Multi-Tasking Serves Medical Assistants Well

[Star Tribune, January 05, 2011] If there's one thing an employer likes, it's someone who can perform many tasks. Medical assistants fit the bill.

Certified medical assistants mostly work in clinics, administering injections, taking blood pressure readings, drawing blood, performing common laboratory tests, working with medical records, scheduling patients and performing electrocardiograms.

Mark Ziemer, 51, saw his software development job go overseas and decided to do something completely different. An externship at the end of his program at Anoka Tech led to a job at Allina Hospitals & Clinics Champlin clinic. There, he primarily assists one physician, rooms patients, takes vital signs, administers vaccines, prepares the procedure room, and makes phone calls.

"We're big on customer service and go out and greet the patient in the lobby and bring them back and do our best to keep the customers happy," he added. "This is a big part of it." Read the full story at startribune.com.