Are you ready to start working in the healthcare sector? The good news is that both medical assistants and practical nurses help their community and support patients in better managing their health. There are a few differences between them. This article will explain what you would do as a medical assistant or practical nurse so you can make this important decision about your future.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants perform clinical and clerical tasks, serving patients for better health outcomes, including: 

Patient Intake and History

Medical assistants greet patients in the waiting room and walk them back to the exam room. In the exam room, they prepare patients for their appointments, take vital signs, update medical history, and document relevant information in their health records. 

Assisting Physician with Exam 

Medical assistants help physicians during medical exams by preparing the necessary medical supplies, assisting with patient positioning, and monitoring the patient’s comfort and safety.

Performing Minor Treatments

A medical assistant’s treatment responsibilities vary based on their medical environment. They may remove stitches, apply bandages, and assist physicians with complex procedures. 

Taking Vital Signs 

Medical assistants use medical equipment and clinical expertise to measure a patient’s vital signs at each visit. Body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate trends can indicate a need for further testing.

Performing Diagnostic Tests 

Medical assistants perform diagnostic tests, including EKGs, pacemaker evaluations, urine pregnancy screens, occult fecal blood testing, and urinalysis.

Collecting Laboratory Specimens

Medical assistants collect biological samples such as blood and urine for laboratory testing. They learn phlebotomy during the Medical Assistant program at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College. 

Managing Electronic Medical Records

Medical assistants continually update information, ensuring that the timeliest data is available to both patients and physicians. 

Scheduling Appointments

Medical assistants support the front office and help manage appointment scheduling. They will triage phone calls, prioritize symptoms, and arrange the appropriate care. 

Triaging Phone Calls 

Medical assistants take clinical calls, screen patients for severe symptoms, and flag priority issues before directing inquiries to medical professionals. As the doctor’s representative, they help the administrative team manage urgent care appointments between well-care visits.

Infection Control

Medical assistants prevent the spread of disease by sanitizing exam rooms, disinfecting equipment, and sterilizing surgical instruments. 

Emergency Response

Trained in CPR and first aid, a medical assistant’s quick thinking and medical expertise can make a life-or-death difference in critical situations.

Medical Coding 

When filling out insurance reimbursement forms, alphanumeric medical codes describe symptoms, diagnoses, and treatments. Using the superbill created at check-in, medical assistants note the services rendered and the medical supplies used during each visit so medical facilities can be reimbursed for time and resources.

Managing Inventory 

Medical assistants are responsible for stocking the shelves with medical and office supplies and reordering when inventory gets low.

Patient Education

Medical assistants educate patients about post-surgical care, managing health conditions, medication symptoms, and treatment plans. They provide information on preventive measures, lifestyle modifications, and disease management, allowing patients to participate actively in their healthcare. 

What Does a Practical Nurse Do?

Practical nurses are entry-level healthcare professionals who provide primary nursing care under the strict supervision of a doctor or a registered nurse. Their responsibilities include:

Personal Care

Practical nurses help patients with activities of daily living, eating, bathing, dressing, and using the toilet safely.

Patient Monitoring

Practical nurses observe patients for changes in condition, reporting any abnormal findings to an RN or physician for follow-up. For example, a patient with a higher-than-normal temperature may have an infection that needs assistance.

Pain Management

Practical nurses assess patients for pain considerations, administer medications, and employ non-pharmacological interventions.

Vital Signs

Practical nurses manage vital signs in hospitals and nursing homes. They periodically take a patient’s temperature, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure. Results are added to the electronic health records for medical professionals to access during diagnosis and treatment decisions.

First Aid and CPR

In an emergency, practical nurses are trained in first aid and CPR to help patients, while physicians or registered nurses are en route to manage patient emergencies. Both first aid and CPR are included in the Practical Nursing program curriculum offered at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College.

Wound Care and Treatments

Practical nurses perform complex wound care and various treatments under physician orders. They perform urinary catheterization, test blood glucose, implement tube feeding and nasogastric tube care, manage ventilators, check pacemakers, administer oxygen, perform enemas, change bandages, and remove sutures.

Recording Patient Information

Documentation is an essential legal and professional responsibility for nurses. Practical nurses write notes to convey their observations about a patient’s condition, ensuring continuity of care.

Supervising Paraprofessional Staff

Practical nurses supervise paraprofessional team members, such as nursing assistants and dietary aides, keeping everyone managing patient care to a common goal.

What is the Difference Between Medical Assisting and Practical Nursing?

There are a few differences between medical assistants and practical nurses. These differences include:

Clinical and Clerical Responsibilities

While medical assistants perform clinical and clerical duties, the practical nurse exclusively focuses on clinical responsibilities. Medical assistants support the front and back offices, allowing nurses and physicians the time needed for direct patient care.

Medical Responsibilities

Although medical assistants and practical nurses report to registered nurses and physicians, practical nurses take on more responsibility when managing patients. They can administer medication, perform minor surgical procedures, and make care decisions with the support of a supervisor. On the other hand, medical assistants are responsible for less invasive medical procedures like taking vital signs, reporting patient histories, and educating patients on post-exam care.

Work Environment

Most medical assistants are employed by doctor’s offices and work during regular business hours. Although they may see an emergency, most patients visit doctor’s offices for less urgent reasons. The practical nurse, on the other hand, typically works in hospitals. Since hospitals are open 24/7, practical nurses work different shifts and may manage more emergencies.

Patient Rapport

Since most medical assistants work in doctor’s offices, they tend to see patients regularly and see their progression over time. They may even build rapport with patients. Practical nurses who work in hospitals will see the same patients less but likely manage more unique cases, seeing injuries and disorders that a medical assistant may not.

Medical Assistant Program

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to help students gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses, from Lilburn, Roswell/Roswell, and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL, and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment.

Practical Nurse Program

Are you looking for in Central Florida to prepare you to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN)? Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Institute in Orlando offers a Practical Nursing diploma program that trains LPN students for positions delivering basic bedside care to patients. The Practical Nursing diploma program provides the didactic and skills training needed to take the NCLEX-PN examination.* 

*While Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Institute provides test preparation and review assistance to college students, it cannot guarantee any college student will be able to take or pass any type of licensure exam. College students must be mindful throughout their entire training program that licensure is a prerequisite for employment as a nurse and to diligently prepare themselves to meet this important requirement.

Contact Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant or practical nurse.

Are you ready to support your community as a healthcare professional? You have options. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College offers a Medical Office Assistant and Medical Assistant program to start a lifelong career in the medical field.

What Does a Medical Office Assistant Do?

Medical office assistants handle front office tasks in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities. Duties consist of:

Scheduling Appointments

Medical office assistants help medical staff answer the phone and schedule appointments. The goal is to fill the physician’s schedule without making patients wait too long. 

Checking in Patients

A medical office assistant may sit in the reception area and greet patients as they enter the medical facility. They may request the patient’s insurance information, billing co-pays, and recent travel history to ensure they are ready for the medical assistant to take them back to the exam room. The medical office assistant can also help with administrative duties like electronic record filing, referral submissions, and patient billing.

Verifying Insurance Coverage

Medical facilities must verify insurance coverage, so funds are not lost due to claim denials. Once a patient sets an appointment, the medical office assistant can contact the insurance company and get verification for procedures and treatment. 

Medical Transcription

It is essential to keep patients’ records up to date, so medical office assistants help transcribe medical professionals’ notes. During a medical office assistant program, you will learn about coding, abbreviations, and medical terminology to help you transcribe information from medical assistants, nurses, and doctors.

Inventory Tracking

The medical office assistant tracks the medical and office supplies inventory to keep shelves stocked and the medical facilities running smoothly. They contact vendors and suppliers to obtain the supplies needed, allowing physicians to focus on patient care. 

Office Organization

A well-organized medical facility can run like clockwork. When everyone can find their needs, appointments are kept, and patients get better healthcare services. Plus, medical office assistants help disinfect waiting areas to keep patients and coworkers healthy.

Medical Records Management

Medical office assistants help manage records both in paper and electronic formats. They use medical software to update electronic health records, so physicians have all the information necessary to make informed decisions. These medical records include vital signs, laboratory test results, health histories, and other important patient information to make accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants manage clinical and administrative tasks in healthcare settings. It’s a role that bridges the gap between the patient and the physician. Responsibilities include:

Appointment Scheduling

The medical assistant supports the medical staff by answering phones and scheduling appointments. They know what is needed for different procedures and how long it takes the doctor to complete treatments, so medical assistants are a great resource to schedule patient appointments and medical equipment.

Greeting and Rooming Patients

The medical assistant is usually the first person a patient sees as they enter the medical facility. The medical assistant will greet patients in the waiting room and walk them back to the exam room. Along the way, the medical assistant will observe the patient for any symptoms that should be brought to the physician.

Taking Vital Signs

The medical assistant will take vital signs once the patient is in the exam room. The medical assistant takes the patient’s temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Understanding the trends behind vital signs is essential, so they are usually taken at the beginning of every visit. That way, the physician has the information to make better diagnoses and treatment decisions. 

Performing Diagnostic Tests

A medical assistant performs an EKG to test the patient’s heart rate and identify any heart issues. They are responsible for preparing the patient, performing the tests, and reviewing it for any abnormalities. They may rerun the test on the doctor’s orders if the test has abnormalities.

