Medical assistants can take a patient's vital signs and handle insurance processing. The training needed to be considered for a medical assistant position is fairly basic, requiring a one- or two-year degree and, preferably, some on-the-job experience. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, "In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician or other health practitioner."
Medical assistants handle a variety of administrative duties in the medical office setting, and they are responsible for keeping the doctors on schedule. Whether it be filing insurance claims, faxing documents or opening mail, medical assistants are responsible for several of the office duties, which makes a solid foundation in office-related skills essential. In the classroom, medical assistants are trained in bookkeeping and accounting. Though the number of business-related classes vary from school to school, all medical assistants must have a rudimentary knowledge of bookkeeping and office skills.
Unlike nurses, medical assistants only need to complete the most basic science courses before receiving their certifications or associate's degrees. Anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology are all part of the medical-assistant curriculum. These courses give medical assistants a basic knowledge that prepares them to handle basic duties in a medical office. These classes teach a student how to identify parts of the human body and how each part functions. Medical terminology assists students with medical transcription and helps the student learn the terminology needed to better assist patients in a medical office.
Dealing with patients is one of the key elements of the medical assistant's training. Working with the public and handling basic medical office needs are essential components of the medical assistant's job. As a result, medical assistants take classes to learn how to take vital signs, weight and height, as well as how to properly fill out medical records. Many employers prefer medical assistants to know basic medical training and first-aid procedures, though these are not always required classes.