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Medical Assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators. Medical assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. They constantly interact with other people and may have to handle several responsibilities at once. Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. However, many medical assistants work part time, evenings, or weekends.

Medical Assistants with Basic X-Ray and BXMO license will be the fastest growing occupation over the next ten years.* The Medical Assistant with X-Ray training is becoming more necessary since modern technology and medical treatments are resulting in patients opting to have their medical needs taken care of in doctor's offices and clinics rather than in hospitals. Medical Assistant with X-Ray training graduates from CFI campuses in Tampa Bay and Orlando, Florida, work more with patients who are ambulatory (able to walk in and out on their own), rather than with patients lying in hospital beds.

Medical Assistants with Cardiovascular Technology serve as members of the cardiovascular team with the ability to independently perform non-invasive procedures within the appropriate scope of practice. The program includes theory and externship experience to enter the medical and /or cardiac fields. The externship experience provides the student with practical applications of medical ethics, terminology, anatomy & physiology, human relations, and administrative and business skills for medical facilities. Clinical skills include phlebotomy, pharmacology, minor surgeries, ECG, monitor recognition, stress testing, ambulatory monitor setup and scanning, and cardiac pharmacology. An introduction to cardiac pacing, vascular studies and echocardiography are included.

Medical Assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty. In small practices, medical assistants usually do many different kinds of tasks, handling both administrative and clinical duties and reporting directly to an office manager, physician, or other health practitioner. Those in large practices tend to specialize in a particular area, under the supervision of department administrators. Medical assistants work in well-lighted, clean environments. They constantly interact with other people and may have to handle several responsibilities at once. Most full-time medical assistants work a regular 40-hour week. However, many medical assistants work part time, evenings, or weekends.

Dental Assistants with Expanded Functions and Radiology work closely with, and under the supervision of dentists performing a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. Dental assistants sterilize and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare and lay out the instruments and materials required to treat each patient, and obtain patients’ dental records. Assistants make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair and prepare them for treatment. During dental procedures, assistants work alongside the dentist to provide assistance. They hand instruments and materials to dentists and keep patients’ mouths dry and clear by using suction or other devices. They also instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care. Employment is expected to increase much faster than average; job prospects are expected to be excellent.

(Cardiovascular Basic Studies) Noninvasive Cardiovascular Technicians perform noninvasive tests that do not require the insertion of probes or other instruments into the patient’s body. Technologists view ultrasound images on a screen and may record the image on videotape or photograph it for interpretation and diagnosis by a physician. As the technologist uses the instrument to perform scans and record images, technologists check the image on the screen for subtle differences between healthy and diseased areas, decide which images to include in the report to the physician, and judge whether the images are satisfactory for diagnostic purposes. Noninvasive Cardio Techs explain the procedure to patients, record any additional medical history the patient relates, select appropriate equipment settings, and change the patient’s position as necessary.

Invasive Cardiovascular Technology or Cath Lab Techs assist physicians with cardiac catheterization procedures. Catheterization involves inserting a small tube, known as a catheter, into a patient’s blood vessel and then into the heart. The procedure is done to determine whether the patient has a blockage or heart disease. The procedure may also involve balloon angioplasty, which can be used to treat blockages of blood vessels or heart valves without the need for heart surgery. During the procedures, they monitor patients’ blood pressure and heart rate with EKG equipment and notify the physician if something appears to be wrong. Technologists also may prepare and monitor patients during open-heart surgery and during the insertion of pacemakers and stents that open up blockages in arteries to the heart and major blood vessels.

Echocardiography Sonography is a field of work that specializes in EKGs and stress testing. Echocardiography was introduced as a non-invasive application of cardiac ultrasound. The medical community refers to this procedure as an ECHO and it is an invaluable diagnostic tool used to evaluate and diagnose various types of heart disorders and diseases. Completion of the Echo Tech Program will result in a challenging and rewarding career by fostering individual initiative, clinical judgment, critical thinking, and a commitment to ongoing professional development in the rapidly evolving field of echocardiography.

Surgical Technologists are often called scrubs and surgical or operating room technicians, assist in surgical operations under the supervision of surgeons, registered nurses, or other surgical personnel. Surgical technologists are members of operating room teams. Before an operation, surgical technologists help prepare the operating room by setting up surgical instruments and equipment, sterile drapes, and sterile solutions. They assemble both sterile and non sterile equipment, as well as check and adjust it to ensure it is working properly. Surgical Techs transport patients to the operating room and help position them on the operating table. Technologists also observe patients’ vital signs, check charts, and help the surgical team put on sterile gowns and gloves.

Diagnostic Medical Sonography or Ultrasound Techs use ultrasound to produce 2D and 3D images of the body. The most familiar procedures are the x ray and the magnetic resonance imaging or MRI. Sonography commonly is associated with obstetrics and the use of ultrasound imaging during pregnancy, but this technology has many other applications in the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions throughout the body. Sonographers operate the equipment, which collects reflected echoes and forms an image that may be videotaped, transmitted, or photographed for interpretation and diagnosis by a physician. In addition to working directly with patients, diagnostic medical sonographers keep patient records and adjust and maintain equipment. They also may prepare work schedules, evaluate equipment purchases, or manage a sonography or diagnostic imaging department.

Polysomnographic Technologist or Sleep Studies Techs perform overnight polysomnograms on those with suspected sleep disorders. PSG Techs collect data using PSGs (polysomnograms), which collect EEG, EOG, EMG, and ECG as well as respiratory flow and effort. While the subject is sleeping, the technologist looks for episodes of sleep apnea using pressure-sensitive thoracic and abdominal belts to measure an effort to breathe, thermistors or thermocouples placed over the mouth and nostrils to measure airflow, and a pulse oximeter probe to measure blood oxygen content. Polysomnographic technologists must enjoy working with people. They should also be prepared to work at night.