Qualifications
Many employers are big on hiring certified medical assistants. What does this mean?
Well, you start by going to a university, community college, or technical school for a semester or two, where you learn fun stuff like:
- Medical terminology
- Anatomy basics
- Ethical guidelines for working with patients
- How to perform simple clinical and/or administrative tasks
Once you've finished up your medical assistant training program, you can be certified as a Certified Medical Assistant, Registered Medical Assistant, or whatever by any one of a number of professional organizations (source). All you have to do is show proof that you completed your training program, take a comprehensive exam, or show proof that you completed a training program and take an exam.
If training programs and certifications sound like too much work to you, and you need a job, like, stat, then chances are you can find a medical assistant gig with tasks so simple that on-the-job training can take the place of certification. After all, it's not like you have to be a genius to learn how to interact with patients and make coffee for the office.