What does a Medical Clinical Assistant Do?
A Medical Clinical Assistant aids doctors and nurses in the medical care of patients as well as help to keep medical offices running smoothly. Unlike Medical Administrative Assistants, Clinical Medical Assistants work more closely with doctors when providing care to patients and have the ability to perform minor procedures under supervision.
What are the job duties of a Medical Clinical Assistant?
Medical Clinical Assistants can work in both hospitals and medical offices. In a hospital environment, duties tend to be more focused on services related to patient care, where in a medical office tasks can be more administrative focused. No matter your work setting, here are some of the most common duties of a Medical Clinical Assistant.
Job duties of a Medical Clinical Assistant include:
- Preparing exam rooms
- Prepping patients for exams
- Taking and documenting vital signs
- Assisting during exams
- Execution of minor medical treatments
- Providing instructions on home care
- Scheduling lab tests and receiving results
- Conducting patient follow-up calls
What are the Characteristics of a Medical Clinical Assistant?
As a Medical Clinical Assistant you will deal with a wide range of issues and emotions depending on a patients injury or illness. You will need to be compassionate to help ease patients anger, anxiety and medical concerns. Below are some other important characteristics you should have if considering a career as a Medical Clinical Assistant.
Characteristics of a Medical Clinical Assistant:
- Ability to be professional even in stressful situations
- Be able to multitask and perform a variety of tasks
- Be well organized and able to keep track of information for multiple patients at once
- Be a good listener and have an attention to detail in order to record important information from both patients and doctors
- Prioritize tasks and patients based on need
What Skills Do You Need to Become A Medical Clinical Assistant?
A Medical Clinical Assistant needs to have a variety of skills to perform their jobs on a daily basis. No matter the work setting, a Medical Clinical Assistant will need to know everything from medical terminology to how to maintain equipment through sterilization. Other requirements for becoming a Medical Clinical Assistant include:
- An understanding of medical procedures
- Ability to use a variety of medical equipment such as:
- EKG machines
- Stethoscope
- Blood pressure machine
- A knowledge of medical law
- Ability to conduct assessments
- Strong communication skills
- Technical skills to tasks such as drawing blood and evaluating test results
What are the career opportunities in the Medical Clinical Assistant field?
After earning a Medical Clinical Assistant Diploma, you can have a number of different career opportunities in the healthcare industry. Some positions graduates pursue include:
- Medical/Clinical Assistant
- Front Office Assistant
- Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator
- Home Health Aide
- Medical Office Assistant/Specialist
- Medical Reception/Receptionist
- Medical Administrative/Executive Assistant and Medical Secretary
- Patient Care Technician
- Patient Registration/Service Representative
- Personal Care Assistant
Interested in Becoming a Medical Clinical Assistant?
At Valley College, we can help you gain the knowledge you need to achieve your career goals. Our Medical Clinical Assistant program will not only provide the skills you need to become a Medical Clinical Assistant, but it will also prepare you for the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) Certification Exam–helping you take your career one-step farther.
Get Started Today!
To learn more about Valley College’s Medical Clinical Assistant program, request information by filling out the form on the right or call one of the numbers below to speak with an Admissions Representative.