Medical Assistant Duties in Weight Loss Clinics
Generally, Healthcare is defined by the maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment then recovery, or it means the improvement of health to cure diseases, illnesses, injuries, and other physical and mental impairments people deal with. However, a highly important and well-known branch of health care meditation is medical weight loss. Weight loss, in the context of medicine, health, and physical fitness refers to the reduction of the total body mass: the loss of fluid and body fat, or the reduction of the lean mass: bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue. Therefore, there are several professionals who help deliver the best healthcare routines; namely, physicians and medical assistants are among them. All of the medical assistants who work in medical weight loss centers have to have their medical assistant certification.
Who Are Medical Assistants?
Medical assistants, also known as clinical assistants or healthcare assistants in the USA, are allied health professionals who support the work of physicians and other health professionals, usually in a clinic setting. Medical assistants perform clinical and administrative duties under the direct supervision of a physician or another health care professional. Their job can be described as administrative duties such as: answering phone calls, greeting patients, updating and filing patients’ medical records, filling out insurance forms. Medical assistants also do handle correspondences, schedule appointments, arrange for hospital admission and laboratory services and handle billing and bookkeeping.
Medical Assistants Qualifications:
Qualifications differ in each country;
Here are some examples:
- In Bangladesh, medical assistants are
known as Sub Assistant Community Medical Officer (SACMO). They assist the medical officers posted at health facilities at the health complex level and below. Moreover, medical assistants are produced by the Medical Assistants Training School (MATS). They get registration from Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council in the position (Assistant Medical Practitioner).
- On the other hand, in Canada, medical assistants firstly complete an educational program that prepares them to perform special assisting and secretarial duties for physicians, dentists, nurses, health care facilities and other health service providers. Typically, instructional programs include courses in business and medical communications, medical terminology, principles of health care operations and public relations. In addition to that, they take interpersonal communication skills and other courses such as: software applications, record-keeping and system-filing, schedules and meetings arrangements, policies and regulations and professional standards and ethics.
- Similar to Canada, medical assistants in Malaysia are known as Assistant Medical Officers (AMO). They complete a three and a half year of diploma as a Medical Assistant (DMA) in an undergraduate program recognized by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency. They work independently or with limited supervision of a physician to provide healthcare services to largely underserved populations.
What is a Weight Loss Clinic?
A weight loss clinic or weight loss centre helps people lose weight and learn strategies and approaches for maintaining healthy bodies. The best clinics will have trained clinicians, doctors and medical staff who will provide evidence-based approaches to help you in your weight loss journey. Because everyone’s body and relationship with food is unique, Medical Weight Loss Clinics offer comprehensive customized and non-surgical weight loss programs utilizing the right combination of professional care and lifestyle support to fit personal needs. Therefore, what is the role of weight loss medical assistants in this process?
Weight Loss Medical Assistants Responsibilities:
Medical assistants’ daily responsibilities will include the following:
– Greeting and preparing patients for their visit with the provider by obtaining and recording their vital signs and other information such as height, weight, drug allergies, current medications and present health issues.
– Assisting with diagnostic tests and clinical procedures such as venous and capillary invasive procedures for blood draws, intradermal (including skin tests), subcutaneous and intramuscular injections.
– Administering medications and vaccines.
– Managing patient’s flow while ensuring to give enough time for educating the patient and their family.
– Preparing and sterilizing instruments and maintaining equipment and patient care areas clean and in order.
– Arranging patient appointments and other administrative duties as needed.
Sometimes, medical assistants will also have to perform electrocardiograms. The medical assistant does not need an electrocardiogram certification to perform ECG’s because this discipline is part of their program curriculum.
A Medical Assistants Pay Scale (Salary):
The typical weight loss clinic medical assistant makes around $12 per hour. A medical assistant hourly pay at a medical weight Loss clinic can range from $10 – $13. This estimate is mostly based on three weight loss clinic medical assistant salary report(s) provided by employees in the field, or it could be estimated based on statistical methods. When taking bonuses and additional compensations into consideration, a medical assistant at medical weight loss clinic can expect to make an average annual salary of $27,490.
Working as a medical assistant is a fun job. People in that field are able to see how patients transform from one shape to a completely different one while they put a great smile on their faces with the amazing achievement their hard work paid by the medical assistant help. Medical assistants have a much needed role in the healthcare sector; as a privilege, they can work at weight loss clinics as a full time and a part time job, too. You can begin working as soon as you earn your medical assistant certification. At Phlebotomy Career Training we pride ourselves in providing nationally accredited Medical Assistants Certifications both in class and online.
Nancy L. Kimmel obtained her PhD in Environmental Engineering in 2002, then went on to teach Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Henry Ford College and Oakland University. She obtained her Associate in Nursing from Henry Ford College and then went on to earn her Master Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner and became Board Certified working as a licensed FNP in the State of Michigan. She then went on to Medical School where she is now in her 3rd year, and is also in the process of obtaining her Doctorate in Nursing Practice through Chamberlin University. She has authored the NET Study Guide, as well a several books on subjects of Math, ECG/EKG and Phlebotomy. She holds a patent on an Air Filter through the U.S. Patent Office.