Drawing Blood

The medical assistant is responsible for performing phlebotomy in a physician’s office. They draw blood and either send the sample to a third-party lab for review or test it in the physician’s office. It is up to the physician to review and inform the patient about the results. However, the medical assistant can educate the patient on proper post-procedure care.

Assisting with Procedures

The medical assistant will assist the physician with biopsies and suture removal. They hand the physician sterilized instruments and offer an extra pair of hands to allow procedures to run smoothly. After the procedure, the medical assistant will disinfect and sanitize equipment and surfaces for the next patient.

Tracking Inventory

Since the medical assistants use most medical supplies, they are good people to keep track of and order inventory. They work with the medical office assistant to order supplies and stock shelves so physicians can focus on patient care.

How Do I Become a Medical Office Assistant or Medical Assistant? 

A great way to become a medical office assistant or medical assistant is by completing a vocational program at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College. While other roles in healthcare take years to train for, full-time students can become medical office assistants and medical assistants in less than a year. The curriculum covers the knowledge and skills you need to succeed as a medical professional, and you graduate work-ready and prepared for certification. 

Medical Office Administration Program

The is designed for Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College students seeking to train for an entry-level career in a medical office assistant environment. The degree and diploma programs include training in general office skills, computer skills, medical office procedures, and medical insurance and coding procedures.

Medical Assistant Program

Ready to start a new career as a medical assistant? Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell, and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back-office medical assisting skills. 

Contact Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute today to learn more about becoming a medical office assistant or medical assistant.

Successful career transitions begin with quality training. For medical assistants in Georgia, that means getting a diploma or an associate degree. Your choice should reflect your career goals and how much time you can dedicate to school. How long it takes to become a medical assistant is up to you, but both pathways have advantages depending on your circumstances.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants manage a broad range of clinical and administrative responsibilities in healthcare settings, hospitals, clinics, private practices, and long-term care facilities. Unlike medical office specialists who have non-clinical roles, medical assistants are part of both the front and back-office teams, supporting patients, peers, administrators, and clinicians.

Job descriptions vary, but the work typically includes:

Phone Triaging Care Requests

Medical assistants assess and prioritize care requests based on the urgency of the patient’s condition. Using standardized protocols, they inquire about:

• Symptoms — duration, character, and severity
• Medical history
• Self-care measures and other relevant details

The goal of phone triage is to accurately identify the urgency of the situation and direct the patient to the most appropriate healthcare physician or resource for further evaluation and treatment. It’s the foundation of timely, high-quality care.

Preparing Exam Rooms

Medical assistants prepare exam rooms for patients and physicians by:

• Stocking the necessary medical supplies including bandages, cotton balls, tape, and scissors to name a few
• Sanitizing shared surfaces to prevent the spread of illness
• Providing comfortable seating for patients and guests
• Ensuring that emergency equipment is in proper working order
• Protecting patient privacy

Updating Health Records

Accurate records of the foundation of quality care. Medical assistants update patients’ health records at each visit, noting changes in:

• Demographics including contact information
• Diagnoses
• Surgical history
• Current medications and allergies
• Family health history
• Social history, including occupation and lifestyle habits
• Current complaints

Timely updates ensure that doctors have the most up-to-date information with which to make clinical decisions.

Conducting Heath Screenings

Health screenings help physicians identify health risks. As part of a routine or sports physical, medical assistants may perform basic assessments of:

• Vision
• Hearing
• Mental health
• Cognitive function
• Home safety needs

Taking Vital Signs

Vital signs are measurements of the body’s most basic physiological functions. Before each visit, medical assistants obtain the patient’s:

• Temperature
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Respiratory rate
• Oxygen saturation level

Abnormal readings can point to acute illness or chronic disease.

Measuring Height and Weight

Changes in a patient’s height and weight can mean trouble. Height and weight measurements help doctors to:

• Diagnose medical conditions, such hypothyroidism and diabetes
• Identify developmental delays in pediatric patients
• Spot risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart failure and osteoporosis
• Calculate Body Mass Index (BMI) — a ratio used to calculate many prescription drug dosages

Performing Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests

Medical assistants perform a variety of lab and diagnostic tests, such as:

• EKGs — tracings of the electrical activity in the heart
• Urinalysis — a chemical and microscopic examination of urine sediment
• Audiometry — hearing acuity testing
• Blood glucose screening — an essential test for diabetes
• Urine pregnancy screens

Patients save a trip to the hospital and doctors get the answers they need faster.

Phlebotomy

Blood tests help physicians identify diseases, monitor therapeutic drug levels, and assess the success or failure of treatments. Medical assistants can draw blood in office settings, managing the entire process including:

• Equipment selection, from needles and blood collection tubes to tourniquets and bandages
• Patient positioning for comfort and safety
• Performing the venipuncture
• Processing samples for testing and shipping
• Patient education

Phlebotomy is among a medical assistant’s most valuable skills.

Assisting with Surgical Procedures

Doctors need hands-on assistance when performing minor surgical procedures. Medical assistants help by:

• Preparing equipment
• Passing instruments — handing tools to the surgeon as needed
• Positioning patients
• Providing emotional support
• Bandaging incisions
• Breaking down and disinfecting the surgical suite
• Sterilizing instruments
• Aftercare, including suture or staple removal

Managing Referrals

Some patients are referred to specialists, necessitating the exchange of medical information. Medical assistants streamline the process on the patient’s behalf by:

• Obtaining prior approval from insurers
• Scheduling appointments
• Forwarding the necessary personal and health data, including doctor’s note, diagnostic test results and surgical reports

Billing and Coding

Medical billing specialists manage most financial responsibilities in healthcare offices, but medical assistants may participate in many ways, such as:

• Coding superbills
• Completing insurance forms
• Filing claims
• Collecting co-payments
• Light bookkeeping

Regulatory Compliance

Healthcare offices are regulated by local, state, and federal authorities. Medical assistants collaborate with the clinical and administrative teams to ensure compliance with:

• Patient privacy rules
• Billing restrictions
• Workplace safety laws
• Environmental regulations

Inventory Management

No one knows more about the clinical supplies’ healthcare offices need than medical assistants. Inventory management duties include:

• Monitoring supply levels
• Discarding expired items
• Tracking the supplies, they use
• Reordering items when necessary

Communication

Medical assistants are physician liaisons, managing communication on the clinical team’s behalf by:

• Returning patient phone calls
• Reaching out with lab results
• Offering appointment reminders
• Reviewing instructions for diagnostic tests and procedures
• Coordinating referrals
• Writing correspondence

How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant in Georgia?

Georgia students have two ways to become medical assistants. The first is to get an associate degree. This is a comprehensive, two-year program that includes general education courses designed to enrich students and broaden their horizons.

The second is a diploma program that takes less than a year to complete. Graduates qualify for the same certification and many of the same jobs, but some employers prefer applicants with an associate degree. You may be eligible for jobs with greater responsibility if you have a degree or relevant experience.

For students, it’s a balancing act. Should you sacrifice a year in the workforce for more education or choose the shorter path to a new career with fewer employment options? If you have responsibilities at home and can’t afford to pursue a degree right now, start with a diploma and build on your education later. If you have the flexibility to spend two years in school, getting a degree expands your opportunities.

What Do You Learn in a Medical Assistant Program?

Medical assistant programs cover everything you need to know for an entry-level job in the field. The degree program curriculum is more in-depth, but diploma programs teach the same practical skills. You’ll learn how to perform these fundamental tasks including:

Preparation of Exam Rooms

Medical assistant programs cover the basics of patient hospitality, infection control, and safety. You’ll learn about healthcare equipment, supplies, sanitation, and inventory management. Graduates are prepared to manage the workflow in and out of exam rooms.

Measuring Vital Signs

Instructors in medical assistant programs work side-by-side with students, teaching them to measure vital signs using the latest equipment. The emphasis is on accuracy and reporting. You’ll practice with peers and patient volunteers during clinical externships, supervised work experiences in real-world settings.

Updating Medical Records

Today’s medical records are more than paper charts. Stored electronically in a digital format, they can be shared across different healthcare settings through network-connected information systems.

Medical assistant programs cover electronic health records (EHR), electronic medical records (EMR) and paper recordkeeping systems. You’ll learn to access, update, store, and share data securely. Concepts include how to take medical histories, reconcile medication lists, and verify insurance coverage.

Preparing Patients for Exams

Medical assistants play a key role in office resource management. By preparing patients for exams, they save the doctor’s time. You’ll learn to build rapport through education and hospitality while improving the quality and efficiency of exams through planning.

Performing Diagnostic Tests

Medical assistant programs cover the theory and practical skills required to perform diagnostic tests. Degree students get a more comprehensive view of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and pharmacology. Diploma programs are more job-focused, addressing these topics as part of your hands-on education. All students will learn to do ECGs and other testing with advanced diagnostic equipment, from ECG machines to microscopes.

Drawing Blood

Phlebotomy is part of both degree and diploma programs. Students learn to draw blood in office settings. You’ll practice on simulators and volunteers, studying the science and techniques integral to phlebotomy, including the purpose of blood tests, equipment selection, and patient preparation.

