Damian Melendez never thought about working in health care until his father had a heart attack.
That's when his personal experience turned into a professional calling. In his early 20s, working in customer service at a New York airport and taking care of his father, Melendez said his decision wasn't just about being a good son, it was about finding a purpose in life by offering compassionate care to people he didn't even know.
"It was a moment that shaped my entire career," said Melendez, a certified medical staff assistant at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School who has worked in the field for the past two decades. "My father's survival and my dedication to his recovery became my greatest professional inspiration, teaching me that true health care is about compassion, understanding and treating each patient as if they were your own family."
In New Jersey and throughout the United States, medical assistants - who perform both clinical and administrative tasks and are often the first health care professional to interact with patients - are in high demand. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the need for medical assistants is expected to increase 15% by 2033.
The medical assistant shortage emerged prominently after the COVID-19 pandemic and is continuing as the U.S. population ages and patient visits increase, said Jeanne Clark, a Henry Rutgers Professor and the chair of the Department of Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Administrators with the Department of Medicine, the largest department at the medical school, are exploring ways to increase recruitment of medical staff assistants who have been certified after successfully completing programs offered at technical schools and community colleges. It also is waiving its one-year mandatory experience requirement for qualified candidates and looking for certified candidates who might not have work-related experience but who have a strong work ethic, a willingness to learn and the ability to adapt in a fast-paced health care environment.
"These are important jobs that keep our medical practices running smoothly," Clark said. "When they are unfilled, nurses and doctors must divert from their primary responsibilities, creating many challenges across our health care team."
While everyone working in the clinical setting is important, Ilya G. Berim, a professor of medicine and vice chair for clinical affairs in the Department of Medicine, said medical assistants serve as the face of the clinic. They bridge the gap between patients and doctors, facilitate communications and make sure that patients understand what they need to do, where they need to go and how everything is going to be accomplished, he said.
"They are the ones that explain to patients what is going to happen and translate what is often medical mumbo jumbo to something that they can understand," said Berim. "They meet you first and they meet you last and help the patient to understand actionable, practical steps that must be taken in order to move forward with their care."
The position isn't stress-free, said Jacqueline Royer, a medical assistant for 24 years before becoming a registered nurse in 2025. In New Jersey, medical assistants prepare patients for examinations, assist physicians during procedures, take vital signs, draw blood and can, after appropriate training and under physician supervision, administer medications. They also help schedule appointments, update patient records and manage medical supplies.
Royer, who started her career as a medical assistant in a family practice in 2001, worked across multiple specialties - endocrine, internal medicine and gastroenterology, rheumatology, allergy, infectious disease, nephrology and pulmonary - mastering a wide range of clinical skills.
She, as Melendez, said that empathy and compassion are character traits that are critical to be a successful medical assistant - both personally and for the patients they help treat.
"When you bring a patient into the room, you just don't put the blood pressure cuff on the patient and that's it," said Royer. "You talk to the patient, you get them to relax a little, you get them to trust you and understand that you care. And you do this because you genuinely want to offer care to people."
The job also provides those who might be considering going into nursing the opportunity to see if this is a field that might be right for them. Royer waited until her children were grown before she decided to go back to school and earn a nursing degree.
"It was something I wanted to do, but it wasn't because being a medical assistant wasn't a very rewarding career," said Royer. "What it did for me and would do for others is give you a foundation if you want to advance in health care. You learn patient care, medication management, computer skills and develop critical interpersonal capabilities. The years I spent as a medical assistant helped me become a good nurse."
