American Institute

Massage therapy is the practice of using touch to manipulate the soft-tissue muscles of the body. It is performed for a variety of reasons, including treating painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and promoting general health. Clients often seek massage for its medical benefit and for relaxation purposes, and there is a wide range of massage treatments available.

Massage therapists can specialize in more than 80 different types of massage, called modalities. Swedish massage, deep-tissue massage, reflexology, acupressure, sports massage, and neuromuscular massage are just a few of the many approaches to massage therapy. Most massage therapists specialize in several modalities, which require different techniques.

Massage therapists work in an array of settings, both private and public: private offices, studios, hospitals, nursing homes, fitness centers, sports medicine facilities, airports, and shopping malls, for example.

Medical assistants perform administrative and clinical tasks to keep the offices of physicians, podiatrists, chiropractors, and other health practitioners running smoothly. They should not be confused with physician assistants, who examine, diagnose, and treat patients under the direct supervision of a physician.

The duties of medical assistants vary from office to office, depending on the location and size of the practice and the practitioner’s specialty.

Medical assistants also may arrange examining room instruments and equipment, purchase and maintain supplies and equipment, and keep waiting and examining rooms neat and clean.

The Dental Assisting Program offers students extensive training which will allow them to develop the skills needed to perform a variety of dental office procedures and laboratory techniques as well as the knowledge associated with medical and dental terminology, anatomy & physiology, with an emphasis placed on head and neck anatomy, dental law and ethics, and patient rights.

Dental assistants typically do the following:

-Work with patients to make them comfortable in the dental chair and to prepare them for treatments and procedures
-Sterilize dental instruments
-Prepare the work area for patient treatment by setting out instruments and materials
-Help dentists by handing them instruments during procedures
-Keep patients’ mouths dry by using suction hoses or other equipment
-Instruct patients in proper dental hygiene
-Process x rays and do lab tasks under the direction of a dentist
-Keep records of dental treatments
-Schedule patient appointments
-Work with patients on billing and payment