What is a medical assistant? Have you heard this term used, but aren’t quite sure what it is? Is it someone that helps out in the emergency room? Is it someone that works in a doctor’s office? Is it just another name for a nurse? If you aren’t quite sure, than hopefully we can clear this up for you.
A medical assistant is an individual that works in a physician’s office, or possibly a hospital as well. They handle many administrative and clerical duties in clinics. They also, however, have other duties as well. They also perform medical tasks such as drawing blood, taking vitals signs of patients, and preparing patients for examinations by the doctor.
So then, are medical assistants nurses?
No they aren’t. Let’s examine a few of the differences:
Duties
Nurses work almost exclusively on the clinical side of offices or hospitals. They deal with patients on an on-going basis and rarely get into paperwork or administration
Medical Assistants primarily work in offices or clinics and while they do have some clinical work, they also do a lot of secretarial/clerical duties.
Pay
Nurses can make between 45 and 70k per year depending on a wide variety of factors. They make this amount because many times they directly assist doctors and surgeons with complicated procedures.
What is a CMA’s salary? They will usually make between 25k and 35k. Much of this is due to the fact that there is SIGNIFICANTLY less training for a CMA and the responsibilities are far less extensive.
Schooling
It generally takes between 3 and 4 years to become an RN, depending on how extensive your training is. Many nurses get the minimum, get to work, and then start taking courses on the side so that they can start earning money.
A medical assistant doesn’t technically require training. However, it is highly recommended to go for 1 year and get a medical assistant certification. This will open many doors that otherwise would be closed. A 2 year associates degree is also available for this particular field and that degree can count towards an eventual nursing degree if you set things up right.
So which should you choose?
If you have the time and the money, obviously nursing school is the better way to go. But it is very expensive and requires a heavy workload. You also will deal with MANY medical procedures that you may or may not be comfortable with.
A medical assistant position is much easier to get, requiring less time in school, and less money upfront. Obviously the salary isn’t as much, but it’s a great way to give the medical field a try and see if it’s something you would be comfortable with.
Well, is a medical assistant’s job something that you think you’d enjoy doing? Many end up choosing this as a great position to get their foot in the door of the healthcare industry. If this is your choice, you can be comfortable in knowing that this industry is practically recession-proof and if you work hard, you will likely rarely have problems staying employed.