Medical Assistant

Duties and responsibilities: Medical assistants help physicians and nurses deliver patient care.  They schedule appointments; take blood pressures, respirations, temperatures; and perform other routine patient pre-examining procedures.  Sometimes they help with office and clerical tasks.  Medical assistants work in hospitals, clinics, and private physician offices.

Salary: $17,000 - $18,000

Education: student should complete high school with courses in biology, physical science, office management, communications, and human relations, although medical assistant training programs may accept GED certificates. Medical assistant training programs are provided by community colleges and for-profit  technical training schools. They may take between six months and two years to complete.