Beginning a medical assistant career can be rewarding for those who are people oriented and enjoy servicing others. Medical assistants provide vital services to medical practitioners. Often, when patients come into the medical office, the face of a medical assistant is the first one patients see. With the need for health services expanding, careers and job openings in the medical assistant career are plentiful.

Medical assistants fulfill and perform the following roles:

1. Medical assistants help physicians, chiropractors, obstetricians and other health practitioners.

2. Medical assistants perform a variety of tasks including handling both clinical and administrative duties and reporting directly to the practitioner.

3. Medical assistants verify insurance information, keep patients' medical records current and communicate with hospitals and other medical service centers.

4. Medical assistants perform other important office tasks such as greeting patients, answering phones and scheduling appointments.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the qualifications and requirements of a medical assistant

Although some medical practitioners provide on the job training, most require some sort of degree, certification or previous training before hiring on a new medical assistant. Become familiar with the job requirements and qualifications for training before applying for a position in this career.

I recommend: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides detailed information on qualifications and training requirements for medical assistants. Find and take medical assistant practice exams through MA Exam Help.

Educate yourself with proper medical assistant training

If you are not currently trained in the medical assistant profession and the job you would like to apply does not offer on the job training, look into a variety of courses made especially for medical assistants. There are many colleges and universities that cater towards the health profession and offer such specialized programs.

I recommend: Medical Assistant Training Schools provides a listing of medical assistant training schools, organized by state. Kaplan University provides an online training course for those who enjoy the ease of virtual learning.

Visit career sites, listing medical assistant jobs, on a daily basis

Even when you are currently in the training process of your new career, acknowledging and taking advantage of online job search websites will be beneficial to finding the right employment. Some practitioners may take into consideration training in progress and offer you a position upon completion or while training continues.

I recommend: Check these health-care employment job sites for medical assistants job listings: MedHunters.com, Medzilla.com or MedicalWorkers.com.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before applying for a position as a medical assistant, make sure to have an updated resume and cover letter, highlighting your medical assistant skills.
• •  Some medical assistant jobs do not require experience. You can start your career with a position like this and move into more advanced opportunities as you gain education and experience.