What does a certified clinical medical assistant do

Medical assisting is a high in demand health care career due to the knowledge and skills that medical assistants possess. They provide hands-on patient care, assist doctors with medical treatment and procedures and help to ensure the office runs efficiently. There are two common types of medical assisting careers available: clinical and administrative. Administrative medical assistants often work in the office performing clerical duties and assisting with the general operations of the practice. Clinical medical assistants work directly with patients, doctors and other health care providers caring for patients and assisting with procedures.

Common job duties of a clinical medical assistant

Clinical medical assistants primarily work in the back office of a medical center or practice. They provide assistance to doctors, nurses, other health care providers and patients. Clinical medical assistants work directly with patients performing hands on care and testing under a physician’s supervision. Common job duties for a clinical medical assistant include taking a patient’s medical history, obtaining and recording vital signs, performing specimen collection and testing, administering injections and assisting with patient examinations and medical procedures.

Common places clinical medical assistants find employment

Clinical medical assistants find work in a variety of settings. The most common place for a clinical medical assistant to find employment is working for a doctor’s office or medical practice. Other common places for clinical medical assistants to find employment include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, urgent care centers, research facilities and therapy centers.

Education requirements to become a clinical medical assistant

Currently there are no formal education requirements in the United States for medical assisting however there are training programs available across the country. Medical assisting programs provide students with the knowledge they need through classroom education. The skills needed to perform the job duties are learned through the hands-on laboratory training portions of the programs. Most employers prefer to hire clinical medical assistants who have successfully completed a medical assisting training program. Medical assisting training programs are offered through community colleges, technical schools, vocational training centers, universities and through some employers. Most medical assisting programs are one year in length and provide graduates with either a certificate or diploma upon completion of the program. Other medical assisting programs are two years and provide graduates with an associate degree.

How do I become a clinical medical assistant

The most common way an interested person can become a clinical medical assistant is by successfully completing medical assisting training either through a structured training program or on-the-job training through the employer. Some clinical medical assistants choose to specialize in a specific field in the health care industry. Those who choose to specialize in a specific field, such as ophthalmology, optometry or podiatry, may be required to take additional training or education classes pertaining directly to the specialty prior to being eligible to work in the specialty. Additional training in computers and electronic medical records may also be required for those interested in becoming clinical medical assistants, if this is not included in the medical assisting program. Once training has been completed the clinical medical assistant is eligible for employment.

Rachel Dennis works as both a professional writer and health care provider. She has been a licensed health care provider since 1998, with work experience as a medical assistant, certified nursing assistant and emergency medical technician. She has been writing since 1994 and has been published both on-line and in print.

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Online Clinical Medical Assistant Training

Prepare for the CCMA Exam
Clinical medical assistants combine clinical and procedural knowledge, working across the domain of health care facilities to aid inpatient treatments and clinical operations. They are tasked with working directly with patients and supporting the work of doctors and other health care professionals. The 100% online course will prepare you to work as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), designated by the National Healthcare Career Association (NHA).

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Job Outlook for Certified Clinical Medical Assistants

• The healthcare field offers one of the leading areas of opportunities for career growth today. Within healthcare, medical assistants are among the most in-demand professionals. NHA estimates that job openings for medical assistants are increasing by 9-15% each year.

• 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. Medical assistants earn $34,800 per year, or $16.73 per hour on average, according to BLS data.

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant FAQs

• WHAT DOES A CERTIFIED CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT (CCMA) JOB INVOLVE?
  According to NHA, certified clinical medical assistants serve in a variety of functions that combine office operations and patient procedures. CCMA's may coordinate patient scheduling, facilitate office visits and manage patient records, including Electronic Health Records (EHR). They may also assist with exams and procedures such as EKG, phlebotomy, and laboratory procedures.

• ARE CCMAs THE SAME AS CNAs?
  While CCMAs may serve in a variety of roles in the healthcare setting, including office processes, clinical procedures and patient management, Certified Nurses Assistants (CNAs) work full-time with patients and may help with basic care activities such as dressing, bathing, and moving patients while they are under medical care.

• DO CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANTS NEED CERTIFICATION?
  The healthcare environment operates on the basis of professionalism, precision and dedication to patient welfare. Medical assistant certification may be required for many jobs. Earning a certification such as the CCMA establishes a medical assistant as a caring, responsible professional who has undergone a study and assessment program to validate their credentials.

• IN WHAT FACILITIES DO CCMAs WORK?
  CCMAs commonly work in hospitals, physicians' offices, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities, according to the BLS.

Course Objectives

• Prepare to take and earn the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam.
• Learn the skills necessary to function as a member of the healthcare team in an ambulatory setting.
• Know the standards for ethical behavior, therapeutic communication, protecting the privacy of patient information.
• Understand the importance of a first impression and a safe office environment.
• Summarize the HIPAA Privacy Rule and HIPAA Security Rule.
• Demonstrate basic medical terminology knowledge.
• Discuss government and private insurances.
• Identify the functions of the major body systems.
• Demonstrate how to write a chief complaint and obtain a patient history.
• Discuss the importance of medical and surgical asepsis.
• Explain the information contained in different types of medical records.
• Identify the three methods used to perform venipuncture.

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Prerequisites and Requirements
There are no prerequisites to take the course.

Curriculum

• Medical Terminology
  INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
  THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM
  THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
  THE LYMPHATIC AND IMMUNE SYSTEMS
  THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
  THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
  THE URINARY SYSTEM
  THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
  THE SPECIAL SENSES THE EYES AND EARS
  THE INTEGUMENTARY SYSTEM
  THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
  THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
  DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES, NUCLEAR MEDICINE, PHARMACOLOGY

• Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
  BECOMING A 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
  ENHANCING THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE
  MANAGING MEDICAL RECORDS
  WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
  WORKING WITH MEDICAL DOCUMENTS
  MEDICAL BILLING AND OVERVIEW CODING: AN OVERVIEW
  DAILY FINANCIAL PRACTICES
  THE ADMINISTRATIVE MEDICAL ASSISTANT AS OFFICE MANAGER
  MAJOR BODY SYSTEMS
  PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
  PHARMACOLOGY
  NUTRITION AND SPECIAL DIETS
  THE CHIEF COMPLAINT AND PATIENT HISTORY
  RECORDING VITAL SIGNS
  THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
  SPECIALTY EXAMS AND PROCEDURES
  MEDICAL ASEPSIS AND INFECTION CONTROL
  SURGICAL ASEPSIS AND STERILIZATION TECHNIQUES
  SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS
  ASSISTING WITH MINOR OFFICE SURGERIES
  INTRODUCTION TO THE MEDICAL LABORATORY
  BASIC MICROBIOLOGY
  INTRODUCTION TO PHLEBOTOMY
  BASIC HEMATOLOGY
  ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
  ADMINISTERING NONINJECTABLE MEDICATIONS
  BASIC GUIDELINES FOR ADMINISTRATION OF INJECTIONS
  DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
  REHABILITATION AND TREATMENT MODALITIES
  FIRST AID TECHNIQUES
  EMERGENCIES IN THE MEDICAL OFFICE

Instructor

• Nancy Smith
  Nancy Smith has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Her clinical experience includes working as a medical assistant for a network of rural health clinics, and as a medical coder, insurance claims specialist, and medical records auditor. She worked as a medical office manager for ten years, where she recruited and trained all medical assistants. Nancy holds a bachelor's degree in vocational education and has developed and taught medical assistant programs.

Registration and Enrollment
This course is 100% online. Start anytime.

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