Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work as a medical assistant? We spent some time with two Carrington College Medical Assisting program [1] graduates, Rocio and Surit, and their supervisor Susan. Together they show us what a typical day is like for medical assistants working at LifeLong Over 60 Health Center in Berkeley, California. Patients of the center have access to a wide variety of providers, resources and programs dedicated to seniors. The center has 15 medical providers, several mental health and support professionals, and sees over 1,800 patients each month.[2] https://youtu.be/P5sjkZxDssw “The first thing I do in the morning is make sure the rooms are ready for our first patients,” explained Rocio, a Carrington Medical Assisting (MA) program graduate. Susan, the Center Supervisor at LifeLong Over 60 Health Center, tells us what medical assistants do at the start of a visit. “Patients start coming in… and medical assistants are on the ground running; weight, blood pressure, height, temp, chief complaints…they co-ordinate anything the patient needs.” “Providers make chart notes, it’s just like follow up on what’s going to be next,” explained Carrington graduate Surit, who is a medical assistant and front desk receptionist. “We go through the patient’s chart, we see what the provider wants to do on the next visit. Once the provider is finished, they will let me know when they want to see them back,” added Rocio. “A medical assistant finishes out the visit; they discharge the patient and make future appointments ,” explained Center Supervisor Susan. “When they [patients] first walk in, they’re greeted by the medical assistants; the last person they talk to is a medical assistant,” added Rocio, “so we interact a lot with patients.” “We are literally there from the beginning of the visit to the end of the visit, and we co-ordinate a lot of their care. Being a medical assistant is just as important as being an RN [Registered Nurse]. You can actually take this experience and move up if you want to. You learn so much more starting off as an MA [medical assistant], so you’re ready for the next step in life,” said Susan. “I’ve always wanted to work in the medical field, so I just decided to go to Carrington and become a medical assistant,” added Rocio. “It [Going to Carrington] really helped me a lot; you get an idea of how it’s actually going to be when you go out to the field,” said Surit. “I love working with Carrington College students because they are passionate, they are dedicated, they come in and they’re ready to work. I don’t leave them just in the back office, I can put them in the front office too,” said Susan. “It’s always nice to give back, and working in the medical field you’re giving back a whole lot,” added Rocio. “It feels nice knowing that I’m making a difference in patients’ lives.” So what are you waiting for? If you’d like to learn more about the Medical Assisting Certificate or Associate Degree program[3] at Carrington College, click here.
[1] For comprehensive consumer information, visit https://carrington.edu/degrees/medical-assisting/ [2] On the Internet at http://www.lifelongmedical.org/locations/our-locations/over-60-health-center.html (visited 7/11/16) [3] Program availability varies by location
