AHEC Connecticut
MEDICAL SUPPORT - Medical Assistant
To be a successful Medical Assistant you should...
- like working with people
- be interested in health sciences
- be flexible and adaptable to change
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What will my job be like?
Medical assistants perform routine administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices and clinics of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and optometrists running smoothly.
Preparing patients for examinations, they take vital signs such as temperature, pulse, and respiration. They assist with first aid, collect and process specimens, and perform ordered tests. As the physician’s right hand, these professionals schedule appointments, prepare and maintain patient records, and arrange hospital admissions. A medical assistant serves as a liaison between the physician and others, such as pharmaceutical sales people.
Where could I work?
Most medical assistants work in physician offices. Medical assistants often find employment either in full-time or part-time positions.
Other workplace settings:
- Chiropractor Offices
- Medical Clinics
- Optometrist Offices
- Ophthalmologist Offices
- Podiatrist Offices
- Sales
- Insurance Companies
What is the average annual salary?
$31,576
What is the future of this career?
Employment of medical assistants is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014 as the health care industry expands because of technological advances in medicine and the growth and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of medical assistants in the rapidly growing health care industry will further stimulate job growth. In fact, medical assistants is projected to be one of the fastest growing occupations over the 2004–14 period.
What type of education and/or training do I need?
There are both 1-year and 2-year medical assisting programs.
Two-year programs result in associate degrees while 1-year programs grant certificates or diploma's.
Formal training in medical assisting is most widely preferred but is not always required. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, although this is less common than it was in the past.
Where can I get the education and/or training?
- Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield
- Branford Hall, Branford
- Briarwood College, Southington
- Butler Business School, Bridgeport
- Capital Community College, Hartford
- Care Training Center, New Haven and East Hartford
- Fox Institute of Business, West Hartford
- Gateway Community College, New Haven
- Goodwin College, East Hartford
- Huntington Institute, Norwich
- Manchester Community College, Manchester
- New England Technical Institute, New Britain
- Northwestern Connecticut Community College, Winsted
- Porter and Chester Institute, Enfield, Stratford, Watertown, and Wethersfield
- Quinebaug Valley Community College, Danielson
- Ridley Lowell Business and Technical Institute, New London
- Sawyer School of Business, New London, Hamden, Hartford
- Stone Academy, Hamden
- St. Vincent's College, Bridgeport
- Teamwork, L.L.C., Salem
Do I need a license or certification for this career?
Licensure is not required in the state of Connecticut.
Where can I get more information?
American Association of Medical Assistants
20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 1575
Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 899-1500
www.aama-ntl.org