What are the top 10 characteristics that a medical assistant should possess?

If you’re thinking of a career as a medical assistant, you could be on track to a rewarding career with great job prospects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for medical assistants through 2022 is expected to grow a whopping 23 percent, much faster than average compared to other jobs. But do you have what it takes to be a part of this rewarding profession? Here are the 8 essential qualities you’ll need to be a medical assistant:

1. Compassionate: Do you like to help others? A caring and compassionate attitude is one of the most important qualities you’ll need as a medical assistant. When patients are sick, in pain or just scared about what’s happening to them, they really want a friendly face and caring attitude. Could that be you?
2. Good Communicator: Medical Assistants often serve as a liaison between patients and other caregivers. You’ll need to be a good listener so you know your patients’ concerns and a good communicator to provide that information to others. You may also need to translate what doctors and other health care providers are saying so patients really understand.
3. Ethical: Everything you see and do as a Medical Assistant could be protected under rules of ethics and patient confidentiality, so you really need to be able to keep a secret. Patients are sometimes at their most vulnerable when they come to see their doctor. They shouldn’t have to worry that something they say or do will be shared inappropriately.
4. Organized: Whether you’re helping in the front office with patient appointments and insurance information, or taking patient histories, you need to keep everything you do well-organized. Small mistakes can cause big problems and one of the best ways to avoid them is to stay organized!
5. Outgoing: You’ll need to interact confidently with lots of different people throughout your day as a Medical Assistant. You may also want to speak up on behalf of patients who aren’t feeling well or aren’t able to speak for themselves. Medical Assistants often serve as patient advocates, as they help them understand all that’s going on around them.
6. Accepting: Your patients may not look like you or have the same ideas or beliefs. But you have to treat everyone fairly. Regardless of why a patient is in need of your assistance, you need to be the same capable, warm and caring person you would be if you were treating a good friend.
7. Adaptable: Healthcare environments are often fast-paced and quickly changing. You may need to help out with several patients or just one at a time. And what works really well in one situation may not be as effective in another. Your ability to roll with the punches will help you help your patients!
8. Team Player: The best of today’s healthcare systems are run like really good teams where everyone has their job to do, but they all work together. If you’re a good team player, you’ll be able to follow directions, do your job well, and always place the needs of the patients first.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a medical assistant, check out the Medical Assisting program at Porter and Chester Institute today! We offer the program at all nine of our campus locations and classes are enrolling soon.

If you’ve ever taken a trip to a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic, hospital, or blood donation center, you’ve probably encountered a medical assistant from time to time. Hopefully each experience has been a positive one. But when it comes down to it, some medical assistants do a better job than others.

It’s usually pretty easy to see who the great medical assistants are when you walk into a room. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant, and want to be one of the great ones, here’s a list of some of the most important quality traits to share.

1. Be a Team Player- It’s important that every medical assistant be able to work effectively with a with a diverse team of medical professionals. Responsibilities may overlap periodically, and different staff positions have different responsibilities. However, it’s important to always remember that each team member contributes in necessary ways to help ensure the overall health and well-being of a patient. Getting along and communicating well with other staff members is one key way to help make that happen.
2. Have Strong Communication Skills- Communicate, communicate, communicate. This cannot be said enough. Great medical assistants must possess good oral communication skills, written communication skills, AND listening skills. As a medical assistant, you’ll be expected to communicate instructions with patients and family members, listen to their medical concerns, and explain those concerns to the physician in charge. Don’t forget about the rest of the staff; you’ll need to clearly communicate necessary information to your other team members as well.
3. Always Be a Compassionate Care Giver- Patients are often vulnerable and unsure about what they’re feeling and experiencing. As a medical assistant, you’ll be one of the first people they’ll see during their visit. Your level of compassion and understanding will help set the tone for each doctor-patient experience.
4. Your Personal Ethics Matter- You will be expected to maintain patient confidentiality in all medical matters. There is a standard level of care that must be followed in every circumstance. It is important that doctors, patients and other support staff be able to trust your character and your level of professionalism both in and out of work.
5. Are You a Problem Solver? – How do you react when problems arise? Do you look for solutions or do you wait for someone else to take the lead? Because the unexpected can happen at any moment in the medical field, it’s important that a good medical assistant can solve problems quickly and effectively. Mix-ups with charts can happen, patient billing can get confusing, and confusion can sometimes lead to chaos. A successful medical assistant will look for answers and try to be an asset to the entire medical team to the best of their ability.
6. Do Your Best to be Non-judgmental- You’ll meet all kinds of people from all walks of life when you work as a medical assistant. Some stories or cases will be unique, some patients may look or act very different from you, and some people’s personal situations may be beyond your understanding. A great medical assistant will serve each patient equally and offer the same level of medical care to every patient.
7. Develop Good Organizational Skills- A good medical assistant will be able multi-task various responsibilities throughout the day effectively and meticulously. Keeping patient information organized and up-to-date is an essential part of the job.
8. Self-Controlled temperament- Excellent medical assistants are ready to tackle whatever circumstances arise. Difficult patients, encounters with exhausted medical staff and challenging situations come and go, but medical assistants with patience and self-control won’t let difficulties phase them at work. The best medical assistants handle these cases with patience, understanding and politeness without losing their cool.

Do you think that you have what it takes to make a great medical assistant? Are you looking for an exciting medical career in a challenging field with a diverse range of employment opportunities to choose from? If so, contact Athena Career Academy today to learn more about our Clinical Medical Assistant program, and see if it’s right for you.

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