Communicating with Patients, Peers, and Professionals

Communication is the cornerstone of therapeutic and workplace relationships. Students are taught techniques that cultivate their interpersonal skills. Topics include active listening, communication barriers, and cultural competency. Graduates are well prepared to engage with patients, collaborate with peers, and team up with professionals.

Students also develop better communication and other soft skills simply by being students in degree or diploma programs. The small class sizes offered by technical schools are ideal for adult learners. A relaxed atmosphere is conducive to creativity and making friends, you’ll learn about teamwork through projects and other classroom activities.

Connecting with fellow students and instructors reinforces therapeutic communication techniques. The connections you make may last a lifetime. Whether you leave campus with a degree or a diploma, you’ll be a good medical assistant, a better communicator, and a more well-rounded person.

Final Thoughts

The projects 16 percent growth of demand for medical assistants through 2031, it’s a secure and rewarding career choice. But how you become a medical assistant is less important than getting the education that supports your personal and professional aspirations. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College in Georgia offers convenient, comprehensive, and lifestyle-friendly options.

Medical Assistant Program

Ready to start a new career as a medical assistant? Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant.

Compassionate people are naturally drawn to the medical field. However, not all healthcare jobs are created equal. Some are more physically demanding than others while advanced roles take longer to train for.

Which career you pursue should reflect your interest, aptitudes, and professional aspirations. Nursing and medical assisting are two examples of similar fields with different rewards.

Why Does Someone Get into the Healthcare Industry?

Healthcare careers have personal and practical benefits. Motivations are as unique as people are and include:

Helping Others

People feel best about their work when they know it has an impact, we all want to make the world a better place. If you’re a people person, a healthcare career allows you to make a difference in the lives of those in need.

Accessible Training

It takes years to train for jobs in some fields, time that some people just don’t have. But you can break into the healthcare industry with a diploma or an associate degree.

Job Security

The medical sector is among the fastest-growing fields nationwide. The projects a 13 percent increase in demand for healthcare workers through 2031. During a time in which technology is making some careers obsolete, nurses and medical assistants have a secure and stable future.

Personal Fulfillment

A fulfilling job improves our emotional well-being. We get a deep sense of satisfaction by having a purpose. Surveys consistently show that workers feel more engaged, motivated, and productive when their career reflects their values. The medical field is a good fit for people who are passionate about health and science.

Opportunities for Advancement

Starting at the bottom of a new field is never easy, it takes time to climb the career ladder. However, nowhere is that simpler than in the healthcare industry. Advancement is within anyone’s reach through continuing education and experience. Opportunities are plentiful.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants manage the flow of patients through healthcare offices by performing a broad range of clinical and administrative tasks.

The job includes:

Scheduling

Proper scheduling minimizes wait times and ensures the efficient use of practice or facility resources, including staff. Medical assistants work with the front office team to support the needs of both patients and healthcare providers by keeping the schedule running smoothly so that the workload is manageable.

Rooming Patients

Medical assistants prepare patients for exams or procedures by verifying their identity, confirming their medical history, taking their vital signs, and making them comfortable while they wait for the clinician. The goal is to maximize the provider’s time by managing tasks that don’t require advanced skills.

Performing Diagnostic Tests

Medical assistants can perform a surprisingly broad variety of diagnostic tests, saving patients a trip to the hospital. Examples include electrocardiograms, urinalysis, pregnancy tests and blood glucose testing.

Drawing Blood

Phlebotomy is among medical assistants’ most valuable skills. Medical assistants draw, process, ship and sometimes test samples when equipment is available.

Billing and Coding

Medical assistants have a primarily clinical role, but they’re also trained to perform administrative duties. While billing specialists manage most claims and invoicing, medical assistants are responsible for entering patient data into the clinical record, an integral part of billing. In small clinics and doctor’s offices, they may also assist with preparing insurance claims, tracking payments, and inventory management.

Office Communication

Medical assistants act as liaisons, engaging with patients on the clinical team’s behalf. From triaging urgent care requests to reviewing lab results, they manage office communication and client outreach through letter, e-mail, and phone.

Is Medical Assisting Harder than Nursing?

Medical assisting and nursing are challenging careers in their own ways. Which is harder depends on your strengths, passions, and career goals. The jobs are similar, but there are key differences, such as:

Training Requirements

Nurses need more education than medical assistants. It takes a year to become a practical nurse, and two years to become an entry-level registered nurse. However, full-time students can become medical assistants in months, rather than years. It’s an ideal career choice for working adults who need a quick transition from the classroom to the field.

Nurses also need a license to practice. Graduates must pass the NCLEX exam before they can work. Medical assistants are work-ready upon completing a vocational school program. Certification is recommended but not required.

Work Setting

Medical assistants and nurses work in many of the same places, hospitals, clinics, and private practices. However, their roles are different, and so are their working environments.

Most medical assistants work for doctors. Most nurses are employed by healthcare facilities. The pace in offices is brisk but predictable. Visits are by appointment, so time management is important but less challenging than in an acute care facility. And while emergencies occur, they’re relatively rare.

Nurses work in fast-paced settings in which crises are the rule, not the exception. And because most nursing tasks, such as medication administration, are time-sensitive, there’s limited flexibility in when they’re performed. Neither approach is harder than the other, but which you’ll prefer depends on whether you prefer consistency or variety.

Responsibilities

In general, nurses perform primarily clinical tasks while medical assistants engage in both clinical and administrative activities. Nurses provide direct patient care. Medical assistants play an equivalent but supporting role, preparing patients to receive treatment.

If you like interacting with people, being distracted by clerical duties may seem harder and less gratifying than nursing. However, if you have interests in both health and business, dabbling in a wider range of tasks than nurses are trained for could be a better fit.

Professional Growth

Nursing offers more opportunities for advancement than medical assisting, but there’s a catch. You may need another degree. Practical nurses with diplomas, for example, need at least an associate degree for most supervisory positions.

A registered nurse with an associate’s degree needs a bachelor’s for most leadership posts and a master’s to be a nursing instructor. And because most nursing education doesn’t include training in medical coding or accounting, getting a purely administrative position may be challenging.

Medical assistants may need additional education to get a promotion, but the road is less complex. Adding to your credentials through specialty certifications gives you an edge without needing a degree.

Getting an advanced phlebotomy certificate, for example, can earn you a supervisory role in a hematology practice, while coursework in accounting or human relations could qualify you to become a practice manager.

Work-Life Balance

Most medical assistants work a regular weekday schedule with evenings, weekends, and holidays off. Mandatory overtime and holiday hours are rare.

Conversely, nurses can’t punch out just because their shift is over. In an emergency, it’s all hands-on deck. Overtime requests are common, and new grads may have to work the night shift for a while before getting a premium day slot. For people who need to work evenings or weekends, however, there’s never a shortage of job openings.

What Does a Nurse Do?

Nurses play a critical role in the delivery of clinical care. Their many responsibilities include:

Assessing and Monitoring Patient Needs

In facility settings, nurses assess patients to identify physical, emotional, and social needs related to medical conditions and treatments. As the doctor’s eyes and ears, they monitor vital signs and changes in health status.

Care Planning

Nurses are autonomous professionals. They create, evaluate, and adjust individualized plans of care for each patient to ensure that their nursing needs are met.

Patient Advocacy

A nurse’s most fundamental obligation is to advocate for their patients, protecting their rights as individuals. As part of an interdisciplinary team, they work closely with physicians, pharmacists, therapists and other medical professionals to ensure that patients receive comprehensive and coordinated care, even if they can’t speak for themselves.

Administering Medications and Treatments

Nurses administer physician-prescribed medications and treatments, from tube feedings to wound care, observing for adverse reactions and responses to therapy.

Assisting with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

While assisting with ADLs, eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, and grooming is often delegated to paraprofessional staff, nurses retain the ultimate responsibility for patient safety and nursing outcomes. Direct care is the foundation of nursing practice.

Patient Education

Nurses are health educators, helping patients to better understand their diagnoses and treatment needs. Knowledge empowers people to help themselves, improving long-term health outcomes.

How Do You Become a Medical Assistant or Nurse?

Becoming a medical assistant is as simple as enrolling in a vocational school program. Admission criteria are selective but usually not strict.

Full-time students graduate with a diploma in under a year. The comprehensive curriculum prepares you for optional certification.

Nursing requires more education. Practical nursing programs take at least a year to complete. Upon graduation, you’ll be ready to sit for the licensing exam.

Admission into nursing programs is more academically stringent than it is for medical assistant programs. Not because the work is harder, but because there are fewer slots available than there are applicants.

Final Thoughts

Nursing and medical assisting are both rewarding careers with secure futures. But there’s no one-size-fits-all choice. Consider your strengths, preferences and ambitions when deciding which path is right for you.

Medical Assistant Program

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

LPN Program

The provides the didactic and skills training needed to take the NCLEX-PN examination.*ÌýLPN courses create employment opportunities that include entry-level practical nursing positions.

Contact Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College today to learn more about becoming a medical assistant or nurse.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants perform clinical and administrative duties in healthcare settings from doctor’s offices to hospitals. If you have an aptitude for science with a side of business savvy, it’s a rewarding field. The work includes:

Scheduling

Medical assistants work closely with providers to manage a tight schedule. They partner with the front office team, triaging urgent phone calls so that the sickest patients are seen first. Keeping doctors busy but not overwhelmed is in the best interest of patients who want thoughtful, unhurried care.

