1 Medical Assisting: The Profession Lesson 1: The History and Training of Medical Assistants

Lesson Objectives Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to … Define and spell the terms to learn for this chapter. Discuss the history of medical assisting as a profession. Discuss educational opportunities available for medical assistants. Identify accrediting agencies for medical assisting programs.

Critical Thinking Questions How long has the medical assisting field been in existence? What has caused the field to grow?

Steps in the History of Trained Medical Assistants 1. MAs were originally trained on the job. 2. Responsibility and liability issues increased, leading to more formal training. 3. Nurses were in higher demand due to physicians familiarity with this profession. 4. Demand for well trained MAs increased as nursing shortages grew, as the MA profession expanded, and as physicians began to see the value in hiring MAs.

To learn more about the AAMA click here or visit Acronym for the American Association of Medical Assistants Founded by Maxine Williams Organized in 1956 Williams was the first president of the AAMA To learn more about the AAMA click here or visit http://www.aama-ntl.org/

AAMA Definition of a Medical Assistant “A multi-skilled allied health profession whose practitioners work primarily in ambulatory settings such as medical offices and clinics. Medical assistants function as members of the health care delivery team and perform administrative and clinical procedures.”

Critical Thinking Questions Why is it important for medical assistants to be formally trained? Does the existence of organizations such as the AAMA help the profession? If so, how?

Formal Training for the Medical Assistant Certificate Training varies from six weeks to a year Focus typically is on clinical skills Diploma Similar to certificate programs Focus is on clinical and limited administrative skills

Formal Training for the Medical Assistant Degree Approximately two years in length Courses include clinical and administrative, along with professional development and general education courses

Accreditation Institutional Voluntary process to determine if a school meets or exceeds standards set by an accrediting body Ensures that a school meets an established criteria

Accreditation Programmatic Ensures that a program in a school meets or exceeds standards Learning outcomes for programs are competency-based

Accrediting Agencies for MA Programs Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) For more information on these accrediting bodies click on each website below or go to CAAHEP - http://www.caahep.org ABHES - http://www.abhes.org

Curriculum Typically Found in MA Programs Anatomy and physiology Medical terminology Medical law and ethics Psychology Communication (oral and written) Medical assistant administrative procedures Medical assistant clinical procedures Professional components Externship

The Medical Assistant Externship Required component of an MA program Volunteer position Settings include physician’s office, clinic, or hospital setting Total hours of externship vary

Questions?