Medical Administrative Assistant
A medical administrative assistant performs front-office duties and helps manage the daily workflow in a healthcare facility. Their job description will usually list tasks such as scheduling appointments and keeping patient records up to date.
Role of a Medical Administrative Assistant
Consider the last time you visited your primary care provider. The day before, you may have received a call from the office to confirm your appointment. You also probably checked in for your visit at the front desk. After seeing your physician, you may have gone back to the front desk to schedule your next appointment.
These are all examples of tasks that medical administrative assistants can perform. As you can see, they play a major role in keeping the healthcare system running smoothly and effectively.
Field of Responsibility
During a typical workday, medical administrative assistants are responsible for a variety of tasks. Some of their duties include:
- Scheduling appointments. Administrative medical assistants are responsible for confirming, canceling, and rescheduling appointments.
- Maintaining patient records. It is important to keep medical records up to date so that patients can receive the best care possible.
- Making and answering phone calls. Administrative medical assistants are usually the first people that patients speak to when calling a medical office.
- Directing patients in the waiting room. This helps ensure proper patient flow in the waiting room and throughout the clinic.
- Communicating with patients. Administrative medical assistants are involved in communicating important information to patients such as billing and scheduling.
- Working with billing and insurance. Paying for healthcare is often a complicated and stressful process for patients. Administrative medical assistants can help patients understand what their insurance plans will and will not cover.
- Keeping the office organized and stocked. Not having adequate supplies can be inconvenient and, in some cases, disastrous.
- Helping patients fill out paperwork. Sometimes patients can have trouble filling out all the required paperwork during their visit.
Work Environment
Medical Administrative Assistants are an essential part of the healthcare system, medical administrative assistants work in a wide variety of settings. Their versatility allows them to work in places such as hospitals, dental offices, private practices, and outpatient clinics. Depending on the type of healthcare facility at which they work, medical administrative assistants may have slightly different job responsibilities. If working in a hospital, their responsibilities may be more defined. For example, they may stick to performing tasks outlined in their job description, such as scheduling appointments or maintaining patient information on the electronic health record. In contrast, working in a smaller private practice can provide a different working experience, where their responsibilities are more fluid. Because there are fewer staff working in a private practice, a medical administrative assistant may be trained to perform other tasks, such as taking patient vitals, for example. Compared to other healthcare workers, medical administrative assistants are less likely to be on their feet throughout their shift. They will probably spend most of their workday sitting at the front desk. As a result, they will typically interact with patients before and after their visit. There are also work-from-home medical assistants that handle administrative tasks from the comfort of their own homes.
Career Opportunities
The average salary for medical administrative assistants in 2023 was $43,380, which comes out to around $20.85 per hour.
Based on job listings on websites like Indeed, you can expect medical administrative assistant positions to typically pay around $18 an hour. However, this will depend on the location, employer, and the employee’s level of experience.
The median annual medical assistant salary, including all types, is $42,000, which is also about $20 per hour.
Over the next decade, medical assistant jobs are expected to grow by 16%, which is a faster than the average outlook. This means that there should be plenty of medical assistant job openings for the foreseeable, as the demand for healthcare services increases.
Why SW Medical Academy?
Our program focuses solely on the skills needed as a Medical Administrative Assistants, making it one of the most affordable programs in the area, and is designed to be valuable, accessible, and flexible for all students. With online learning coursework and rotations, this type of learning environment allows for a better fit with your schedule and aspirations.
Tuition Fee: $800
Medical Administrative Assistant Program at SW Medical Academy
Medical Administrative Assistant (Online Self-Paced)
Duration: 8-Weeks Program
Registration Fee: $200
