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Medical Assistants
Also called : Certified Medical Assistant (CMA), Chiropractor Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, Doctor's Assistant, Health Assistant, Ophthalmic Assistant, Ophthalmological Assistant, Optometric Assistant, Ou
What they do
Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.
On the job, one would
- Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.
- Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.
- Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.
- Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.
- Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.
KNOWLEDGE
- English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
SKILLS
- Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
ABILITIES
- Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
PERSONALITY
People interested in this work, will do well at jobs that need;
- Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Attention to Detail
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Concern for Others
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
- Independence
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
- Initiative
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
TECHNOLOGY
- Accounting software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Categorization or classification software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Document management software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
- Medical software
- Network conferencing software
- Office suite software
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- Preparation
Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
Training in vocational schools or an Associate deg
- Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Jobtraining
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.