Rooming Patients

Once patients check in, medical assistants serve as their guides. They walk patients to treatment rooms where they update their records, take their vital signs, perform diagnostic tests, and help them change for their exams. Completing these clinical and clerical tasks while the doctor is with another patient saves valuable time.

Diagnostic Testing

Routine diagnostics, such as electrocardiograms, pregnancy screens and pacemaker checks, no longer require a trip to the hospital. Medical assistants can perform them in the comfort of a doctor’s office.

Phlebotomy

Medical assistants draw blood, making testing more convenient for patients. You’ll process samples, prepare them for shipping or do the analysis yourself if your workplace has a lab.

Minor Wound Care

Medical assistants manage minor wounds and post-surgical incisions from suture removal to bandaging. You may also help nurses with more complex dressings.

Surgical Assisting

Doctors rely on help from medical assistants to perform minor surgical procedures. You’ll set up the proper equipment, pass instruments and monitor the patient. After, you’ll clean up, sanitize the area, and sterilize the instruments. It’s a medical assistant’s responsibility to keep patients safe by controlling the spread of germs.

Patient Education

Medical assistants engage with patients when providers can’t. As liaisons, they make the most of doctors’ time by managing calls, messages, and correspondence.

They can’t offer medical advice, but they can reinforce the physician’s recommendations and relay instructions on their behalf. You’ll help patients understand new medications and prepare for tests and procedures.

Billing and Coding

Most clinical tasks include a billing and coding component. Tracking services rendered is critical for generating revenue. However, medical assistants are also trained to handle tasks from invoicing to collections so that they can fill in when necessary.

What Does a Medical Billing and Coding Specialist Do?

Medical billing and coding specialists manage insurance claims and invoicing for private practices and institutions. Their responsibilities include:

Coding Insurance Forms

Medical codes are standardized, alphanumeric sequences describing symptoms, disorders, procedures, equipment, and supplies. Medical billing and coding specialists translate health information into universal codes that insurers understand.

Filing Claims

Most medical bills are covered by health insurance, but doctors don’t get paid until claims are approved. Medical billing and coding specialists complete the forms and submit them for review.

Posting Payments

Medical billing is complex. A single invoice may have multiple payers plus additional charges or discounts to apply. Medical billing and coding specialists track payments on patients’ accounts, ensuring an accurate balance at all times so that each payer, including the patient, knows what they owe.

Appealing Denied Claims

Insurers reject a small amount claims due to insufficient or incorrect data. However, practice revenue hinges on reimbursement, so it’s up to medical billing and coding specialists to troubleshoot issues.

You’ll examine claims, determine why they were denied and gather the data necessary for approval. The goal is a quick turnaround.

Requesting Pre-authorizations

Under some policies, certain treatments must be pre-approved. Medical billing and coding specialists work directly with insurers to obtain pre-authorizations. They collaborate with the clinical staff to paint an accurate picture of what the patient needs and why. Requesting pre-authorization protects both practices and patients from financial liability.

Bookkeeping

Medical billing and coding specialists manage bookkeeping tasks from balancing cash drawers to reconciling credit card payments. Other duties include invoicing and collections.

Medical Assistant vs Medical Billing and Coding Specialist

Medical assisting and medical billing and coding are both fulfilling careers. Which one you pursue should reflect your aptitudes and career goals. There are significant differences in the responsibilities and rewards.

Duties

A medical assistant’s role is both clinical and clerical. In most practices, clinical responsibilities take precedence, you’ll devote most of your time to patients. Jobs with a more administrative focus, however, are available.

Medical billing and coding is a non-clinical role with no direct care responsibilities, the duties are exclusively financial. You’ll spend more time with computers than with people.

Training

Medical assisting programs cover clinical and administrative procedures, but the training in billing and coding is less comprehensive. You’ll learn what medical billing and coding specialists do in the context of your clinical responsibilities, so you can help bridge the gap between the exam room and the back office.

Medical billing and coding programs cover financial topics in detail, but the clinical training is limited. You’ll learn just enough to facilitate coding.

Employment Settings

Many medical assistants work for doctors, the rest are employed by hospitals, clinics, chiropractors, and public health departments.

Medical billing and coding specialists are also employed in private practices and healthcare facilities. However, they may also work in non-medical settings, including pharmacies, insurance companies, medical supply firms, and independent billing agencies.

Working Environment

Healthcare facilities are fast paced, there’s never a dull moment. How much excitement you want on an everyday basis should help decide where you want to work.

Medical assistants can choose an action-packed hospital or a doctor’s office where the pace is more relaxed. Still, as part of the clinical team, they need to be flexible, emergencies happen when they’re least expected.

Medical billing and coding specialists stay busy, but crises are limited to dollars and cents, not life and death. It’s a good career choice if you prefer a more structured and predictable day.

Work-Life Balance

Full-time medical assistants work a regular Monday through Friday schedule. A great job for parents, you get evenings and weekends off with the kids. On-call and overtime demands are rare. For evening birds and night owls, there are always off-hours opportunities in hospitals and urgent care clinics.

Medical billing and coding specialists enjoy a similar schedule, but evening or overnight jobs are challenging to find. Because your job requires engaging with insurers, plan on working a traditional 9 to 5.

Careers in medical assisting and medical billing both offer an enviable work-life balance with opportunities for part-time and job-sharing positions.

Coworkers

Medical assistants are surrounded by patients, peers, and professionals. Members of the administrative and clinical teams, they work with doctors, nurses, administrators, and billing managers.

Medical billing and coding specialists have less interaction with medical professionals and more with peers, insurers, managers, administrators, accountants, and auditors. You’ll only contact the clinical team when you need to clarify data for a claim.

Career Growth

Medical assistants have advancement potential. Some build on their diplomas and move into related fields, like nursing. Others grow into supervisory roles as they gain experience, becoming clinical team leaders or office managers.

Medical assistants are also eligible for dozens of specialty certifications that pad their credentials. A cardiology certificate, for example, opens doors in the heart health field. If you tend to get bored in jobs and like to switch roles without changing careers, medical assisting is an excellent choice.

Medical billing and coding specialists have growth opportunities in administration. Working on a degree while you gain experience is the fast track up the career ladder. And lateral moves are always an option. In a busy hospital, medical billing and coding specialists qualify for many positions.

Personal Fulfillment

Most medical assistants choose the field because of the personal connections they make with patients. You’ll work one-on-one with vulnerable people, and it feels good to know you’ve changed lives.

However, medical billing and coding can be an equally gratifying role if you prefer less intimate relationships with patients. You’ll still be part of the medical field, providing an invaluable service to your community. However, you’ll be insulated from the emotional ups and downs that come with caring for the sick.

How Do You Become a Medical Assistant or Medical Billing and Coding Specialist?

Enrolling in a vocational school program is the first step to becoming a medical assistant or a medical billing and coding specialist. You’ll graduate with a diploma in less than a year. If you’re unhappy with your current job, these lifestyle-friendly programs are ideal for adult learners who want a fresh start without spending years in a 4-year college.

Medical assisting and medical billing programs prepare students for the certifications upon which they can build a career. And they offer robust job placement services. They’re not satisfied until you find quality employment.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the difference between medical assistant and medical billing and coding specialist, it is time to learn more about Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ College. We can help you decide which healthcare career is best for you. Whether you’re a wellness enthusiast with a passion for science or a financial guru with a talent for billing, there’s a career in healthcare for you.

Want to Learn More?

Medical Assistant Program

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offersÌýÌýto gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Medical Billing and Coding Program

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute’sÌýwill provide you with the opportunity to learn insurance coding and processing, medical administrative procedures,Ìýand the regulatory requirements in the healthcare delivery system.Ìý School externships provide the opportunity to apply theÌýmedical billing and coding skills learned in the classroom in actual medical settings.ÌýÄ¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers medical billing & coding courses to gain essential skills and training to achieve entry-level positions in this career field. These medical billing & coding courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant or medical billing and coding specialist today.

Medical assistants are frontline support specialists. Allied health professionals, they assist licensed healthcare providers in doctor’s offices, clinics, and hospitals. However, their duties are far from ordinary. Trained to perform both clinical and administrative tasks, their responsibilities include surprisingly technical tasks. Does that include drawing blood? Let’s find out.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

What don’t they do? Part-clinical professional, part administrator, medical assistants manage an endless range of clinical and clerical tasks in office settings. No two days are alike, part of the fun of medical assisting is the day-to-day variety. But as a medical assistant, your work will typically include:

Scheduling

Medical assistants work closely with providers and front office staff to juggle routine appointments and emergency visits. Using your clinical expertise, you’ll triage phone calls and work with the doctor to prioritize the sickest patients first.

Welcoming Patients

Medical assistants escort clients to exam rooms where they complete important clinical tasks and paperwork to save the doctor time. You’ll take their vital signs, update their health history, and make them comfortable before the provider arrives.

Administering Medications

Medical assistants may administer most of the low-risk medications given to patients in office settings. In a pediatric practice, for example, you might immunize children. In family practice, you’ll give flu shot.

