Both work in a hospital or doctor’s office, both make sure patients are comfortable and cared for, and both are relied on for the smooth operation of a medical office. But medical assistants and nurses are two distinct professions, each with a slightly different focus. What are the similarities and differences?

Medical assistants have a set range of responsibilities, but there are certain tasks they are not allowed to carry out. If they exceed their bounds and participate in an unauthorized activity -- for instance, dispensing medical advice -- they could not only cause harm to a patient, but also make the employer liable for damages.

In addition to formal schooling and medical training, there are certain skills and qualities that someone should have in order to excel as a medical assistant:

Medical assistants are a widely employed type of medical support personnel who perform light administrative and clinical duties in a variety of medical settings.

Thanks to a larger aging population, advances in technology and a focus on preventative care, health care is the most rapidly expanding industry in the US. Here is a projection of the fastest-growing health care jobs between 2006 and 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.