A career as a paramedical examiner primarily involves conducting medical screenings on people trying to obtain health insurance. In order to become a paramedical examiner, most individuals are required to have a phlebotomy degree. Some companies also want applicants to have additional experience in the medical field, or a background in nursing. The primary job duties in this career include going over a patient's medical history, conducting blood tests, taking urine samples, taking blood pressure, and recording height and weight measurements.
At the beginning of a medical exam, the paramedical examiner typically goes over the recorded medical history which each patient. This is used to get a better understanding of the patient's health, and find if there are any abnormalities present. If there are abnormalities, then that information will be recorded for the insurance company to look over. The examiner will then briefly describe the examination process to the patient before getting started.
Blood testing is common part a paramedical examiner's job. Although it's not necessary for all exams, a large majority do include blood testing as a requirement. During the exam, the patient's blood will be drawn from the vein by a syringe in order to fill at least one vial. Then the wound will be sterilized and a bandage will be placed over it. Afterward, the examiner will send the sample off to a laboratory to have it tested.
Another large part of the job consists of taking urine samples, which is required for every exam. Examiners typically contact patients beforehand and instruct them to consume at least one glass of water prior to the exam. Samples are then obtained in a small cup, and sent to the appropriate insurance agency to be analyzed.
Taking an individual's blood pressure is another duty of a paramedical examiner. This is usually done by placing a pressure gauge around a patient's upper arm while he is resting. Then the examiner will tighten the gauge until an accurate reading can be taken. The data is then recorded and will be reviewed by the health insurance company later on.
In addition, paramedical examiners are responsible for measuring and recording the patient's height and weight. Knowing these measurements is often indicative of the patient's overall level of health. As a result, this information will often determine the policy that health insurance agencies will offer the person. Once all of this information has been recorded and samples have been sent off, the paramedical examiner will move on to the next assignment and repeat the same process.