Performing Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests

Diagnostic testing is one of the more technical aspects of a medical assistant’s job. Depending on where you work, you may perform EKGs, assist with x-rays, and examine urine samples with a microscope.

Infection Control

More of a process than a task, infection control procedures prevent the spread of disease in healthcare environments. You’ll manage a broad range of related activities from sanitizing exam rooms to sterilizing instruments.

Assisting with Surgical Procedures

Minor surgical procedures, such as biopsies, are often performed in doctor’s offices. You’ll help by setting up equipment, passing instruments, and supporting the patient.

Client Communication

Medical assistants serve as liaisons between patients and their healthcare providers. A go-between, you’ll be a trusted source of information, managing phone calls, taking messages, and writing correspondence.

Patient Education

Medical assistants don’t give medical advice, but they help patients follow their doctor’s recommendations through education on timely health topics from nutrition to heart health. You’ll collaborate with providers to reinforce treatment recommendations.

Billing and Coding

Most medical assistants have a primarily clinical role, but they’re also trained in general office tasks from filing to faxing. Between visits, you’ll give the front- and back-office teams a hand with billing, referrals, and other paperwork.

Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy, or venipuncture, is the process of drawing venous blood for diagnostic testing. Can medical assistants perform phlebotomy? They can.

Do Medical Assistants Draw Blood?

Medical assistants are not certified phlebotomists, but they can draw blood. The difference is where they do it and why.

Phlebotomists draw blood in a wide range of settings from hospitals to blood donation centers, it’s all they do. Medical assistants perform phlebotomy in clinics and office settings in addition to their other duties.

Having a medical assistant in the office allows private practices and other small facilities to offer venipuncture. Patients win by not having to visit the hospital, and doctors’ benefit by getting test results faster, phlebotomy is an essential service.

All medical assistants are trained to draw blood, but whether you’ll do it daily or occasionally depends on where you’re employed. Working in a podiatry office, you’ll rarely draw blood. In a hematology or oncology practice, you may perform venipuncture every day.

How Does a Medical Assistant Draw Blood?

Drawing blood is a simple yet complex process that starts well before the sample is drawn.

Steps include:

Review the Order

Phlebotomy is performed under a doctor’s order. Requisitions list which tests they want, determining which equipment and protocols you’ll use to draw the blood.

Screen the Patient

Medical assistants are responsible for patient safety, so the phlebotomy process has been somewhat standardized to limit errors. Still, you’ll need a sharp eye and sound clinical judgment.

Before drawing, you will:

Verify the patient’s identity — drawing blood on the wrong patient subjects them to an unpleasant and unnecessary medical procedure. And if the error isn’t caught, results could end up in the wrong person’s chart, affecting treatment decisions. Always check the patient’s name and date of birth.

Confirm compliance with restrictions — some tests require fasting for accuracy. Patients who don’t comply risk unreliable results.

Check the patient’s health history — you may need alternative equipment for patients with an allergy to any of the supplies used in the venipuncture process. Some people, for example, react to latex, skin disinfectants and bandage adhesives.

Evaluate the patient and gather supplies — the supplies you’ll use depend, in part, on the tests’ orders. However, you’ll need to make adjustments based on the client’s age, size and health status. Preparing the proper equipment before you get started helps the process go smoothly.

Position the patient — most people sit in an armchair to have their blood drawn. However, patients with a history of fainting may need to lie down. Safety first! Now you’re ready to draw.

Complete the Venipuncture

To perform the draw:

• Wash your hands.
• Wear the necessary personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves.
• Disinfect the patient’s skin with rubbing alcohol or an alternative disinfectant.
• Apply a tourniquet above the venipuncture site.
• Stabilize the vein using your thumb and forefinger while inserting the needle into the vessel.
• Advance the collection tube until the blood flows.
• Release the tourniquet.
• Withdraw the needle, applying firm pressure to the site to stop the bleeding.
• Dispose of the needle in an approved container.
• Cover the wound.
• Discard your gloves and label the samples.
• Review home care instructions and answer patient questions. Most want to know when to expect results.

Process the Samples

In hospitals, phlebotomists draw blood, but laboratory technicians handle the processing. In doctor’s offices, some medical assistants do both.

Some tests require whole blood while others are performed on plasma or serum. You’ll find processing and shipping requirements for tests done off-site in the laboratory’s test catalog.

What Medical Equipment Does a Medical Assistant Use to Draw Blood?

Medical assistants use the same equipment and supplies as doctors, nurses, and certified phlebotomists. Tools of the trade include:

Personal Protective Equipment

Anyone drawing blood must protect themselves from bloodborne pathogens with personal protective equipment. As part of universal precautions, a set of safety standards that all healthcare professionals follow, PPE limits exposure to potentially dangerous illnesses.

To draw blood, gloves are the minimum requirement. Other examples of PPE that phlebotomists use include sharps containers, puncture-proof biohazard boxes that prevent needle stick injuries, and face shields is a concern.

Alcohol Pads

Drawing blood is not an entirely sterile procedure, but cleanliness counts. It’s important to reduce bacteria counts on the skin’s surface to lower the chance of infection. In most cases, a vigorous scrub with an Isopropyl alcohol pad does the trick. It cuts through dirt and oils to eliminate germs in cracks and crevices.

For certain tests, or if the patient is allergic to alcohol, alternative disinfectants, such as chlorhexidine or betadine, may be used.

Needles

Needles come in dozens of sizes for patients from infants to seniors. You’ll choose which to use based on their age, weight, and health. One-inch, 20-gauge needles are appropriate for most adults but too large for kids and the ill or elderly. Blood flows faster through large-bore needles, but they can exert too much pressure on weak veins, causing them to collapse.

Collection Tubes

Years ago, venipuncture was performed with a needle and the same type of syringe used to give injections. It works, but samples drawn with syringes tended to clot too fast because of the time it takes to load additives.

Today’s phlebotomists have an advantage. Collection tubes are preloaded with additives and color-coded for easy selection. Complete with a vial and rubber stopper, they’re pushed onto a holder with a two-sided needle, one end punctures the stopper and the other goes into the vein. Simple and nearly foolproof, the strength of the vacuum alone pulls the blood out of the vein.

Tourniquets

Applying a tourniquet above a venipuncture site keeps blood in the limb below, plumping up the vein to make it more visible and resistant to rolling. It’s applied to the upper arm, just above the elbow, for draws from the antecubital vein or two inches above the wrist for draws from the top of the hand.

For the patient’s comfort, tourniquets are released once blood begins to flow. Latex-free tourniquets are available for people with allergies.

Gauze and Bandages

Blood can continue to ooze from a venipuncture site long after the needle is removed, especially if the patient is on blood-thinning medication. Applying pressure with gauze stops the bleeding and limits bruising.

Avoid cotton balls, strands can stick to the dried blood and dislodge the clot when pulled away. Stick with 2-inch by 2-inch gauze pads and check every 30 seconds for bleeding. When it’s stopped, applying a small adhesive dressing helps protect the patient’s clothes.

How Do You Learn Phlebotomy and Become a Medical Assistant?

You can become a medical assistant and learn phlebotomy by enrolling in a vocational school medical assisting program. You’ll learn theory in the classroom while practicing on peers and simulators. Most programs also include off-site externships in healthcare settings where you can shadow an experienced medical assistant and practice your skills on patients.

Full-time students can graduate in as little as a year with the technical and people skills needed to succeed. You’ll learn from seasoned instructors who’ll show you the ropes and support you while you learn. By graduation day, you’ll be a confident phlebotomist.

Final Thoughts

Drawing blood is a must-have skill for today’s medical assistants. Valued by employers, it makes you a sought-after applicant in a competitive job market. If you’re intimidated, don’t be. Fear and failure are part of the learning process. We all have butterflies; but you just have to be brave enough to try.

Want to Learn More?

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

One way in which medical assistants contribute to better healthcare is by performing diagnostic tests. Convenient, it saves patients a trip to the hospital and conserves valuable resources. If you’re passionate about science and have an aptitude for technology, you’ll appreciate the excitement that doing laboratory tests provides. But which diagnostics can a medical assistant perform, and does it include EKGs?

What Tests Does a Medical Assistant Perform?

Which diagnostics you’ll do regularly as a medical assistant depends on the hospital, clinic or practice you work for. But you’ll be trained to do these tests:

Urinalysis

Medical assistants are not only trained to collect urine specimens, but they’re also taught how to perform urinalysis, a test that examines the contents of urine for abnormalities indicating an infection or other medical condition. From reading test strips to examining samples under the microscope, medical assistants learn how to identify the components in urine that could spell trouble from white blood cells and crystals to red blood cells and casts.

Pregnancy Tests

Urine-based pregnancy tests are done both to detect pregnancy and to rule it out before doing x-rays. In a women’s health practice, you may perform these daily.

Nasopharyngeal and Throat Swabs

A new role evolved for medical assistants during the pandemic, doing nasopharyngeal swabs. Essential for Covid-19 testing, it expands on the throat swabs done to diagnose strep throat infections.

Occult Blood Testing

The presence of occult blood in feces, blood you can’t see, suggests a wide range of medical conditions from gastrointestinal ulcers to colon cancer. The screening test is simple, place feces on specially treated paper, add chemical regents and observe for color changes. Medical assistants perform this test often as part of annual physicals for older adults.

