What does a medical assistant do?
Medical assistants aide physicians with patient care and office administration.
What might a medical assistant do in a workday?
- recording patients’ vital signs and measurements.
- scheduling appointments.
- coordinating records with insurers, hospitals, and labs.
- performing general secretarial and bookkeeping tasks.
- preparing treatment rooms for exams.
- helping operate some medical equipment.
- giving non-intravenous injections and performing venipuncture.
- performing basic laboratory procedures, such as urinalysis and pregnancy tests.
- performing electrocardiography, first aid, and CPR.
How much does a medical assistant earn?
- $17,000 - $25,000
How do I become a medical assistant?
Students interested in becoming a medical assistant should take challenging high school courses in science, math and English. They should also consider courses in secretarial skills, computer training, and bookkeeping. Most of these professions require certification, which includes completing educational requirements and passing an exam specific to the career.
Where else can I learn about becoming a medical assistant?
American Association of Medical Assistants
20 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1575 / Chicago, IL 60606
tel: (312) 899-1500 / web: www.aama-ntl.org
Educational Institutions in Virginia for Medical Assistants:
- Advanced Technology Center (ATC)
- Bryant & Stratton College
- Career Training Solutions
- Centura College
- Eastern Shore Community College
- Everest College
- Fortis College
- Medical Careers Institute
- The Medical Learning Center
- Miller-Motte Technical College
- Sanford Brown College
- Stratford University
- Tidewater Community College - Chesapeake Campus
- Tidewater Tech
- Virginia College
- Virginia Highlands Community College
- Skyline College
Choosing a career starts with self-reflection. What do you like? What do you do well? What do you want to learn more about? Browse through over 70 healthcare careers described here. Find out what looks interesting and learn more about education requirements, average salary, licensing, and training opportunities in Virginia.
- Clinical Laboratory Science
- Counseling
- Dentistry
- Health Administration, Information & Communication
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Public Health & Nutrition
- Radiologic Technology
- Science, Engineering & Diagnostic Instrumentation
- Therapy
- Veterinary Medicine
PATHS is the regionally recognized "Area Health Education Center", or "AHEC" , for Virginia's South Central Region. The goal of this program is to identify, recruit, and retain highly qualified health professionals throughout Danville, Lynchburg, and the surrounding area. This is accomplished through community partnerships that work to develop a strong workforce pipeline at a younger age; increase interprofessional training opportunities and jobs; and to identify and communicate regional health workforce shortages and needs with key stakeholders and legislators.
Use these links to learn more:
- Explore Healthcare Careers
- AHEC Scholars Program
- What is a Community Health Worker (CHW)?
- South Central AHEC
**PATHS' AHEC program is funded in part by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration through a grant from the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority.
