When you walk into a doctor’s office, or a medical clinic, who greets you? Who checks you in, processes your paperwork, schedules your next appointment, and takes your vitals in the examination room? Chances are it’s the Medical Assistant.
Medical assistants are frequently the first healthcare professionals patients encounter at the doctor’s office. They perform important clinical and administrative work that helps ensure patients have a positive experience. From patient care to administrative support, Medical Assistants serve a critical function that healthcare employers rely on every day.
If you are considering entering the healthcare field, completing a medical assistant training program is a smart option to consider. Let’s start by gathering basic information about this profession and how you go about training for this role.
Medical Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
A smart way to understand the duties Medical Assistants take on is to separate them into two categories: clinical responsibilities and administrative responsibilities.
Clinical Responsibilities may include:
Obtaining patients’ medical histories
Helping patients prepare for physical exams
Assisting physicians when they conduct exams
Obtaining specimens for laboratory work
Immunizing patients
Performing electrocardiograms
Administering wound care
Providing patients with information about their medical treatments
Administrative Responsibilities may include:
Interacting with patients and business partners by phone
Greeting patients when they arrive
Maintaining medical records
Performing insurance-related work (for example, completing insurance forms)
Scheduling patients’ appointments
Coordinating with labs or hospitals for patients to obtain additional services
Managing tasks related to patient billing
Medical assistants work under the supervision of a physician. While most medical assistants work in ambulatory care facilities such as clinics and physicians’ offices, some work in hospitals. Medical assistants usually work a traditional 40-hour week, but they can sometimes work on a part-time basis or on weekends or evenings.
Medical Assistant Skills
What skillsets should medical assistants excel at?
Performing clinical duties. Medical assistants must be adept at taking patient vital signs, using medical equipment, following healthcare protocols, and in some states, administering vaccinations.
Communicating with others. Effective communication skills are a must in this role. Medical assistants must be able to converse clearly with patients and other members of patients’ healthcare teams.
Demonstrating empathy. Along with communicating well with patients, medical assistants need to be able to express empathy and support to build strong relationships with their patients that can help them receive effective healthcare.
Being computer literate. Medical assistants spend a sizable portion of each day performing digital duties such as updating medical records and filling out insurance forms. They must have the confidence and skills to efficiently navigate databases and websites.
Practicing efficient time management. Capable time management skills will help streamline daily tasks and keep the office running smoothly.
How Long Is a Medical Assistant Training Program?
Completing a career-focused training program in medical assisting empowers aspiring medical assistants with the skills, confidence—and ideally—the credentials to prepare them for entry-level positions in the healthcare field.
Fortis Colleges and Institutes offer a 36-week medical assisting diploma program. At many Fortis campuses, this program is hybrid and structured to help you start your career quickly, with focused, accelerated training and an externship that prepares you for real-world healthcare environments. The externship is a valuable step in the training process prior to the completion of the program. Students who perform well during their externship may even be offered employment by the externship site upon graduation from their program.
Benefits of Medical Assistant Training
The time students spend in medical assistant training is time well spent. Qualifying to work as a medical assistant can provide individuals with a range of benefits. For example, they can:
Join an in-demand field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 12% job growth for medical assistants over the next decade, through 2034. That is much faster than the average for all occupations. The BLS also states that about 112,300 openings for medical assistants are projected each year, on average over the decade.
Work in a helping profession. Each day, medical assistants get to help patients who are receiving healthcare services, which can be a fulfilling way to make a living.
Enjoy performing a variety of tasks. Medical assistants complete a wide range of clinical and administrative tasks throughout their day.
Experience diverse types of healthcare. Working as a medical assistant is a great way to get experience working with different types of healthcare providers.
Become a healthcare professional faster and start earning a living. Obtaining medical assisting training takes less time than earning a college degree and provides people with a shorter path to start working in healthcare and earning a salary.
Taking the Time to Become a Medical Assistant Can Place You on a Fulfilling Career Path
Becoming a medical assistant is more than learning new skills—it is a commitment to showing up for others, growing professionally, and investing in a future that truly matters. Completing a training program can open the door to a career where every day brings purpose, connection, and the opportunity to make a real difference in patients’ lives. For those ready to put in the work and take the next step forward, a career as a medical assistant can offer not just a job, but a fulfilling path built on impact, stability, and pride in what you do. Fortis can help you get there.
Recommended Readings
Best Places to Work as a Medical Assistant
The Critical Collaboration Between Medical Assistants and Physicians
The Important Role of a Medical Assistant
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Medical Assistants