Medical Administrative Assistant Careers Information
Medical administrative assistants are an essential part of good doctor-patient relations; without them many doctors would probably call in sick themselves! They keep a medical office running smoothly, and are usually experts at dealing with the needs of both patients and doctors. Medical administrative assistants schedule appointments, greet patients, take phone calls, deal with paperwork — including letters and insurance forms, and maintain and file patients’ charts.
Medical Administrative Assistant Careers & Degrees
- Everest University: Brandon
Everest Institute: Austin
National American University: Albuquerque, NM
Medical administrative assistants are also in charge of stocking supplies as well as tracking billing matters. Although they don’t normally handle practical medical matters, they interact with the ill all the time, and some medical administrative assistants are trained to handle routine lab tests.
Medical Administrative Assistant Careers Path
A high school diploma is usually needed, as well as basic office skills. There are specialized programs, some available in high school vocational training, and others with an Associate’s degree, in colleges which teach medical terminology and transcription, as well as insurance coding and other applicable skills. CPR training is generally looked for as well.
Medical Administrative Assistant Careers: Compatible Personality Traits
Enjoys helping others, organized, can handle stress, patient, nurturing, detail oriented, good communicator, multi-tasker, works cooperatively, tactful, discrete
Medical Administrative Assistant Careers: Salary Expectations
The median salary for medical administrative assistants is $27,100. Those who work for non-profit organizations and the government tend to earn slightly more than those at private practices.
1-4 years=$25,265
5-9 years=$29,469Medical Administrative Assistant Careers: Job Outlook
Opportunities in the field are expected to increase 9-17% by 2014. As offices get more automated, some physician assistants are taking on more responsibilities once handled by medical administrative assistants. Those with more medical training will be able to thrive as a more integral part of the team, while those with strictly a secretarial background may get phased out.
Slightly off the Footpath
- Medical Office Manager
- Medical Billing & Coding
- Medical Transcriptionist
- Medical Research Registrar
- Medical Assistant
