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31-9092.00 · Task explorer

Medical Assistants: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Perform administrative and certain clinical duties under the direction of a physician. Administrative duties may include scheduling appointments, maintaining medical records, billing, and coding information for insurance purposes. Clinical duties may include taking and recording vital signs and medical histories, preparing patients for examination, drawing blood, and administering medications as directed by physician.

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This source lists 20 tasks, including 19 marked Core and 1 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2021.

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20 tasks shown

Core · Task 2024 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Interview patients to obtain medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.

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Core · Task 2033 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Clean and sterilize instruments and dispose of contaminated supplies.

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Core · Task 2026 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Record patients' medical history, vital statistics, or information such as test results in medical records.

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Core · Task 2029 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Explain treatment procedures, medications, diets, or physicians' instructions to patients.

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Core · Task 2032 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Prepare treatment rooms for patient examinations, keeping the rooms neat and clean.

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Core · Task 2028 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Collect blood, tissue, or other laboratory specimens, log the specimens, and prepare them for testing.

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Core · Task 2025 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.

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Core · Task 2030 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Help physicians examine and treat patients, handing them instruments or materials or performing such tasks as giving injections or removing sutures.

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Core · Task 2040 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Perform routine laboratory tests and sample analyses.

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Core · Task 2036 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Greet and log in patients arriving at office or clinic.

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Core · Task 2038 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Perform general office duties, such as answering telephones, taking dictation, or completing insurance forms.

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Core · Task 2027 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician.

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My example, evidence or question

Core · Task 2031 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Authorize drug refills and provide prescription information to pharmacies.

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Core · Task 2035 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Change dressings on wounds.

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Core · Task 2034 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Schedule appointments for patients.

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Core · Task 2039 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Inventory and order medical, lab, or office supplies or equipment.

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Core · Task 2037 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Contact medical facilities or departments to schedule patients for tests or admission.

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Core · Task 2043 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Operate x-ray, electrocardiogram (EKG), or other equipment to administer routine diagnostic tests.

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Core · Task 2041 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Set up medical laboratory equipment.

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Supplemental · Task 2042 · 08/2021 · Incumbent

Keep financial records or perform other bookkeeping duties, such as handling credit or collections or mailing monthly statements to patients.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

Keep your worksheet

Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.