Medical Assistant

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants are an integral part of the allied health aspect of healthcare who perform administrative and/or clinical tasks to support the work of physicians and other health professionals. They perform routine tasks and procedures such as measuring patients' vital signs, administering medications and injections, recording information in medical records-keeping systems, preparing and handling medical instruments and supplies, and collecting and preparing specimens of bodily fluids and tissues for laboratory testing.

The term "medical assistant" may have legal status in all nations where they can be certified or registered, whereas elsewhere they may be a loosely defined group (covering related occupational titles such as ‘medical office assistant’, ‘clinical assistant’, 'assistant medical officer', or ‘ophthalmic assistant’). The term should not be confused with physician assistants, who may perform advanced clinical, therapeutic and surgical procedures. However with the advent of Advanced Medical Assisting, physicians are experiencing a greater level of assistance than ever seen before.

Advanced Medical Assisting is in itself a complete program which prepares its graduates for a more specialized world. The concept of Medical Assisting is similar in context to being licensed to practice medicine and surgery in the U.S.: regardless of being a Family Physician or a Cardiothoracic Surgeon, all must abide by the same policies. The scope of practice of "Medical Assisting" varies from one state to the next, but all require that the duties be delegated by a supervising physician. Therefore similar to a Cardiothoracic Surgeon who utilizes the full spectrum of law that is made available to his/her well trained nature, an Advanced Medical Assistant may carry out more specialized functions depending on their training and background, such as conducting full histories and physicals, complete clinical management of labs, office or hospitalist management of practice, as well as full integration into the U.S. graduate medical education system and residencies. At "UC Davis Family Practice Center", Medical Assistants were incorporated into daily practice to anchor residency-based medical home. At Advanced Colleges of America, graduates of Advanced Medical Assisting Medical Residency Track were able to secure residency positions at UCSF, Loma Linda and Alameda County residency programs.