A patient calls to verify the amount of medicine he's supposed to be taking. You're so anxious to get back to gossiping with the other medical assistants that you misread his file and tell him the wrong dose. Now, he's in the hospital, and you're in so much trouble.

A heartthrob Hollywood movie star shows up at your orthopedic clinic because he busted his shoulder on set. He's happy to let all the medical assistants take pictures with him. You, however, post the pic to Facebook…and get fired for violating HIPAA.

One of the doctors at the clinic where you work decides you're using too much paper and bans you from the office printer. Since you're an administrative medical assistant and everything you do involves paper, this makes your life fairly difficult.

You love the medical facility where you work and all of the people you work with. Sure, you could find a more intellectually stimulating gig somewhere else…but decent colleagues are worth their weight in gold.

After spending several years as a medical assistant with a podiatrist in a small town, you earn your podiatric medical assistant certification and immediately start looking for work in the big city. You’re hired by a hospital system within a week; your pay and benefits improve.