Thinking about pursuing a career as a Medical Assistant? This expanding field provides Medical Assistants with a wide range of responsibilities, including a mix of clinical and administrative duties, scheduling, billing, record maintenance, taking and recording vital signs, documentation, prepping patients, drawing blood, and more. This occupation also requires a great deal of interaction with patients, which demands excellent communication skills and an overarching desire to help others. For those thinking about pursuing a career in Medical Assisting, it is important to possess the following qualities and traits:
Empathy: It is imperative to not only be a good listener, but to understand the concerns, stresses, and feelings your patients share with you. This will help put your patients at ease during the appointment and show them that they are in capable, caring hands.
Integrity: Medical Assistants handle and have access to privileged information on a daily basis, and this information is absolutely confidential. Patient health information is protected by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, and even information that Medical Assistants obtain during casual conversation must be handled discreetly and with the highest level of integrity.
Dependability: As a Medical Assistant, the doctor, your healthcare team, and your patients depend on you. It is necessary to be reliable, punctual, and follow protocol.
Stress Management: Working in a medical setting can be hectic and stressful. The job requires someone who is patient, tolerant, and in control, even in stressful situations.
Strong Communication Skills: One of the most important traits a Medical Assistant should possess is the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. This means not only listening and relaying any valuable information to the doctor, but also sharing important physician instructions clearly with your patients while addressing any concerns they may have during their visit.
If you are a compassionate individual with solid interpersonal skills and a long fuse, then consider a career in Medical Assisting! Integral to providing quality patient care, Medical Assisting offers those interested in joining the medical field an opportunity to make a difference in patients’ lives. Arizona College offers a Medical Assisting diploma program, as well as a degree program that both provide students with hands-on training and an externship experience. To learn how you can become a Medical Assistant in as little as 30 weeks, contact Arizona College for more information.
Information in this blog post is accurate as of September 7, 2012.