Medical Assistants are multi-skilled health professionals specifically educated to work in ambulatory settings performing administrative and clinical duties. The practice of medical assisting directly influences the public’s health and well-being and requires mastery of a complex body of knowledge and specialized skills requiring both formal education and practical experience. They work in many types of ambulatory care settings, including physicians’ offices, clinics, and laboratories. Medical Assistants’ duties vary from office to office. In small practices, they are “generalists,” handling both administrative and clinical duties. In larger practices, they tend to specialize within a wide range of areas from clinical to administrative.