A medical assistant is an important member of a healthcare team. Medical assisting involves working alongside physicians or specialists while performing a variety of duties that impact the quality of care a patient receives. Qualified medical assistants can work in an assortment of specialties. One of the specialties medical assistants can pursue is podiatric medical assisting.
Prism Career Institute, with campuses in Philadelphia, PA, and in Cherry Hill and West Atlantic City, NJ, offers a medical assistant training program that prepares students for many medical assisting roles, including podiatric medical assistant. Here, we explore what it’s like to work as a podiatric medical assistant and what the role has to offer.
What Is Podiatry?
Podiatry is the study, diagnosis, and treatment of foot and ankle disorders. In addition to treating common injuries involving the feet or lower legs, such as fractures, sprains, and arthritis, podiatry also involves addressing complications from ongoing health issues such as diabetes.
Podiatric Medical Assistants and Their Duties
The responsibilities of a podiatric medical assistant can vary but generally involve a combination of administrative and clinical duties as well as surgical ones, depending on the state where they practice.
Regarding administrative work, podiatrist’s assistants often oversee ordering, organizing, and storing supplies, restocking exam rooms, setting up instruments, and sterilizing equipment. They may also be responsible for:
- Greeting patients
- Scheduling appointments
- Updating patient files
When it comes to clinical duties, podiatric medical assistants often take patient’s vital signs, obtain the patient’s medical history, perform physical exams, and discuss treatment procedures with the patient. Due to the nature of the work, podiatrist’s assistants also may need to take X-rays of patients’ legs, ankles, or feet, prepare patients for procedures, cast for orthotics, assist with diabetic foot exams, and perform other tasks.
Common Work Settings for a Podiatric Assistant
Podiatric medical assistants most commonly perform their duties at a private podiatry medical office. However, because podiatry is a branch of medicine performed in a variety of settings, podiatric medical assistants also can be found in hospitals, schools of medicine and nursing, municipal health departments, and other healthcare facilities.
Pursuing the Role of Podiatric Medical Assistant
Pursuing the role of a podiatric medical assistant requires a certain level of education and training, which can be obtained through Prism Career Institute’s medical assistant program. The 40-week program is offered during the day and in the evening to accommodate the busy lives of our students. Led by dedicated instructors, our medical assisting program features a well-rounded curriculum that covers a variety of topics, including:
- Medical law and ethics
- Anatomy and physiology
- Electrocardiography (EKG)
- Pharmacology
- Phlebotomy
- Patient history and vital signs
- CPR
- Clinical procedures
Our curriculum also covers basic administrative tasks and skills that are transferrable throughout a variety of healthcare settings, including podiatry medical offices. Other important topics covered are as follows:
- Patient hygiene and infection control
- Records management
- Professional communication
- Career development
Why Choose Prism Career Institute
At Prism Career Institute, we are invested in preparing students interested in pursuing rewarding careers in the medical field. In addition to our in-depth training programs, we are pleased to offer eligible students financial aid to help make furthering their education more feasible. We participate in several financial aid programs from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as other agencies, to help meet the needs of our students. Students can explore the options available to them by speaking with our administrators.
The dedicated team at Prism Career Institute takes great pride in helping students pursue their career goals. Our career services department helps students in their quest to secure a rewarding career by offering assistance with resumes, providing networking opportunities, offering interview prep, and more.
Get Started Today
Are you interested in becoming a podiatric medical assistant? Begin your journey at Prism Career Institute. Our medical assistant program offered at our locations in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and West Atlantic City, NJ, will teach the skills that’ll carry you throughout your career as a podiatrist’s assistant. Contact us today or apply online today.