Where you work may change what you do as a medical assistant. Depending on the office location, size and specialty, the duties of medical assistants vary. Those who live in Towson, MD or metro Baltimore looking for a career as a medical assistant should take this into consideration.
In small practices, medical assistants are usually "generalists," handling both administrative and clinical duties. They report directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area under the supervision of a department administrator/practice manager.
However, no matter where medical assistants work, it’s important that they possess analytical, detail oriented, interpersonal and technical skills. They hold many roles and responsibilities so versatility is much needed in order to succeed in the position. For many demographic reasons related to our aging population, the future for trained Medical Assistants continues to look bright. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that employment of medical assistants is expected to grow by 31% through 2020, much faster than the average for all occupations. The demand can be attributed to an aging baby-boom population and the increased reliance on staff by physicians to perform routine procedures in the office, which will combine to continue to spur demand for preventative medical services. (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition)
“Medical Assistants require knowledge in many areas and must often multi-task effectively,” stated Sean London, Campus President. “Students at Fortis Institute in Towson, MD will develop skills in front office administration with an introduction to health insurance, basic billing practices and much more in order to become successful medical assistants.”
If a career in Medical Assisting sounds appealing, you can visit www.fortis.edu for more information. The site provides a list of the dozens of Fortis campuses that offer the program. Programs vary by campus.
