Medical Assistant Job Description

MEDICAL ASSISTANT SUMMARY OF FUNCTIONS

Responsible for aiding physicians, keeping medical records, helping and examining patients, and performing routine office duties.

MEDICAL ASSISTANT ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepares patients for examination or treatment by checking and recording blood pressure, pulse, temperature, height, and weight.
• Asks patients about their medical histories and records answers in the patient file.
• Prepares examining rooms for patients, arranging medical instruments for the examination.
• Straightens and sterilizes the examining room after each examination, disposing of used linens and supplies and sterilizing instruments.
• Prepares patients for x-rays and laboratory examinations, administers electrocardiograms.
• Instructs patients about taking medications, improving their diet or monitoring their activities before laboratory tests or surgery.
• Keeps track of office and medical supply inventories, ordering new supplies when necessary.
• Performs administrative tasks as necessary, including typing case histories, keeping files and records up-to-date, transcribing dictation, and performing patient correspondence.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Reports to the Nurse, Clinical Supervisor and works with the supervising Physician.

MEDICAL ASSISTANT QUALIFICATIONS

Medical assistant certification is required; an associate’s degree for medical assistants is preferred. Good communications skills and the ability to work well with people is essential. Good grooming, courtesy, and the ability to respect patients’ needs are required.

MEDICAL ASSISTANT PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Ability to communicate orally with patients, doctors, nurses, and others is crucial. Regular use of the telephone is important.  Standing, walking, or sitting for extended periods is common. Hearing and vision within normal ranges is helpful for normal conversations, to receive ordinary information and to prepare or inspect documents.

Heavy lifting is not expected. Exertion of up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally may be required. Good manual dexterity for the use of common office and medical equipment such as computer terminals.

Good reasoning ability is required to solve a wide range of medical and emergency problems. Able to apply math skills and other analytics as required. Able to maintain emotional stability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stresses. Able to understand and utilize management reports, medical charts and other documents to conduct business.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The job is performed indoors in a traditional medical office or hospital setting. Exposure to potentially dangerous materials and situations that require following extensive safety precautions, as well as loud noises, unpleasant odors, and liquids may occur. Protective (safety) equipment, including appropriate clothing, shoes, gloves, goggles, and face mask, is required at times.  Activities include extended periods of standing, walking, or sitting and extensive work with measuring devices and medical machinery.