Summary The medical profession has a rich history of achievement and progress. The history of medicine can be broken into four categories: early medicine going back to 3000 BC, the eighteenth century, the nineteenth century, and the twentieth century. Major advancements include the eradication of many deadly diseases with the advent of vaccines, the decrease of infections due to the discovery of aseptic technique and antibiotics, the harnessing of radium to treat disease, the inventions of the microscope and surgical instruments, the discovery of anesthesia, and a better understanding of anatomy and physiology. Today licensed physicians must maintain their knowledge base by completing 75 continuing medical education (CME) units over a period of three years. The medical assistant will have the opportunity to pursue a career working for physicians in all areas of specialization. The health care environment can be confusing and intimidating to the patient. It is important to have an understanding of the health care system and the diversity of institutions that deliver health care services. The descriptions provided

in this chapter of inpatient facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and ambulatory care settings and services, provide a basic explanation of a rather complex structure. The medical assistant’s understanding of the system is key to providing clear explanations to the patient. There are numerous medical specialties. physicians decide after rotations in medical school which area of medicine they prefer. After a residency in a specialty, a physician can practice in that specialty. Board certification in a specialty requires completing an approved residency, passing a challenging examination, and practicing in the field for years. New specialties, such as bariatrics to treat obesity problems, are created when a subspecialty is needed. Physicians can complete additional training and do another residency to change to a different area of medical interest after an initial residency. For example, a board-certified obstetrician may decide to become a pathologist or a surgeon. This would require another residency in that discipline. Varied and numerous allied health professionals are enlisted to support physicians with patient care. Some of these professions include therapeutic cluster careers (such as nurses and dietitians), diagnostic cluster careers (such as X-ray and ultrasound technologists), laboratory cluster careers (such as phlebotomists and clinical laboratory scientists), information services cluster careers (such as unit clerks and office managers), and environmental cluster careers (such as biomedical equipment technicians). The medical assistant is a key part of the allied health team, and understanding how the medical assistant will work with various team members is helpful in understanding the overall function of the working team.