Certified Medical Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides exhaustive information on the certified medical assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the certified medical assistant position.

What Does a Certified Medical Assistant Do?

The certified medical assistant job description entails verifying and recording clinical and administrative data, including answering questions, completing forms, and working with staff in some way.

It also involves ensuring that patients’ medical information is recorded accurately and is organized for continuity of care.

Certified medical assistants monitor vital statistics and ensure that accurate records are made and documented in accordance with state or county requirements.

They maintain patient files, provide clerical and clerical functions, or aids in the preparation of patient records.

One of their duties involves representing the organization at meetings, conferences and seminars.

Another duty they perform entails explaining health problems to patients, their families or other caregivers.

This position will contact and schedule appointments for patients in order to keep up on their schedule and maintain patient contact logs.

Making referrals to appropriate departments as needed, including laboratory, radiology, surgery and prescription medication refills if necessary is one task they also perform

The certified medical assistant work description also involves assisting with minor medical procedures or testing.

It may also entail performing administrative duties such as filing insurance claims and scheduling appointments for other personnel within the clinic, hospital or office setting.

Certified medical assistants verify, record, and update patient information, including clinical data, treatment, procedure codes and insurance information in order for bills to be paid correctly and on time.

There are times when certified medical assistants may be assigned to carry out clerical tasks outside of the healthcare field, such as working with healthcare billing companies that specialize in processing medical claims for doctors’ offices, hospitals, or clinics.

Certified Medical Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The certified medical assistant job description entails the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

• Administers medication, as directed by the nurse or physician, to patients during routine, emergency, and surgical procedures
• Assists or provides support to nurses and physicians during surgery
• Provides clients with patient records
• Performs treatment such as administration of drugs, intravenous fluids and medication delivery
• Represents the organization at community functions
• Enters information into computerized or standardized records systems and documents medical data as required to provide medical services to patients
• Prepares and maintains equipment, work area and instruments according to the organization’s procedures
• Prepares supplies for patient care
• Maintains records for drugs, biological, and other supplies used in patient care
• Performs cleaning of medical equipment
• Makes calculations, such as determining dosages, amount of fluids to be given or other medical related information
• Maintains confidentiality of patient data by keeping it in confidence at all times and protects the health information of patients
• Manages lab sample result files
• Prepares charts, reports, and records as required by the organization
• Assembles and maintains medical supplies, instruments and equipment according to the organization’s procedures
• Prepares patients for examination
• Records patient’s vital signs, such as respiration, pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and other related information
• Performs routine laboratory screening tests such as analysis of urine sample or culture growth test
• May give injections under a physician’s directions and supervision
• Administers anesthesia in accordance with physicians’ orders in emergency situations.

Certified Medical Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you are writing a new resume as someone who has worked before in the role of a certified medical assistant or are  presently working in that position, you can conveniently make a compelling Professional Experience section for your resume by applying the sample certified medical assistant job description provided above.

You can apply the certified medical assistant duties and responsibilities in the above job description template to show what you have done or are doing working in that position in the Professional Experience section of your resume.

This will show that you have been successful as a certified medical assistant, which can significantly boost the impact of your resume on the employer/recruiter to hire you, especially if the new position that you are seeking requires someone with some certified medical assistant work experience.

Certified Medical Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are the general requirements for the certified medical assistant role:

• High school diploma or equivalent is the minimum education required
• Certification is optional for this job. However, certification can help you get employed faster and earn higher salary in some cases. The top paying jobs usually require certification
• Clerical skills to provide administrative support and services
• Certain physical abilities, such as vision, hearing, manual dexterity and motor skills as it concerns the ability to perform certain procedures such as injections, administering medication or other duties one may be asked to do
• Must be comfortable working in a clinical setting and being under the pressure of dealing with patients
• Should have good communication skills to provide effective patient care, give instructions to patients, family or staff and participate in meetings, conferences or seminars
• Friendly and positive attitude towards patients, families or other caregivers; this can help one build a successful career as well as provide better patient care experience
• Must also be able to take pressure from meeting deadlines and processing documents in a timely manner
• Good knowledge of medical terminology.

Certified Medical Assistant Salary

The average certified medical assistant salary is $43,664 (indeed.com).

The top paying cities according to Indeed are: Atlanta, GA, $46,895; Austin, TX, $46,467; Dallas, TX, $46,463; Houston, TX, $45,545; and Memphis, TN, $43,426 per year.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the certified medical assistant career. They can learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities of a certified medical assistant.

It is also useful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed job description for the certified medical assistant role in their organizations.