| The opportunities in the healthcare industry are no | | | | explaining treatment procedures to patients, |
| longer limited to the traditional health occupations. | | | | preparing patients for examination, and assisting |
| Health care institutions will need thousands of | | | | the physician during the examination. Medical |
| additional trained personal over the upcoming | | | | Assistants may also collect and prepare |
| years to keep pace with the aging population of | | | | laboratory specimens or perform basic laboratory |
| most industrialized countries, this is especially in | | | | tests on the premises, dispose of contaminated |
| the United States where cost containment has | | | | supplies, and sterilize medical instruments. They |
| become a major political concern. This is creating | | | | often instruct patients about medications and |
| a boom in employment opportunities for | | | | special diets, prepare and administer medications |
| non-licensed healthcare professionals such as the | | | | as directed by a physician, authorize drug refills as |
| Medical Assistant. A career as a medical assistant | | | | directed, telephone prescriptions to a pharmacy, |
| is often a very rewarding and practical | | | | draw blood, prepare patients for x rays, take |
| occupational path for toughs interested in assisting | | | | electrocardiograms, remove sutures, and change |
| with patient care. Often many medical assistants | | | | dressings. |
| will advance there training and earn traditional | | | | Also according the United States Department of |
| healthcare degrees in the nursing or medical field. | | | | Labor "employment of medical assistants is |
| A Medical Assistant most often perform many | | | | expected to grow much faster then average for |
| administrative duties, including answering | | | | all occupations through the year 2014 as the |
| telephones, greeting patients, updating and filing | | | | health care industry expands because of |
| patients' medical records, filling out insurance | | | | technological advances in medicine and the growth |
| forms, handling correspondence, scheduling | | | | and aging of the population. Increasing utilization of |
| appointments, arranging for hospital admission and | | | | medical assistants in the rapidly growing health |
| laboratory services, and handling billing and | | | | care industry will further stimulate job growth. In |
| bookkeeping. In addition many areas of the United | | | | fact, medical assistants is projected to be one of |
| States now allow Medical Assistant to perform | | | | the fastest growing occupations over the |
| minor clinical duties. According the US Department | | | | 2004-14 period... and job prospects should be best |
| of Labor these clinical tasks may include taking | | | | for medical assistants with formal training or |
| medical histories and recording vital signs, | | | | experience". |