Why are those characteristics important for the field of medical assisting?

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.

When you are searching for medical assistant jobs online, you will see they come with a long list of requirements. These are typically related to your work experience and education level. However, there are also a lot of personality traits a medical assistant should have that may not be listed in a job description. Here are ten qualities every medical assistant needs in order to be a success.

Willing to Help 

This one may seem obvious. As a medical assistant, it is your job to help nurses and doctors care for patients. This means you have to be ready a moment’s notice to jump into action and do your job. Since you are working with patients who may have serious health conditions, there is no time to be lazy. You must always be prepared to work and be willing to help.

Great at Time Management 

Hospitals and other healthcare environments are busy places. There are always things that need to be done. As a medical assistant, you may often be receiving tasks from multiple doctors or nurses. It is your job to manage your time to the best of your ability and be sure everything gets done quickly and accurately. This also means being flexible. You must be willing to change course or work on another task at any time. 

Excellent Communicator 

A big part of your job as a medical assistant will be helping doctors and nurses deliver messages to their patients and vice versa. You will need to have excellent communication skills to explain complicated test results, diagnoses, and other medical terminology in a way your patients will be able to understand. Delivering these messages with empathy and accuracy is an imperative aspect of effective communication for anyone in the medical field.

Great Problem Solver

In this position, you will be met with a lot of problems. People will come to you looking for answers to their questions and solutions to their issues. Sometimes, these things will need to be passed along to a nurse or doctor. However, oftentimes it will be up to you to find a solution. These problems might include comforting an anxious child, answering insurance questions or helping patients get comfortable in their beds. A great medical assistant will tackle these problems head on and figure out ways to avoid similar obstacles in the future.

Well-Organized

As with any profession, organization is key to being a successful medical assistant. With so many patients to care for and endless tasks being thrown your way, you have to stay organized to make sure everyone is getting the attention they need.

Follows Directions

This is not a profession that allows for a lot of creative freedom. As a medical assistant, you have to follow doctors’ and nurses’ instructions to the letter. Even if you are assigned a task that you disagree with, it is essential you follow the directions you are given. You may think you know what’s best for the patient, but keep in mind your training pales in comparison to the doctors’ and nurses’.  

Compassionate

In this profession, you will likely see dozens of patients a day. It might be easy to become nonchalant about some of their ailments, but it is important that you treat each patient with care and compassion. You can’t appear unconcerned when a patient comes in with a broken finger because a previous patient had a broken arm. Be sure each patient is receiving the same level of care and respect from you and the other medical assistants.   

Non-Judgmental

Oftentimes, you will meet patients with lifestyles and opinions that differ from your own. However, you must keep your personal beliefs to yourself. It is your job to care for patients regardless of who they are and what they may do in their free time.

Outgoing

If you are an introvert, it can be difficult to be talkative all the time. However, when you are on the clock as a medical assistant, it is imperative that you are outgoing. From talking to patients, to answering phone calls, to taking directions from doctors, this job requires a lot of human interaction. If you are someone who needs to recharge after a lot of socializing, you may want to keep your nights free after work and give yourself some alone time. However, both extroverts and introverts can make great medical assistants.

Emotionally Stable

The medical field can be an emotionally taxing industry.  Even as a medical assistant, you are surrounded by complaining, suffering, and often times, death. Patients blaming you for things outside of your control, nurses demanding tasks from you, and losing a patient you had grown fond of are all common examples. These factors can be extremely stressful and take a toll on your mental health if not properly dealt with. It is often tempting to take your frustrations, anger or sadness out on patients or other staff members, but It is important to maintain composure and stay professional. Medical assistants must sustain a level head even in the most stressful situations and not let the daily stresses of the job affect their happiness.  

With these personality traits and the right training, you should have no problem getting hired as a medical assistant anywhere you want. Demand for MAs is extremely high right now and will be for the foreseeable future, so now is the time to enroll in a program. Visit www.woodruffmedical.edu to learn more.

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