No. While there are some responsibilities that are considered universal across work settings – such as recording patient histories, administrative tasks and intrapersonal maintenance – the day-to-day of a medical assistant will vary widely depending on where they work.
Physician’s Office
The most common work environment for medical assistants is physician’s offices, with hospitals being a close second. Physician’s offices are generally more boutique than most medical environments, attending to a smaller but regular pool of patients with a limited staff. As such, MAs tend to juggle a larger and more varied workload – assisting with everything from patient record management and coordinating with insurance companies to helping physicians organize ongoing care for patients with chronic conditions.
Hospital
Hospitals often offer a stark contrast to physician’s offices – fast-paced, with long hours that can stretch into the next day and a much larger team of other healthcare professionals. Medical assistants may be expected to help with emergency response and trauma care, preparing patients and operating rooms for surgery and monitoring patients afterward.
Some hospitals may require interested medical assistants to have specialized knowledge in cardiology, oncology and intensive care. St. Louis College of Health Career students looking to enter a hospital setting after graduation can enter the workforce with confidence after taking the CMA exam and earning their certification. We offer rigorous training for a wide variety of specializations and will hone your skills so you can gain a competitive edge over other entry-level medical assistants.
Clinic
Clinics also focus on seeing a large volume of patients but tend to patients with more routine injuries or ailments and don’t offer overnight stays. Medical assistants may help with routine check-ups, wellness appointments and immunizations – all with a focus on diligent examinations and time management to maintain a brisk flow of patients. In the case of specialty clinics, like pediatrics or orthopedics, MAs may be expected to have specialization training in those fields in order to be hired.
Outpatient Facility
Outpatient facilities are a smaller operation than a hospital, usually offering non-urgent procedures and treatments. Medical assistants’ responsibilities primarily pertain to monitoring patients post-procedure and educating them on home care and follow-up instructions, ensuring they’re well prepared before sending them home.
Urgent Care Centers
Urgent care centers are not to be confused with ERs in hospitals – they don’t offer emergency care services. They provide same-day services for patients with minor ailments or injuries. Medical assistants in these settings will focus on providing immediate care for minor injuries and illnesses as well as determining whether a patient needs to be transferred to an emergency room or not.
Long-Term Care Facilities
In long-term care facilities, medical assistants focus on coordinating patients’ ongoing care, designing treatments and rehabilitation programs to ensure patients are receiving effective and targeted care. They may also coordinate communications with patients’ families regarding their status and future plans.
Schools and Universities
Medical assistants occasionally work in schools, providing health services, managing student immunization records and educating students on well-being, disease prevention and other relevant matters.
Laboratories
Medical assistants working in laboratories don’t focus on patient care. Instead, they primarily collect and test samples from patients, performing diligent analysis, ensuring quality control and managing communication and reporting of results in patient records.
Home Health Care
Prospective medical assistants can also specialize in home healthcare, managing one-on-one patient care that includes administering medication, monitoring vital signs and coordinating care with loved ones and other healthcare providers.
Universal Responsibilities
While the role of a medical assistant can vary depending on the setting, there are some responsibilities that are universal regardless of where they work – a primary one being maintaining interpersonal relationships with patients. Medical assistants must:
- Have empathy for what patients are experiencing to make them feel comfortable and heard
- Listen attentively to patients’ concerns
- Be patient with difficult patients
- Remain calm while managing stressful situations
- Be capable of adapting to an ever-changing environment, schedules and patient technologies
- Have the ability to collaborate with healthcare professionals to design effective personalized patient plans
Succeed No Matter Where You Work With a Reputable Nursing Education in St. Louis, MO
At St. Louis College of Health Careers, we offer rigorous courses and hands-on training to help graduates enter the workforce with the necessary skillset and confidence they need to succeed. We also offer fully online programs for current professionals looking to make a switch or acquire the education they need to advance in their careers.
Start your application for our medical assistant program today by calling 866-529-2070.