Medical Assistant

Tasks

• Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.

• Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.

• Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.

• Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.

• Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician.

• Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.

• Authorize drug refills and provide prescription information to pharmacies.

• Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.

• Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.

• Perform routine laboratory tests and sample analyses.

• Perform general office duties, such as answering telephones, taking dictation, or completing insurance forms.

• Greet and log in patients arriving at office or clinic.

• Schedule appointments for patients.

• Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.

• Contact medical facilities or departments to schedule patients for tests or admission.

• Inventory and order medical, lab, or office supplies or equipment.

• Operate x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests.

• Change dressings on wounds.

• Set up medical laboratory equipment.

• Keep financial records or perform other bookkeeping duties, such as handling credit or collections or mailing monthly statements to patients.

Skills

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

• 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.

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

• Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge

• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

• 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.

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

• 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.

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.