Accreditation
a non-governmental professional peer review process that provides technical assistance and evaluates educational programs for quality based on pre-established academic and administrative standards
Certification
a voluntary process that involves a testing procedure to prove an individual's baseline competency in a particular area
Clinical
Pertaining to direct patient care
Externship
an educational course that allows the student to obtain hands-on experience
Inpatient
a medical setting in which patients are admitted for diagnostic, radiographic, or treatment purposes
Laboratory
a place where research, investigation, or scientific tests take place
Outpatient
a medical setting in which patients receive care but are not admitted
Specialty
A subcategory of medicine, such as pediatrics, studied after completion of medical school
Aesculapius
Greek god of medicine and healing
Moses
First publicly appointed health officer
Anton von Leeuwenhoek
Inventor or the microscope
Edward Jenner
Discovery of the smallpox vaccine
Ignaz Semmelweis
Discovered the importance of handwashing
Crawford Williamson Long
Discovered modern anesthesia
Joseph Lister
First person to apply antiseptics to wounds to prevent infection
Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen
Discovered the X-Ray
Alexander Fleming
Accidentally discovered penicillin
Galen
Father of Experimental Physiology.
Andreas Vesalius
Father of Modern Anatomy
Florence Nightingale
Founder of modern nursing.
John Hunter
Father of Scientific Surgery
Elizabeth Blackwell
First woman to complete medical school in the United States
Clara Barton
founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and was the first president
Marie and Pierre Curie
discovered polonium and radium.
List medical specialties a Medical Assistant may encounter.
After completion of medical school, physicians choose a specialty. Some specialist who employ Medical Assistants include:
- Allergist
- Anesthesiologist
- Cardiologist
- Dermatologist
- Emergency Physician
- Endocrinologist
- Epidemiologist
- Family Pract
List settings in which Medical Assistants may be employed.
A Medical Assistant is a multiskilled allied health care professional, a member of the health care delivery team who performs administrative duties and clinical procedures. Medical Assistants are employed in physician's offices and ambulatory care setting
List the duties of a Medical Assistant.
Administrative Duties:
Managing and maintaining the waiting room, office, and exam rooms.
Handling telephone calls.
Using written and oral communication.
Maintaining medical records.
Bookkeeping.
Registering patients.
Scheduling appointments.
Ensuring goo
Describe the desired characteristics of a Medical Assistant.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, maturity, accuracy, honesty, ability to respect patient confidentiality, empathy, courtesy, good interpersonal skills, ability to project a positive self-image, ability to work as a team player, initiative
Identify members of the health care team.
As a Medical Assistant, you will work with a variety of health care workers. Today's health care team must be multidisciplinary, which is a group of specialized professionals who are brought together to meet the needs of the patient.
Physicians generally
List other allied health care professionals.
Allied health care professionals make up a large section of the health care team.
- Chiropractor
- Dental Hygienist
- Electrocardiograph Technician
- Electroencephalograph Technician
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Health Information Technologist
-
Discuss the importance of program accreditation.
Accreditation is a non-governmental professional peer review process that provides technical assistance and evaluates educational programs for quality based on pre-established academic and administrative standards.
The Commission on Accreditation of Allie
Name and describe the two nationally recognized accrediting agencies for medical assisting education programs.
The AAMA and the AMT have developed certification examinations that test the knowledge of a graduate and indicate entry level competency. After passing the examination, the individual can use the initials CMA or RMA after his or her name.
Certified Medica
Explain the benefits and avenues of certification for the Medical Assistant.
You are not required to join a national organization to work as a medical assistant or to be eligible to take the certification examination. The associations have many benefits, however, for members. The benefits include the following:
- Access to educati
List the benefits of membership in a professional organization.
The benefits of membership in a professional organization include: access to educational seminars, access to continuing education units (CEUs), subscriptions to the professional journals that alert you to new procedures and trends in medicine, access to t
What governmental agency monitors medical care finances?
The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) monitors medical financing.
What is the specialty that treats newborn babies?
Neonatology
What are five administrative duties, five clinical duties, and five laboratory duties performed by a medical assistant?
Examples of administrative duties include: managing the medical office, handling telephone calls, preparing written communications, scheduling, and sorting mail. Examples of clinical duties include: preparing patients for examination, obtaining patients h
What are eight characteristics that a professional medical assistant should have?
Professional characteristics include punctuality, dependability, honesty, showing respect for patient confidentiality, courtesy, diplomacy, and having high ethical and moral standards.
What are the two accrediting agencies for medical assisting education programs?
The two accrediting agencies are the Council on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES).
What is required to maintain current status as a CMA?
To remain current, a CMA who takes the AAMA examination must recertify every 5-years by either taking a certification examination again or acquiring 60 continuing education units (CEUs).
