Medical Assisting

In this video, viewers are able to focus on those health care jobs which are more heavily involved in caring for people. Emergency medical technicians provide basic life support procedures before patients are transported. We learn about the various levels of experience and how they differ. The duties of nurses, therapists, and assistants are also covered, including training, job skills, and other pertinent information. A Meridian Production. One 15-minute video.

Many young people are interested in entry-level health care jobs that balance clinical duties with administrative functions. This program illustrates the ins and outs of just such a position—the certified medical assistant. The video examines a CMA’s typical responsibilities, such as maintaining patient records, managing a physician’s schedule, and preparing examining rooms, as well as the skills a successful medical assistant will need—including data entry, customer service, specimen collection, and first aid. Incorporating interviews with experienced medical assistants and the specialists who train them, the program describes what it takes to become a CMA, from the best high school courses to take to passing the CMA (AAMA) certification exam. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide containing additional material—including student activities, discussion questions, vocabulary terms, and fast facts—is available online. Correlates to national and state board certification standards.

Maybe it’s hearing about friends, driving home from a dance, who get into a car wreck that no one survives. Or a fellow student—the one who wears a bandanna to hide what chemotherapy has done to her hair—one day fails to show up for homeroom. Or an announcement over the school’s PA system: “There will be a memorial service this afternoon…” For many young people, this will be their first exposure to death. How can teachers and school administrators help guide them through the experience?