National Medical Assistants Day
National Medical Assistants Recognition Day is celebrated on the Wednesday of Medical Assistants Recognition Week, also known as MARweek, which is the third week of October. Medical Assistants often don't get the recognition they deserve, but they are the ones who support doctors and nurses with clinical and administrative tasks, making sure that everything runs smoothly.
Background
The profession of Medical Assistant was not originally accredited, which is why in 1955 the Kansas Medical Assistants decided to create a national organization to establish Medical Assistant as a medical profession. And so the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) was born, with members from 15 states. The organization aimed to standardize, test, and regulate the profession. They introduced exams in 1963, and these dramatically transformed the profession into what it is today.
Maxine Williams was the co-founder and president of the AAMA and a strong advocate for the importance of Medical Assistants in the medical field. Williams contributed $200 to help students go to school to become Medical Assistants, and this money eventually became the Maxime Williams Scholarship Fund.
Medical Assistants Day is a day to honor and recognize the work within this profession. It is also a day to inform people about what the role of a Medical Assistant entails and to support people who may be interested in entering the medical field.
Medical Assistants Week was founded in the 1980s by the AAMA, to raise awareness about this profession.
Five facts about Medical Assistants
- The vast majority of Medical Assistants are female. In America, there are approximately nine female assistants to every one male assistant.
- 32% of Medical Assistants stay in the job for 1-2 years, while 6% of Medical Assistants remain in the job for 11+ years.
- There are over 650,000 Medical Assistants in America.
- Medical Assistants perform many duties in their day including paperwork, collecting medical data from the patient, greeting the patient as they arrive, scheduling appointments, and sometimes even administering medication and injections.
- It is a growing profession with some statistics showing that there may be approximately 20% more Medical Assistants by 2030.
What to do on Medical Assistants Day
This day is about showing appreciation for the overlooked Medical Assistants that aren't always thanked for their jobs.
Talk to your doctor about the Medical Assistants in their clinic, and praise the amazing work that they do. At the same time, don't forget to always thank Medical Assistants directly, to show them that they are appreciated.
