13 Incredibly Easy Steps To Be A Perfect Medical Assistant Published by Danni R., CMA, CCMA, CMAA Submitted: 21 March,2003 13 Incredibly Easy Steps To Be A Perfect Medical Assistant (You are right, of course I am exaggerating!) Formal training in medical assisting, while generally preferred, is not always required. Some medical assistants are trained on the job, although this is becoming more and more less common than in the past. Applicants usually need a high school diploma or the equivalent. Recommended high school courses include mathematics, health, biology, typing, bookkeeping, computers, and office skills. Because medial Assisting students must acquire both administrative skills, and competencies, and clinical skills and competencies prior volunteer experience in the healthcare field, or working as a nurse assistant or home health aide can be very helpful. Although there is no licensing for medical assistants, some States require them to take a test or a course before they can perform certain tasks, such as taking x-rays. Employers prefer to hire experienced workers or certified applicants who have passed a national examination, indicating that the medical assistant meets certain standards of competence. There is no easy recipe for making the perfect medical assistant; in fact, it takes hard work, interest, uniqueness, and a dedication that comes from deep within. Some may think it all starts at the medical office, where the medical assistant works diligently, side by side with the physician and other health care professionals, applying all skills learned. But this could not have been achieved without the knowledge and willingness to share with others during your training. In other words: Your success begins in the class room, and continues at the work place! A typical curriculum usually includes, but is not necessarily limited to: 1.) Anatomy and Physiology (a) Anatomy and physiology of all the body systems (b) Common pathology/diseases (c) Diagnostic reatment modalities 2.) Medical Terminology (a) Basic structure of medical words (b) Word building and definitions (c) Applications of medical terminology 3.) Medical Law and Ethics (a) Legal guidelines/requirements for health care (b) Medical ethics and related issues (c) Risk management 4.) Psychology (a) Basic principles (b) Developmental stages of the life cycle (c) Hereditary, cultural and environmental influences on behavior (d) Mental health and applied psychology 5.) Communication (a) Principles of verbal and nonverbal communication (b) Recognition and response to verbal and nonverbal communication (c) Adaptations for individualized needs (d) Applications of electronic technology (e) Fundamental writing skills. 6. Medical Assisting Administrative Procedures (a) Basic medical office functions (b) Bookkeeping and basic accounting (c) Insurance and coding (d) Facility management 7.) Medical Assisting Clinical Procedures (a) Asepsis and infection control (b) Specimen collection and processing (c) Diagnostic testing (d) Patient care (e) Pharmacology (f) Medical emergencies (g) Principles of radiology 8.) Professional Components (a) Personal attributes (b) Job readiness (c) Workplace dynamics (d) Allied health professions and credentialing 9.) Externship (a) A minimum of 160 contact hours (b) Placement in an ambulatory health care setting ====================================== Danni R., CMA, CCMA, CMAA Founder/Owner/Web Site Maintenance: Advanced Medical Assistant of America http://www.certmedassistant.com Medical Assistant Net http://www.medicalassistant.net About the Author Danni R. is a certified medical assistant through the AAMA and NHA, and MA Instructor at such well known vocational training institutions. Her background is a unique blend of healthcare sciences and freelance web design and graphic arts, which makes her the ideal author for medical assisting articles and online courses. It is this fusion of contrasting disciplines that makes her work so successful on the Internet!