Mantoux Testing

Tuberculosis remains a public health threat, so testing is part of pre-employment physicals for many workers. Performed by medical assistants and read by nurses, the Mantoux test is done by injecting tuberculin toxin between the two most superficial layers of skin.

Phlebotomy

Phlebotomy, the process of drawing blood from a vein, is necessary to collect samples for testing. Medical assistants are trained to draw and process specimens, testing them in-house when possible or shipping them to a laboratory.

EKGs

Among the most important tests medical assistants do are EKGs. There are several types that medical assistants perform or assist with. Let’s take a closer look at what an EKG is and the medical assistant’s role.

What Is an EKG?

An EKG, or ECG, is an electrocardiogram. Developed at the turn of the 20th century by the Dutch physician and medical researcher, , it’s a simple test that maps electrical activity in the heart through leads applied to the body’s surface. Heartbeats are recorded as waves, each corresponding to a different phase of the cardiac cycle:

P Wave – starts when the sinoatrial node, the heart’s pacemaker, fires an electrical impulse.

Q Wave – measures the impulse as it travels through the septum, the bridge between the right and left sides of the heart muscle.

R Wave – the tallest peak on a normal EKG, reflecting the contraction of the left ventricle.

S Wave – occurs as the lower chambers of the heart muscle depolarize, and the right ventricle contracts, forcing blood through the lungs.

T Wave – marks the end of the cardiac cycle as the ventricles relax.

There are two types of EKGs that medical assistants perform. The first is a standard 12-lead EKG that gives doctors a two-dimensional view of heart function. Done with the patient at rest, it takes about ten minutes to complete in an office or inpatient setting.

The second is portable Holter monitoring for patients who experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or palpitations, only occasionally or during activity. Patients are fitted with discrete devices as small as a deck of cards. Worn for up to two weeks, Holter monitors can catch abnormalities that regular EKGs miss.

What Do EKGs Tell Doctors?

An electrocardiogram is just one of several diagnostic tests used to assess cardiac function and diagnose disorders, such as:

Heart dysrhythmias — abnormalities in the heart rate and rhythm

Ischemia — chest pain resulting from decreased blood supply to the heart muscle

Electrolyte imbalances — high or low levels of mineral ions that regulate heart function

Cardiomyopathy — thickening of heart chamber walls secondary to heart failure or high blood pressure

Heart attacks — the death of heart muscle due to coronary artery blockages

Early diagnosis of these heart disorders improves the odds of successful treatment. A quick, painless, and inexpensive test, the EKG is among the fastest ways to detect a heart attack.

What Are the Steps to Perform an EKG?

Medical assistants are responsible for the EKG process from start to finish. The steps include:

Equipment Preparation

Before the first test of the day, medical assistants do quality control checks on the EKG machine to ensure that it’s working properly. They restock the necessary supplies, disinfect shared spaces, and turn off unnecessary electrical devices, such as cell phones, fans and air conditioners, which could interfere with the tracing.

Prescreening

Medical assistants screen patients for physical limitations before testing begins. People with heart failure, for example, can’t lie down without having shortness of breath, so accommodations must be made. The goal is for the patient to be comfortable enough to remain still, movement causes artifacts in the tracing.

Patient Education

Getting the best EKG results requires patient cooperation, so medical assistants explain the process in detail before the test begins to alleviate stress.

Patient Preparation

Helping patients prepare physically for an EKG is straightforward, but each step is critical for the best results.

As a medical assistant, you will:

• Safeguard patient privacy
• Remind patients to remove metal jewelry and body piercings that may interfere with the test
• Offer loose-fitting garments to make electrode placement more comfortable
• Help position the patient on the exam table
• Shave the hair and cleanse the skin where the electrodes will be applied

Performing the EKG

To perform the EKG, the medical assistant sticks the electrode pads firmly on the patient’s body, avoiding bony prominences and broken skin. Once placed, the color-coded leads that transmit the electric impulses are attached and the electrocardiograph is turned on.

The patient is then asked to take a deep breath and hold it while remaining as still as possible until the tracing is complete, it takes less than 30 seconds. Preliminary results are recorded in the patient’s chart for the doctor to review. Any unexpected symptoms or glaring abnormalities are reported before the patient leaves.

Aftercare

After the test, the medical assistant removes the electrodes and helps physically impaired patients peel off the pads. Patients are reminded when to expect results and who they can call with inquiries. The exam room is then restocked and sanitized for the next patient.

How Often Does a Medical Assistant Do EKGs?

In a busy cardiology office, a medical assistant could do dozens of EKGs per day, some are hired exclusively for that role. In a hospital, clinic, or general practitioner’s office, you may do several per week to a few per day.

EKG Skills for Medical Assistants

Performing EKGs is a technically straightforward task, but it also requires sound clinical judgment and people skills. Among the most essential are:

Empathy

Medical assistants work with patients from all walks of life, many of whom are anxious about diagnostic tests. The more you can put them at ease, the more likely they’ll be physically relaxed, so the EKG will be more accurate.

Patient satisfaction is also important, so medical assistants should consider the procedure from the patient’s point of view, improving their comfort in whatever way possible.

Attention to Detail

Performing an EKG is simple, but there’s little room for error. Poor technique can skew the results, resulting in care delays. Attention to detail is crucial.

Good Communication Skills

Medical assistants coordinate with physicians, colleagues, and patients during the EKG process. From explaining the process to patients to notifying the doctor of unusual findings, good communication skills keep things running safely and smoothly.

Stamina

Doing EKGs requires bending, twisting, and reaching to place electrodes and assist patients with physical challenges. Being in good physical condition makes the job easier.

Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze facts and make sound decisions. It’s a skill medical assistants will use every day as they troubleshoot issues pertaining to EKGs from how to calm a frightened child to when to notify the doctor of abnormal findings. Critical thinking is a must for prioritizing workflow and managing emergencies.

A Commitment to Lifelong Learning

Healthcare evolves continually, and so must your skills as an EKG technician. New techniques and insights into EKG interpretation are always on the horizon. As a medical assistant, you’ll need to embrace lifelong continuing education.

How to Become a Medical Assistant

If doing EKGs sounds intriguing, one of the quickest ways to get training is to enroll in a vocational school medical assisting program. You’ll graduate in less than a year with EKG and other valuable skills while enjoying benefits, such as financial aid, small class sizes and job placement services. A diploma is your key to a secure future in a growing industry.

Final Thoughts

Medical assistants have broad-ranging responsibilities, but few are as exciting or meaningful as doing EKGs. Working side-by-side with doctors, you’ll peer into the human body using the latest in technology and bring better health to your community, one patient at a time.

Want to Learn More?

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

Jobs in the medical field are popular for their many benefits, but most can take years in college to train for. It’s a barrier for students with enthusiasm and aptitude. But the good news is that you don’t have to wait to fulfill your higher education goals. If you have your heart set on a healthcare career, you can become a medical assistant in less than a year by graduating with a diploma from a vocational school in Georgia.

Why Do People Get Jobs in Healthcare?

Careers in healthcare have a lot to offer both personally and professionally. But it’s the personal rewards that draw most people to the field. You’ll thrive as a medical assistant if:

You’re a People-Person

If you like getting to know people and learning about their stories, healthcare is a person-centric field. You’ll meet physically and emotionally vulnerable patients from all walks of life that need care. You’ll put a human touch on medicine and make connections that will last a lifetime. Working in the healthcare field has benefits beyond a paycheck.

You’re Team-Oriented

Medicine is a collaboration among many healthcare professionals, including medical assistants. If you don’t feel supported in your current job, you’ll enjoy the camaraderie in the healthcare field. You’ll work with like-minded people focused on a shared goal, delivering top-quality care.

You Want to Help Your Community

Americans are aging and retiring in record numbers, many millions in the next decade. As they do, they’ll need more highly trained staff to deliver preventive medical services, so the demand for frontline healthcare workers has never been greater. As a medical assistant, you’ll support your neighbors, caring for them as individuals and at the community level through education and outreach services.

What Does a Medical Assistant Do?

Medical assistants have a diverse range of clinical and administrative responsibilities. They support the clinical staff by managing tasks that require training, while bridging the gap between the office and the exam room with their clerical expertise. Medical assistants are the jacks-of-all-trades that private practices, clinics, and hospitals depend on to keep things run smoothly. As a medical assistant, you’ll:

Schedule Appointments

Front office assistants handle most of the scheduling in a doctor’s office, but when it comes to squeezing in emergencies or booking procedures, medical assistants have the clinical training needed to schedule urgent or complex visits.

Triage Phone Calls

Office assistants handle routine inquiries, but medical assistants manage health-related calls. When patients phone in troubling symptoms, medical assistants ask clinical questions on the doctor’s behalf, triaging messages from the most to the least urgent.

Room Patients

After check-in, medical assistants help patients prepare for exams. They escort patients to treatment rooms and help them change while performing basic clinical and administrative tasks that save the doctor valuable time.

Update Medical Records

Among those duties is to update the patient’s health record so the provider has the most current information with which to make effective treatment decisions. You’ll review a patient’s medication and allergy lists, note physical complaints, and perform verbal pre-screenings for pain, mental health, and home safety issues.

