Professional Journal Articles

Balasa, Donald A., JD, MBA. The Certified Medical Assistant (American Association of Medical Assistants): An Invaluable Asset for the Pediatric Office. 2009.

http://practice.aap.org/content.aspx?aid=2815. Accessed May 23, 2011.

Thesis: Quality of personnel is an important factor in the success of a pediatric practice. Certified medical assistants (CMAs) (American Association of Medical Assistants [AAMA]) have proven to be some of the most versatile and effective staff members in the offices of pediatricians.

Bodenheimer T. The Teamlet Model of Primary Care. Ann Fam Med. 2007;(5):457-461. http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/5/5/457/DC1. Accessed May 23, 2011.

Thesis: The 15-minute visit does not allow the physician sufficient time to provide the variety of services expected of primary care. A teamlet (little team) model of care is proposed to extend the 15-minute physician visit. Medical assistants or other practice personnel would require retraining to assume the health coach role. Primary care practices interested in trying out the teamlet concept need to train 2 health coaches for each full-time equivalent clinician to ensure smooth patient flow.

Tache, Stephanie; Hill-Sakurai, Laura. Medical assistants: the invisible "glue" of primary health care practices in the United States?  J Health Organ Manag., January 1, 2010;24;(3): 288-305.

http://journals.ohiolink.edu.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Tach_Stephanie.pdf?issn=14777266&issue=v24i0003&article=288_matiopcpitus. Accessed May 23, 2011.

Thesis: Little attention has been given to the field of medical assisting in US health services to date. To explore the roles medical assistants (MAs) currently play in primary care settings, the paper aims to focus on the work scope and dynamics of these increasingly common healthcare personnel.

Van den Berg, Gerard J., Anders Holm, and Jan C. van Ours. "Do stepping-stone jobs exist? Early career paths in the medical profession." J Popul Econ. 2002;15.4; 647–665. http://journals.ohiolink.edu.proxy.libraries.uc.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/van_den_Berg_Gerard_J.pdf?issn=09331433&issue=v15i0004&article=647_dsjeecpitmp.  Accessed May 23, 2011.

Thesis: In the Netherlands, students who want to become a medical specialist have to enroll in a training program which is in limited supply. During the search for a position as trainee (or ‘‘junior medical specialist’’), they may accept a temporary job as a medical assistant. They use a micro data set to investigate whether such work experience increases the probability of becoming

Junior medical specialist. They find that a job as medical assistant helps to become a medical specialist.