The Role, Qualifications, and Career Outlook of Medical Assistants

Medical Assistants (MAs) are critical members of our frontline healthcare teams who prepare patients for the personalized care we provide. Within healthcare, medical assistants are among the most in-demand professionals. Medical Administrative assistants play a valuable role on any healthcare team, often handling a variety of organizational tasks that help with patient flow.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Educational Requirements

Employers prefer candidates with post-secondary qualifications like a one-year certificate/diploma or a two-year associate degree from accredited institutions. High school courses in relevant subjects are also beneficial. There are no prerequisites to take the course for administrative assistant training.

Essential Skills

Key skills include medical terminology, insurance processing, medical office management, data analysis, communication, and the ability to operate medical equipment.

Recommended Work Experience

Supervised internships, summer internships, and voluntary work in healthcare settings provide valuable experience. Hands-on experience in clinical and administrative tasks is highly beneficial.

Certification and Professional Validation

Certification is not mandatory but preferred by employers. The healthcare environment thrives on professionalism, precision and dedication to patient welfare. Medical assistant certification may be required for many jobs. Certifications such as the International Medical Assistant (IMA) validate clinical knowledge and professional skills, improving job prospects and career progression. Earning a CMAA establishes a medical assistant as a caring, responsible professional who has undergone a study and assessment program to validate their credentials.

Job Responsibilities and Work Settings

Typical Duties of a Medical Assistant

Responsibilities include patient care, lab tests, administering medications, handling billing, scheduling appointments, and ensuring smooth office operations. They also assist physicians during exams and procedures.

Clinical vs. Administrative Roles

Clinical medical assistants primarily deal with clinical procedures and patient care, while medical administrative assistants oversee organizational tasks, such as scheduling, managing records, and checking in patients. According to NHA, medical administrative assistants primarily work in the “front office” of a medical practice or healthcare facility. Their duties may include coordinating practice correspondence, maintaining files, and scheduling appointments. Medical assistant commonly work in medical practices, such as physicians’ offices, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities, according to the BLS.

Career Growth and Outlook

The healthcare field offers one of the leading areas of opportunities for career growth today. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics concurs with the NHA estimate. Its data indicates job opportunities for medical assistants will grow by 23% overall by 2028. This is four times the expected average growth for all jobs. NHA estimates that job openings for medical assistants are increasing by 9-15% each year. Medical assistants earn $34,800 per year, or $16.73 per hour on average, according to BLS data.

Medical Assistant Job Outlook and Salary Data

Metric	Source	Data
Annual Increase in Job Openings	NHA	9–15%
Overall Job Growth (by 2028)	US Bureau of Labor Statistics	23%
Average Annual Salary	BLS	$34,800
Average Hourly Wage	BLS	$16.73

Training Pathways and Objectives

Training programs can lead to certification. You can become one in as little as 6 months with our no-cost medical assistant certification training program – and even get paid during your hands-on MA training. Program completion qualifies you for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.

For administrative roles, the 100% online course will prepare you to work as a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA), designated by the National Healthcare Career Association (NHA).

Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) Course Objectives

The objectives for CMAA preparation include:

• Prepare to take the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) exam
• Master multitasking as it relates to scheduling appointments, processing insurance requests, maintaining records, and corresponding with patients
• Learn best financial practices for a medical center
• Master the fundamentals of medical terminology and ethical best practices
• Understand the basics of working with medical documents, medical billing, and coding processes

Core Curriculum Topics

Key areas covered in administrative training include:

• Becoming an Administrative Medical Assistant
• Managing Stress and Improving Communication
• Law, Ethics and Healthcare
• Improving Your Medical Office
• Computers in the Ambulatory Care Setting
• Telecommunications and Patient Scheduling
• Medical Terminology: Word Parts, Plurals, Abbreviations
• Managing Medical Records
• Written Communication
• Medical Billing and Coding: an Overview
• Daily Financial Practices
• The Administrative Medical Assistant as Office Manager