I have a kid sister that has always wanted to help people in some way, shape, or form once she got out of school, so I suggested that she look into seeing what all she would need to do to become a medical assistant.  The reason why doctors offices and clinics need a Certified Medical Assistant (CMA) is due to the fact that there are a great many clerical, administrative, and routine things that need to be done in every practice. Having someone to specifically take care of those more routine things, allows the doctors and nurses to focus on taking care of patients.