List six benefits of membership in a professional organization.
The benefits of membership in a professional organization include: access to educational seminars, access to continuing education units (CEUs), subscriptions to the professional journals that alert you to new procedures and trends in medicine, access to t
Why is it important that medical assistants are multi-skilled?
Medical Assistants are the most cost effective employees because they can perform so many different skills.
You are a brand new RMA, and it is your first day in a busy internal medicine practice. You are welcomed by staff and taken to meet your coworker who is a CMA. She asks, "What is the difference between a CMA and an RMA?" What do you tell her?
A graduate of a CAAHEP - or ABHES- accredited medical assisting program is eligible to sit for the CMA or RMA exam. Someone who has worked in a physician's office can challenge the examination and become an RMA. You must be a member of the American Medica
Review the list of physician specialties.
- Which type of physician would you want to work for and why?
- Which physician specialties would you least want to work with and why?
Visit www.aama-ntl.org and determine which local chapter you would be a member of.
- How would membership benefit your career as a Medical Assistant?
List some of the challenges facing the medical assisting profession.
As it continues to grow in size and importance with in the healthcare landscape, the medical assisting field faces a number of challenge. These challenges include:
- Lack of a Standard Scope of Work:
Medical Assistants have varied scopes of work depending
Sally is a student in the accredited medical assistant program at Blair Community College. The part of her program that requires practical experience in the medical office is known as
a. certification
b. accreditation
c. job placement
d. an externship
an externship
Linda Collins, CMA, works primarily in the clinical area of Dr. Penn's family practice office. Clinical tasks generally involve
a. direct patient care
b. sorting and filing mail
c. filing insurance claim forms
d. scheduling patient appointments
direct patient care
Remaining calm during emergencies and stressful situations is an important characteristic for all Medical Assistants. Accepting criticism without resentment is also a sign of
a. maturity
b. initiative
c. accuracy
d. empathy
maturity
Susan Potter, RMA, is a member of a National Medial Assistant Association. One advantage of belonging to a professional association is
a. access to continuing education
b. automatic recertification
c. registration for annual conventions at no cost to the
access to continuing education
Mary is a 55-year-old woman who is being seen for symptoms related to menopause. The physicians specialty that diagnoses and treats disorders of the female reproductive system is
a. dermatology
b. gynecology
c. obstetrics
d. internal medicine
gynecology
In addition to physicians, Medical Assistants come into contact with a variety of health care workers. A group of specialized professionals that is brought together to meet the needs of the patient is known as a
a. physician's assistant
b. polydisciplinar
multidisciplinary group
The physician specialty that diagnoses and treats disorders of the blood is
a. immunology
b. hematology
c. epidemiology
d. cardiology
hematology
Heather Conn, CMA, demonstrated that she was truly concerned about the health and welfare of her patient, who was upset about a recent diagnosis of lung cancer. This personal quality is known as
a. ethics
b. empathy
c. courtesy
d. teamwork
empathy
In addition to passing a state licensure examination, physicians in the United States are required to
a. retire at age 65-years
b. complete a residency program
c. specialize within 5-years of licensure
d. become board certified in a specialty
complete a residency program
Louise Pasteur became famous for
a. setting high behavioral standards for practicing physicians
b. humane treatment of mentally ill individuals
c. the application of antiseptics to wounds to prevent infection
d. the discovery that heat eliminates bacteria
the discovery that heat eliminates bacteria in liquid
Bobby Knox uses the acronym RMA behind his name when documenting in the patient records at Dr. Rihm's office. This acronym stands for
a. renal medical assistant
b. registered medical associate
c. registered medical assistant
d. recertified medical assista
registered medical assistant
When Sally graduates from the medical assistant program, she will be eligible to take the AAMA national certification examination. After passing the certification examination, she must
a. work for a licensed physician
b. take the examination every year
c.
recertify every 5-years
The surgical specialty that repairs disorders of the face and mouth is
a. trauma
b. maxillofacial
c. vascular
d. cosmetic
maxillofacial
AHIMA is an organization that supports
a. physical therapy assistants
b. health information specialists
c. dental hygienists
d. laboratory technologists
health information specialists
Robin Moore, RMA, works in an ambulatory care center. As a professional Medical Assistant, she could also be employed in
a. a hospital
b. an insurance company
c. a radiology department
d. a long-term care facility
an insurance company
The Greek physician Galen became known as the
a. father of surgical intervention
b. father of experimental physiology
c. god of medicine
d. ruler of the Roman Empire
father of experimental physiology
ABHES is one of the accrediting boards that certify medical assisting education programs. This acronym stands for
a. Accrediting Board for Health Education Schools
b. Accrediting Bureau for Health Education Studies
c. American Bureau of Holistic Education
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools