Medical assisting is an essential and versatile role in the healthcare field, combining both clinical and clerical tasks. The affordable cost of medical assistant training lowers the barrier to entry, and those who enjoy working in healthcare may find plenty of opportunities for advancement during their career journey.
Employer demand for medical assistants in Ohio — and across the country — is on the rise as doctors, nurses, and other providers increasingly rely on skilled support staff to improve the delivery of patient care. Individuals who are interested in pursuing a medical assisting training program can benefit from classroom and hands-on learning that will prepare them for an exciting future in healthcare.
What Does a Medical Assistant Do?
Supporting healthcare professionals in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and various other clinical settings is a medical assistant’s primary role. They perform a mix of clinical and administrative duties, improving the delivery of medical care and, ultimately, improving patient outcomes.
A medical assistant’s exact duties and responsibilities will vary depending on factors like employment type and facility size. For example, a medical assistant working at UC Medical Center may have a different set of daily tasks than someone working for a smaller private practice.
The typical responsibilities associated with medical assisting in Ohio include the following:
Assisting patients with forms, including billing, insurance, and medical histories
Collecting and evaluating samples as instructed by a team of health professionals
Helping with examinations
Answering patients’ questions about medications
Ensuring that exam rooms, supply closets, and restrooms are fully stocked
Scheduling patient appointments
Answering phone calls
Assisting with data entry and recordkeeping
Scope of Practice for Medical Assistants in Ohio
Medical assistants in Ohio often have a broader scope of practice than assistants working in other states. In Ohio, doctors and nurses may delegate many different tasks to medical assistants at their professional discretion. For example, medical assistants in Ohio can administer vaccines, transmit prescription refills, perform lab tests, draw blood, and even take electrocardiograms, according to the Ohio State Society of Medical Assistants (OSSMA).
Steps to Train to Become a Medical Assistant
Enrolling in a program to get the right training to start a career in medical assisting in Ohio requires three preliminary steps, with a fourth optional step. These steps are obtaining the right education, gaining experience, and honing key skills, as well as earning the optional Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) credential.
Step 1: Obtain the Necessary Education
After graduating high school or after attending community college, aspiring medical assistants should enroll in and complete an accredited medical assisting program. These programs provide aspiring health professionals with the entry-level skills and foundational knowledge they will need in the workplace to support medical staff in providing exceptional patient care.
Students will learn to provide essential administrative and clinical support, promote health and well-being with compassion and empathy, and adapt to the dynamic field of healthcare as technology evolves and employer demands change over time.
Step 2: Gain Experience in a Health-Related Setting
Accredited medical assisting programs across Ohio, such as the Fortis College medical assisting program, provide students with the opportunity to work in clinical settings as part of an externship during the program. Working in a clinical setting provides them with some of the real world experience they will need as job seekers after graduation. In addition to the externship component of a Forits education, volunteer opportunities also exist, particularly in university hospitals across the state.
Step 3: Hone Key Skills and Traits
Medical assistants learn many skills during their education, and they must work to develop others. These skills include the following:
Communication: Medical assistants often serve as liaisons between patients and both their caregivers and the medical staff. Communication skills are also vital for carrying out instructions from health professionals and for giving instructions to patients.
Organization: Recordkeeping, data entry, and scheduling are all important parts of a medical assistant’s job, making organizational skills essential.
Medical Safety: The ability to keep patients safe during exams and basic procedures is crucial to their wellness and health. Sanitation and disinfection are also critical, not only for patient health but also for staff.
Basic Computer Knowledge: Managing electronic health records (EHRs) requires basic computer and technical skills.
Compassion and Empathy: Compassionate and empathetic medical assistants deliver better customer service and patient care.
4. Earn and Maintain Credentials
OSSMA offers ample resources to help aspiring medical assistants earn and maintain their credentials. Though registration or certification isn’t required in Ohio or most other states to practice, these credentials demonstrate candidates’ skills and knowledge, which can help make them more appealing to potential employers.
The American Association of Medical Assistants (AAM) offers the CMA credential, and American Medical Technologists (AMT) offers the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA) credential. For each, students must graduate from an accredited program, pay an application fee, and pass an examination. These credentials must be maintained through work hours, continuing education credits, or both.
Job Outlook for Medical Assistants in Ohio
The employment outlook for medical assisting in Ohio is robust, as is the demand across the country. Employment of medical assistants is expected to increase by 12% nationwide between 2022 and 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Projections Central projects employment of medical assistants will grow by 9% in Ohio during the same time period.
Factors such as an increased demand for healthcare among aging baby boomers and increasing accessibility to health insurance coverage will drive employment growth for medical assistants. The demand for skilled support staff to perform routine tasks will continue as doctors continue to delegate more patient care duties to their staff. This pattern is proving to be essential to the delivery of quality care.
Start Your Career as a Medical Assistant in Ohio
Medical assistants play a critical role in health facilities of all kinds, not only in Ohio but also across the nation. The medical assisting program at Fortis College in Cincinnati, Ohio, combines classroom instruction with hands-on learning in a lab environment which can prepare you with the skills to make a tangible contribution in your own community. In addition to the Cincinnati campus, Fortis also offers medical assisting training at three other Ohio campus locations in Centerville (Dayton), Westerville (Columbus), and Cuyahoga Falls (Akron).
Discover how completing our medical assisting program can help to give you the foundation you need to thrive in this and other health-related careers.
Recommended Readings
How Long Does It Take to Become a Medical Assistant?
Best Places to Work as a Medical Assistant
The Critical Collaboration Between Medical Assistants and Physicians