What is the difference between a medical assistant and a medical administrative assistant?

Answer 1

An Administrative Medical Assistant would be a well-paid secretary, perhaps to a teaching physician or a hospital administrator. A Medical Records Clerk would do clerical work, filing and pulling medical records, perhaps placing the transcribed medical records on the patient's chart, answering the phone, general clerical work, not very high paying. A medical assistant can do the functions of a medical records clerk if there is no records clerk in the office but a records clerk could not perform certain duties of a medical assistant.

Answer 2

This answer contains multiple factual errors. For information on the CMA (AAMA) credential, visit the American Association of Medical Assistants at aama-ntl.org. For a comparison of medical assisting credentials, see "How the CMA (AAMA) stands apart: A comparison of four medical assisting credentials" under CMA Today/Public Affairs articles.

A Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) and a Certified Medial Assistant (CMA) are somewhat similar in many duties. But a CCMA, in general, has more hands on assisting duties while assisting a physician or nurse practitioner, they may even assist with some medical procedures.

Basic info about both professions: Individuals with certification as a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant may be able to obtain more job opportunities than a Certified Medical Assistant because they can work as a CCMA or a CMA. CCMA may be eligible to work at a higher pay scale than a CMA in most cases. Either a CCMA or CMA is able to work in a physician's office or hospital, clinic, or emergency room; or with a chiropractor, podiatrist, or other medical professional.

The education for CCMA or CMA can be obtained through many two year colleges. There are also some online programs, though distant learning schools/colleges. Either a CMA or CCMA play an important role in the medical care industry. Doctors and hospitals cannot afford to hire a number of nurses to do all of the needed health care duties, so they CMAs or CCMAs to help with the additional duties needed in patient care. They generally can hire two CMAs or CCMAs for every nursing position. So medical offices may hire two or three to fill out their staffing requirements, and of course a clinic or hospital may hire many more as needed.

Information on the salary for either a CMA or CCMA and career opportunities vary from state to state; so you will have to look up further info for your state on the internet or contact your local employment office. The basic job duties for patient intake are the same for either job position; but listing a specific job description for either position beyond the basic is difficult to impossible. The job descriptions can vary greatly based on the duties required by different medical specialties; and the job description can become quite specialized for a CCMA as their duties can become very complexed in some offices, clinics and hospitals. (I would suggest that you look at the job descriptions for several jobs offered in your area to get an idea of the variations and the verity of duties. Now with this all said, below is a bit more information that may apply to some based on the position.

CCMA - Persons in this field can assist physicians or nurse practitioners with medical procedures. (In general, the job entails checking in patients (weight, blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen level, checking and listing current medications...), but it can evolve much more. The job description of a CCMA is similar to a Licensed Practical Nurse, however the biggest difference between a CCMA and a LPN is that they work under the supervision of a doctor or nurse. They do not act on their own, and other medical staff generally stays close to supervise as needed. A CCMA's duties may consist removing stitches, dressing wounds, draining small wounds, setting up for injections or even giving some injections (like flu shots, insulin, tetanus�), giving medications, doing basic lab tests (blood or urinalysis), or assisting in minor surgeries. CCMAs generally work in a doctor's office, where they may do a number of in-office medical procedures, or in an urgent care clinic, or an emergency room. They work in areas were their extra training may better benefit in the assisting of medical procedures. They also assist in administrative duties and keeping medical documentation of patients. They also might work in a clinical research facially where there might be clinical trials going on, for example they might be giving medication (oral and injection) and documenting vitals, symptoms/reactions� and so on. They might set up and even use some types of medical equipment under the supervision of other medical staff, such as an ultrasound machine, set electrodes for a sleep study, or help attach electrodes for a EKG (brain wave monitor) or ECG ( heart monitor), CPAP/BIPAP (card readings) for sleep apnea, help set up a respirator, set up a heat lamp, do an ice massage, apply hot packs� A CCMA might even supervise a CMA in an office setting, with patient care or patient medical records (if the CMA is just doing ward clerk duties).

CMA - Persons in this field assist with the general health care of patients. They usually work under the general supervision of nursing staff and they duties are limited. The job usually entails checking in patients (weight, blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen level, checking and listing current medications...) It can also entail housekeeping type duties if one works in a hospital or a nursing home (changing bed linens, changing bed pads, bed pans�) A Certified Medical Aid does not do as much hands on assisting of the patients as a CCMA does. However, if they have received additional one on one training directly under the doctor or nurse, where they are taught to assist in additional clinical duties; or they take Continuing Education courses, where by earning CE units that allow them to take on extra responsibilities, a CMA can be further trained to assist a doctor or nurse with clinical or more hands on duties. so they might assist other medical staff.

(FYI: I worked as a MA for years -- when I started I did not have to be state certified, I received additional training for clinical duties by working with the head doctor and the lead staff nurse. With my additional training, I was able to dispense patient medications. I regularly checked, tested wounds for signs of staph, redressed and packed wounds, I processed urinalysis for diabetic patients, gave insulin injections, I used a respiratory suction machine to drain mucus from the lung airways, cleaned and changed stomach tubes� and much more. I worked with the lead nurse and the head doctor in a nursing home for the most part, but I also worked in a hospital later on. So even though my job was listed as a Medical Assistant, what I did on the job fell under the clinical medical assisting, and even with more job responsibilities, I made little more than most MAs and my title did not change - I made about 75 cents more an hour. To be honest the money really did not matter all that much at the time -- I did not have children at the time, and I loved the work and my patients. This was more than 35 years ago and things have changed a lot in the job, as well as the training requirements and now state certification is required.)