Medical Assistants are multi-skilled allied healthcare professionals who work to administer medications, assist with minor procedures, record vital signs, take medical history, prepare patients and rooms for examinations, obtain laboratory specimens, provide patient education, and much more. Because of the specialized skill set and knowledge that is held by these professionals, they find themselves working in clinics, physicians¿ offices, hospitals, outpatient facilities, and specialists¿ offices across the country. Medical Assistants will largely or solely work alongside the physician in providing patient care but may also be called upon to take care of the nonmedical aspects of the practice by completing paperwork, filing records, handling insurance, performing billing and bookkeeping, answering phones, and more. Because physicians often have very large patient loads, they use Medical Assistants as valuable aids to complete many of the routine tasks involved in patient care. Because the duties performed by medical assistants are determined and governed by state law, they may vary from one place to the next. The Clinical Medical Assistant will dispose of contaminated supplies, sterilize instruments, collect and prepare laboratory specimens, and perform basic laboratory tests. In very small offices, the Medical Assistant may also be responsible for a number of other duties, including maintaining and ordering supplies, completing patient charts and insurance claims, answering phones, scheduling appoints, and more. The duties of these professionals are performed under the supervision of physicians and other licensed healthcare providers. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field of Clinical Medical Assisting is expected to grow 23% by 2024, which is much faster than average for all occupations. In this field, certification is important to stand out in a competitive market. While certification may not be required in most States, employers prefer hiring individuals who have demonstrated mastery of Medical Assisting skills and concepts through certification. Many employers offer career laddering opportunities with elevated responsibilities and pay. These roles include medical scribe, health coach, patient navigator, patient care coordinator, and population health manager. While the majority of Medical Assistants stay in the same type of work for at least five years, those that move into related fields often choose between clinical and administrative specialties. Those who chose clinical often become Medical Laboratory Technicians, Certified Nursing Assistants, Physical Therapy Assistants, Surgical Technicians, or Respiratory Technicians. Those who chose administrative often move into billing, coding, management, research, or other non-clinical career paths.