assisting. No formal education is required to get into medical assisting profession and only a high school diploma can land you your first job. However, employers prefer individuals with higher education, as work experience and education will further advancement and promotions and pave way into the senior healthcare positions. Certifications are also an added benefit as it may lead to better career opportunities and higher salary packages.
Coursework may include anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology, as well as keyboarding, transcription, recordkeeping, accounting, and insurance processing. Students are taught in laboratory techniques, clinical and diagnostic procedures, pharmaceutical principles, the administration of medications, and first aid. Further courses include: office practices, patient relations, medical law, and ethics.