Take Vital Signs

Medical assistants take a patient’s temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiratory rate at each visit, creating an ongoing record to track changes that could point to disease. It’s a simple yet technical task that requires sound clinical judgment and people skills.

Do Diagnostic Tests

Among a medical assistant’s most important responsibilities is performing diagnostic tests. In school, you’ll learn to check blood glucose levels, analyze urine samples for signs of infection and take electrocardiograms. If you enjoy science and technology, it’s exciting work that offers opportunities to specialize.

Working in a cardiology office, for example, you may do dozens of EKGs per day while a medical assistant in a urological practice will do urine testing. Becoming skilled at diagnostic testing is a good way for medical assistants with a strong interest in a particular type of medicine to enter a specialty field.

Perform Phlebotomy

Blood tests, like minor surgeries, can be performed in a doctor’s office with the help of a blood tests offer doctors insight into their patients’ health.

Once a service only accessible in hospitals, phlebotomy is now offered in most private practices. In a vocational school program, you’ll learn how to take and process blood samples.

Assist with Minor Surgical Procedures

More doctors are offering in-office surgical procedures from mole removals to biopsies for their patients’ convenience, but they can’t do it alone. As a medical assistant, you’ll set up instrument trays, prepare safety equipment, pass instruments during the procedure, and keep a close eye on the patient’s comfort and well-being.

Manage Infection Control

Medical settings can harbor viruses and dangerous strains of drug-resistant bacteria. From screening patients for symptoms of infection to disinfecting exam rooms and equipment between visits, medical assistants take the lead in keeping patients safe.

Educate Patients

Medical assistants can’t diagnose or treat illness, but they can educate patients about their doctor-prescribed treatment plans. As go-to sources for clinical information, it’s rewarding to help patients better understand their physician’s recommendations from dietary advice to medication safety. You’ll also help prepare people for surgeries with pre- and post-procedure instructions.

Help Around the Office

Medical assistants receive training in general office procedures from filing and faxing to writing correspondence and managing inventory. Instruction also includes billing, coding and filling out insurance forms.

In a large facility, most medical assistants have a greater clinical than administrative role. But in a small office, you may be involved in a broader range of clerical activities when you have downtime. From helping the front office with referrals and assisting the back office with insurance claims, you’ll dabble in it all. One of the best parts about being a medical assistant is the opportunity to spread your wings and use your full range of talents.

How to Become a Medical Assistant in Georgia

There are several ways to break into medical assisting in Georgia. Gone are the days when you can find a medical assisting job without formal training, the healthcare industry has become too complex and the cost of on-the-job training too high. Employers in Georgia want applicants with proven skills.

But while some medical assisting students opt to get an associate’s or even a bachelor’s degree, most candidates get diplomas from vocational schools because it’s an easier option. The only prerequisites are a high school diploma or general equivalency certificate, compassion, enthusiasm, and the willingness to work hard.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant in Georgia?

How long it takes to become a medical assistant depends on your choice of training and career goals. It takes two years in college to get an associate degree and four to obtain a bachelors. But full-time students can get a diploma in less than a year by graduating from a vocational school program in Georgia. You’ll qualify for certification and can apply for the same jobs as college graduates because the curriculum is just as comprehensive.

And most vocational schools in Georgia offer the same perks as colleges, like career services, plus value-added benefits from smaller class sizes and hands-on training to flexible learning options and hands-on training.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t have 2 to 4 years to get a formal education, then consider a vocational school program. In less than a year, you can start working on the frontlines of healthcare in Georgia. Take the first step with us and learn about the medical assistant program at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute today. Bring your passion and enthusiasm and we will supply the rest.

Want to Learn More?

Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

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Medical assistants are in demand. It’s secure, rewarding work for people with the right stuff. Not everyone will enjoy working in healthcare, so it’s important to reflect on your reasons for wanting a career in medicine. What qualities make a good medical assistant, and why do they matter? Let’s find out.

Why Is Having the Right Qualities Essential for a Medical Assistant?

Employers know that having the right qualities makes employees more successful. But on a personal level, your qualities can also make or break your satisfaction with a job. While some character traits can be learned or nurtured through experience, it’s unreasonable to expect that you’ll thrive in an environment that doesn’t support your strengths and passions.

Healthcare is a highly regulated industry, and professional expectations are high. Offices run like clockwork and schedules are tight. If you believe rules were made to be broken, and the world shouldn’t turn until you’ve had your second cup of coffee, a different field might be a better fit. But if that sounds like you, and you’re ready to take the next step, a career in medical assisting could be just what the doctor ordered.

What Qualities Make a Good Medical Assistant?

Serving patients is what healthcare is all about. These qualities will help you be successful and love your job.

Quality #1: Good Communication Skills

As a medical assistant, you must have good communication skills. Relationships with patients, professionals and peers thrive on a delicate balance of listening, understanding, and responding.

Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Behavioral scientists believe the majority of what we say or hear is conveyed through body language. Medical assistants work with physically and emotionally vulnerable people, so emotional intelligence, the ability to sense what people are feeling through observation is essential for good communication.

Practical skills are important, too. The ability to read, write and speak confidently is a must. At the heart of the healthcare team, you’ll serve as a liaison between doctors and patients and clinical and administrative staff. Medical assistants are the central hub through which high volumes of information flow.

Quality #2: Empathy

Empathy is the ability to see things from someone else’s perspective, to understand events from a different point of view. As a medical assistant, you’ll work with people of all ages and from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Empathy is what helps you understand that children are afraid of shots because they don’t know what to expect and that patients are sometimes irritable because they’re scared or in pain.

Quality #3: Compassion

Compassion is best defined as practical empathy. It’s more than being sensitive to the pain of others, it’s the drive to do something about it. Patients are more than their list of complaints. Each malady impacts their lives in unexpected and often devastating ways.

Empathy is how a medical assistant knows a patient with chest pain is scared. Compassion is why they offer emotional support.

Quality #4: Critical Thinking Skills

Medical assistants are problem-solvers. Critical thinking, the ability to gather facts and come to sensible conclusions, is how they prioritize tasks and make accurate decisions under pressure. It’s a type of common sense that helps medical assistants realize that a woman with difficulty breathing should see the doctor before the man with a skin rash. Applied to everything they do; critical thinking helps a medical assistant function effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Quality #5: Flexibility

No two days in a medical office are ever alike. Appointments are made and then canceled while an emergency lurks around every corner. As a medical assistant, the quiet day you had planned to clean out the supply room can quickly turn into a free-for-all with a waiting room full of flu patients. If you want to be happy working in healthcare, learn to go with the flow.

Quality #6: Time Management Skills

Busy days can be stressful but being punctual and making the most of every minute prevents them from becoming overwhelming. People born with good organizational skills recognize wasted time and have an inherent ability to manage a full schedule. Others aren’t so lucky and need guidance to keep the day on track. The good news is that with experience and the right tools, anyone can learn to be a good time manager. Practice makes perfect.

Quality #7: Team Spirit

Healthcare is a team effort. Everyone has a different job to do but they all share the mission to give patients the best care possible. Navigating relationships with co-workers and staying in your lane while not being afraid to lend others a hand is challenging. A sense of team spirit makes it easier to respect each person’s role and their professional opinions.

Quality #8: Dependability

Medical assistants are part of a close-knit team. Employers and peers trust them to do their jobs. Tasks in an office are interdependent, and when someone doesn’t pull their weight, the rest of the team suffers.

Dependability should also extend to patients. When you promise to call someone back, keep your word. Few things are more stressful than waiting for a test result or attention from your doctor when you’re having worrisome symptoms.

Quality #9: Open-mindedness

It’s a small world. Today’s medical assistants will see patients from diverse cultures, many of whom may not share the same beliefs in medicine. A patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions is set in stone, even if they don’t agree with their doctor’s recommendations. A medical assistant should be supportive and open-minded, remembering that life is more than the sum of medical interventions.

Quality #10: Discretion

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, forever changed the way medical information is handled. Gone are the days of keeping charts at the foot of the bed. By law, data can only be accessible to those who need to know it to do their jobs and with the patient’s permission.

Not only can employers be fined, and employees fired for violating HIPPA, but patients expect better. They deserve the utmost discretion.

Quality #11: Professionalism

Medical assistants are the ambassadors of first impressions. As a representative of the healthcare team, their appearance, demeanor, and behavior reflect on the entire practice. By approaching clients with a courteous and thoughtful demeanor, they promote the team’s goals, enhance their reputation, and inspire patient confidence in the care they receive.

Quality #12: A Commitment to Learning

Graduating from a medical assisting program is just the beginning of your learning process. No program can possibly cover every skill you’ll need or every case you’ll encounter. Medicine is a technologically advanced, ever-changing field, there’s always something new to learn. A commitment to ongoing education helps medical assistants maintain relevant skills.

Quality #13: A Sense of Ethics

Ethics are the moral principles that guide someone’s behavior. Closely linked to your sense of responsibility, it’s the ability to differentiate between what’s right and wrong in complex situations.

For example, if a medical assistant in a hurry to leave work on a Friday afternoon botches a laboratory test, ethics is what drives them to stay and do it over rather than submit questionable results that could harm a patient.

