Medical Assistant

As a well-trained, multi skilled health care professional, the medical assistant fulfills many roles in the allied health field where the everyday challenges are balanced by opportunities for advancement, personal growth, and satisfaction. Professional organizations that oversee or regulate the education, training, and certification of medical assistants are also discussed in this chapter, as well as current career opportunities and the future of the medical assisting field.

HISTORY OF MEDICAL ASSISTING

Historically, medical assistants were trained on the job by a physician. They became skilled through the day-today education and training provided in the medical office. Because of increasing responsibilities and liability issues, most clinics today will only employ individuals who have received some type of formal training. Many physicians had become familiar with the clinical skills of nurses while working closely with nurses in the hospital setting so, as the need for formally trained staff arose, they chose to hire registered nurses to work in their offices. However, when a shortage of nursing personnel occurred, they had to look elsewhere for professionally trained office personnel who were specifically trained to perform both the administrative and the clinical responsibilities of a medical office.