Although not common, medical assistants can choose to assist in certain areas of medicine, such as podiatry or optometry. They are typically provided with a general medical background while in school, and then learn more specialized skills once they are employed by a healthcare clinic or hospital department.

• Certificate in Medical Assisting: 1 year to complete
• Associate Degree: 2 years to complete

There are no specific education requirements in the field of medical assisting other than a high school diploma. But, as it becomes more competitive to obtain jobs, it is important and beneficial for individuals to have some education through a certification program or associate degree in this field rather than just relying on a little bit of experience. The certification program in medical assisting is offered through many different vocational schools and will only take students one year to complete. Currently, many school are now offering an associate degree in medical assisting, which will take an average of two years to complete. Hands-on experience is also very important in this field, as well.

After students have completed formal training in the medical assistant field, there are not any certification requirements for them to begin work, but many individuals choose to take certification exams to demonstrate to future employers their level of proficiency in medical assisting. This may help them achieve a higher salary or better employment opportunities. These certification programs can be completed through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) and the Association of Medical Technologists (AMT). (BLS)

Medical assisting degrees are designed to prepare graduates to help with a variety of clinical and administrative tasks in hospitals, outpatient facilities, and other healthcare settings. Medical assistants are a sort of jack-of-all-trades type in the medical office, doing everything from drawing blood and completing patient records, to handling the bookkeeping and billing.

The extent of the clinical principles you'll learn in your degree will depend on your state's regulations for medical assistants and your particular program. Some programs are solely administrative and have very little in the way of clinical coursework. Other programs teach students many clinical skills. Classes such as EKGs and Capillary Puncture teach students how to perform diagnostic tests on patients. All programs, regardless of the extent of their clinical coursework, require students to learn basic medical science in classes such as Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology.

Administrative courses cover a variety of different tools that are crucial to the efficient running of the medical office. Medical Billing and Coding courses teach students the medical insurance system and how to use doctors' diagnoses to bill insurance providers. In Medical Transcription classes, students learn how to transcribe recorded messages from doctors into written charts and memos.

Yes. As you might imagine, all clinical classes have to be completed on-site, since clinical techniques require students to be competent at performing skills on real patients and doing important diagnostic tests. Most medical assisting programs also have an internship or practicum requirement; online programs will generally accommodate distance learning students by setting them up in an internship with a healthcare facility in their local community.

Several other degrees share similar coursework and requirements with the medical assisting program. People with little interest in the clinical aspect of medical assisting could instead pursue a degree or certificate in medical office administration. A two-year program in health information management could be better suited to individuals with a penchant for information technology. Other certificates and degrees prepare students in one particular aspect of medical assisting; for example, degree programs in medical transcription or medical billing and coding are available, for people who would only like to work on one aspect of medical administration.

Several degrees prepare graduates to enter the clinical side of healthcare, as well. Degrees in nursing and physical therapy assisting are two such programs, which put students in direct, daily contact with patients.