Quality #14: Optimism

No one, least of all patients, want to work with glass-half-empty people. They want to spend time with positive, optimistic staff who enjoy and see value in what they do. The healthcare field is emotionally charged, but even when the chips are down, a positive attitude can move mountains.

Quality #15: Teachability

Medical assisting programs empower students with the skills they need to be successful. But the classroom and the real world are two different places. You’ll often run into situations that don’t fit neatly in a box, problems for which there are no protocols or official guidance. In those moments, it’s essential to be teachable, allowing your supervisors to walk you through complicated situations without a rule book.

Knowing what you don’t know is important for patient safety, but the willingness to listen and learn from more experienced voices means as much to the development of your practice as what you learned in school.

What If I Don’t Have All of These Qualities?

It’s crucial to do some soul-searching before embarking on any new career. Life is too short to be miserable forty hours a week. It’s possible to be good at something and still be unhappy doing it, so if you don’t have many of these qualities, an honest self-appraisal might reveal it’s not a good choice for you. Education is an investment, and it’s important to go into it with your eyes open.

Still, it’s a rare person who has all the qualities necessary for any job. And thankfully, you don’t have to be perfect to be satisfied or successful as a medical assistant. There’s plenty of room for growth. It’s an exciting and meaningful career, what you do makes a difference.

Benefits include:

• A short training program
• A supportive environment
• Regular hours
• Exciting work settings
• Opportunities for professional growth

If you don’t have all these qualities, don’t be too hard on yourself. Time is often the best teacher. A vocational school medical assisting program helps you cultivate your best qualities and experience does the rest.

Final Thoughts

Having these qualities is helpful for medical assistants, but for students, one attribute that didn’t make the list is perhaps the most important, enthusiasm. With the right blend of passion, self-awareness and commitment, success could be right around the corner.

Do you want to build the qualities that make a good medical assistant? Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

The need for medical assistants is growing nationwide, but demand is rising exponentially in southern states where seniors are flocking to warmer weather. If you live in Atlanta and are considering a job in the healthcare field, it’s a rare opportunity. Let’s take a closer look at how to become a medical assistant, and why it’s such a popular career.

Why Do People Become Medical Assistants?

The healthcare field offers dozens of exciting opportunities. With so many to choose from, why do people become medical assistants?

It’s Fulfilling

Jobs pay the bills, but careers make you feel good inside. Whether it’s guiding the community through a pandemic or helping vulnerable people in need, medical assistants make a difference by helping patients navigate complex health issues.

If you like to work with people, a career in healthcare is an obvious choice. As the liaison for the healthcare team, medical assistants get to know each client personally, forming close therapeutic relationships as they serve them through the years.

As patient educators, medical assistants work one-on-one with patients, helping them cope with new diagnoses and promoting preventive care. It’s rewarding in ways only a people-centered career can be.

There’s Never a Dull Moment

Careers in healthcare are fast paced. Experts in both clinical and clerical procedures, medical assistants have such a broad range of responsibilities that the work never gets old. One day, you might work in the front office triaging phone calls. The next, you’ll be in the lab drawing blood. Some shifts, you’ll be a jack-of-all-trades, doing everything from assisting with minor surgery to giving immunizations.

Medicine continually evolves, and there’s always something new to learn. You’ll be among the first to learn about the latest medical advancements, spreading the word about new treatments and services.

If you like to stay busy and intellectually engaged, being a part of a cutting-edge field may be just what the doctor ordered. Workdays are structured and predictable enough to plan around, yet they’re rarely the same twice.

Medicine Is a Team Sport

Workers in some industries feel like small fish in big ponds. But medical assistants are essential members of the healthcare team. As the first point of contact for patients, they’re empowered to use their skills, supervised but never second-guessed.

They have plenty of support from both peers and professionals, and their opinions and contributions are valued. Few careers that require so little time in school are this impactful.

It’s a Flexible Job in More Ways Than One

Careers in all industries have benefits, but flexibility isn’t always one of them. Family-friendly schedules, for example, are tough to find. Most medical assistants work Monday through Friday with evenings and weekends off. It’s the work-life balance parents crave, and it makes any job more manageable when you have other responsibilities. Medical assistants report high levels of job satisfaction.

Medical assisting also offers a flexible choice of work settings. There are dozens to choose from. Most medical assistants work in doctor’s offices, but roles are expanding in hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies.

Clinically focused medical assistants with a passion for a specialty aren’t limited to working for one type of practice. Physicians from pediatricians and geriatricians to cardiologists and women’s health specialists all hire medical assistants. You can work where it matters most to you, knowing you have the option to try something different if you need a challenge.

It’s a Respected Career

Medical assisting isn’t a new profession. Recognized since 1955, it’s supported by an independent professional organization. The has worked hard to earn credibility for medical assistants creating education standards and backing efforts to boost wages. Both patients and clinicians appreciate what medical assistants do and with that comes respect.

How To Become a Medical Assistant in Atlanta

Few adults can afford to spend two-, four- or even six years in college to train for a new career. Whether you’re fresh out of high school or looking for a change, a vocational school medical assisting program can be completed in months, attending full-time. Students graduate work-ready, it’s a short pathway to a brighter future and a steady paycheck.

Atlanta has a large community of healthcare providers, from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Northside Hospital, Soliant Health, and Select Specialty Hospitals to name a few. From physician’s offices to specialist, hospitals, clinics, long-term care and assisted living, medical assistants are in demand in Atlanta and the healthcare community is always looking for newly trained medical assistants to join their teams.

What Are the Benefits of Attending a Medical Assisting Program?

While a license isn’t required to be a medical assistant in Georgia, if you live in Atlanta, a diploma offers many benefits worth exploring.

Benefit #1: It’s Comprehensive Education

A medical assistant with a vocational school diploma qualifies for the same jobs as an applicant with an associate’s degree. But how can vocational schools turn out quality candidates in half the time?

Vocational schools in the Atlanta area teach students the same skills as colleges but in less time using a focused curriculum. Training is a combination of classroom and hands-on instruction. Students learn the practical skills they need from seasoned instructors without spending time or money on elective courses that don’t contribute to their job qualifications. It’s a comprehensive, high-quality education.

Benefit #2: It Makes You a More Competitive Job Applicant

Employers are responsible for the actions of their staff, so they want highly trained applicants they can depend on to practice safely and give their patients the quality care they deserve. Practically speaking, higher education is expected.

Optional certification requires a diploma, and only certified medical assistants can do certain tasks, such as entering doctor’s orders into patient’s records. Vocational schools prepare graduates for certification, so employers have everything to gain and nothing to lose by hiring only the best-trained personnel.

Candidates with diplomas need less on-the-job training, costing practices less, and in some cases, it can also lower their insurance costs. As the price of doing business goes up, employers are incentivized to save money where they can, beginning with staff.

Benefit #3: You’ll Enjoy Faster Professional Growth

No one wants to feel like they’re spinning their wheels, a job with no possibility of promotion is frustrating. In some industries, experience matters more than a diploma, but in healthcare, you’ll need both to advance.

Medical assistants with diplomas have a wide range of skills they can build on, growing into specialized or supervisory positions. Staff with less education tend to linger on the lower rungs of the career ladder.

A diploma can also be a stepping-stone to even higher education. After a few years on the job, some medical assistants develop an aptitude for certain types of tasks. Someone with talent in the lab or billing may opt to build on their education to become nurses, laboratory technicians or office managers.

Benefit #4: It Comes with Lifetime Career Services

Vocational colleges in Atlanta partner with local healthcare offices to understand their needs, tailoring their curriculum to teach the most sought-after skills. Hospitals and private practices, in turn, call vocational schools when they need qualified job applicants, knowing they’re well-trained and ready to hit the ground running. It’s a win-win for both employers who need skilled staff and graduates who want to find their dream jobs.

Successfully placing graduates in rewarding roles is a vocational school’s mission. Career counselors evaluate students’ strengths and weaknesses and help them find jobs that are a perfect fit. Finding your first position in a new field is challenging as a new graduate, but vocational colleges are on your side, in many cases, offering lifetime placement assistance.

Are Medical Assistants in Demand?

According to the , demand for medical assistants is skyrocketing. Growth is expected grow by 19 percent in the coming decade. Why? Millions of baby boomers are nearing retirement, and as they do, they will need many more preventive health services. Also, technology is enabling seniors to live longer, healthier lives through early intervention.

The need for more qualified healthcare workers is industry wide. Doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals are in demand, but schools are struggling to keep pace. Medical assistants help ease the burden of too few providers by supporting clinical staff.

This level of job security is one of the many reasons people choose to become a medical assistant. As more jobs become obsolete, replaced by technology, few industries can promise that type of growth.

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about a new career in the healthcare field, you have choices to make. Atlanta is a great place to learn and work as a medical assistant. There’s no reason to put your education aspirations on the back burner, vocational schools offer high-quality education at an affordable price with flexible scheduling options to fit any lifestyle.

Did learning about how to become a medical assistant interest you? Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ & Institute offers to gain essential skills and training at multiple campuses from Lilburn, Roswell and Atlanta/Marietta to Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC. The core curriculum at these campuses focuses on the medical assisting skills and training you will need to seek entry-level employment in physicians’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and other medical settings needing the services of associates trained in both front and back office medical assisting skills. These medical assisting courses will be the first step in starting a rewarding career.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

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