Medical Assistant

What they do

Medical assistants complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors and other health practitioners. Their duties vary with the location, specialty and size of the practice.

Medical assistants typically do the following:

• Take patient history and measure vital signs
• Help the physician with patient examinations
• Give patient injections or take EKGs, as directed by the physician
• Schedule patient appointments
• Prepare blood for laboratory tests
• Help patients feel at ease in medical settings

Education needed

High School Diploma or GED, Certification

UCLA Health starting salary

$34,744.32/year or $16.64/hour

Local schools offering this program

East San Gabriel Valley, Pasadena City College, Southern California Regional Occupational Center, Santa Monica College, West Valley College

Professional organizations

Local: California Certifying Board for Medical Assistants

ccbma.org

National: American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA)

aama-ntl.org

To learn more about this career and explore job postings, please visit UCLA Health Careers.