When you begin your career as a medical assistant, you’re undoubtedly looking for ways to do your job well and be a valuable member of the team. Every medical office and clinic is slightly different, but there are certain tips that are applicable, no matter what. These are some practical tips that will help you excel in your medical assisting career.
Be Early to Work
Medical assistants are the ones who organize the patient appointments for each medical office and keep it running smoothly. It’s a good idea to show up fifteen minutes early each day so the physicians know you are there to get things organized. The attending physicians will appreciate it greatly when you are there at the beginning of the day, setting up patient appointments, making sure the exam rooms are fully stocked and wiped down, and giving the doctors any patient information they may need. If you’ve ever heard the saying, “Being on time is being late” it applies to medical assisting. Your job carries a lot of responsibility, and being organized as the day begins, before any patients show up, is very important to making sure the day runs smoothly.
Stay Focused Every Day
Working in a medical office requires you to keep your focus, there’s no tuning out and sleepwalking through the day. It’s important to pay attention as a medical assistant, and be prepared. Doing your routine requires attention to detail and organization to do your job efficiently and accurately.
The reality is, medical assistants are the backbone of every medical office. They take the chaos of healthcare services and bring order and organization to each day. Your work is vital to the physicians getting their work done in a calm and controlled manner, so they can give each patient their full undivided attention.
Study How the Medical Office Functions
Every medical office runs a little different and has its own unique workflow. By learning how your physician(s) like things to run, it will help you support them better as a medical assistant. It’s also good to be curious about all aspects of healthcare and ask physicians questions. Always be learning about the medical field. Doctors appreciate this because you can be more useful to their practice the more you know about the medical field.
Take Every Assignment and Responsibility Seriously
Patients come to the doctor’s office because they have medical issues, so it is your job to treat every task and responsibility seriously. People’s lives can be affected so be sure to do every part of your job with focus and professionalism. Take the time to do vital signs and record them, update electronic health records (EHR) after each patient appointment. Do call backs, set patient follow-up appointments, let the physician know the lab results are back. These are all very important tasks and medical assistants need to be self-starters. The healthcare industry is for people who can manage their own responsibilities. The physicians in the office will notice if you slack on taking care of your responsibilities so make sure you take care of business and work accurately and professionally.
Empathy for Patients
Patients come to a medical office because they have health conditions they need to be diagnosed and/or treated. Going to a medical facility can cause patients to have a great deal of anxiety and stress. Medical assistants can show empathy and maintain a calm soothing demeanor and make them feel heard. If patients need more information, you can provide it to them. When patients call, and they need to be connected to a different medical facility, be professional and provide that information. Patients do not have all the information you do as a medical professional, and you can help alleviate their fears and anxiety by maintaining your professional composure.
Be Professional, Always
Patients will judge you by how you present yourself, so always be a complete professional. Maintain a demeanor of confidence, professionalism, and courtesy. Keep your uniform and scrubs clean and tidy. Use professional communication both with patients and other medical professionals. A subtle tip that makes a difference is using the correct medical terminology when talking with other medical professionals. Observe what terminology your physicians use for conditions, diagnoses, and procedures. They will notice if you use the common language and terms instead of the current medical terminology - this is part of being taken seriously. Remember that the way you present yourself is the way people will see you.
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Learn How Your Physician Likes Things Set Up
Every medical office has a slightly different workflow, and learning how your physicians like things set up will help you be a valuable asset. Perhaps your physician wants the charts set up a certain way. Maybe you’re working in a physician group and one physician is not tech-savvy and another is extremely tech-savvy. Learning how to make your physician’s workday easier will make the entire medical office run more smoothly. Attention to detail is incredibly important with both your medical co-workers and patients.
Be Confident in Your Skills and Professionalism
Patients must see your confidence to feel comfortable around you. You’ve gone through medical assistant training, you’ve done an externship, and you have hands-on experience. Have confidence in your skills, and never stress or panic. Patients are already anxious about going to see the doctor, when you aren’t confident in your demeanor, it makes them even more anxious and stressed. Always remain calm and be prepared, even if you don’t know the answer to a question or concern, you can find the answer. Medical assistants should be able to adapt and deal with each situation and keep a clear head.
You Need to Start to Achieve Your Goals
No matter what your goals in healthcare career might be, it’s important to get started, believe in yourself, and learn every day. Treat it like a professional endeavor. You can achieve your goals if you treat it seriously. Being a medical assistant is a great career, and can open the doors to even more opportunities in the medical field.
Ready to Begin Your Career as a Medical Assistant?
If you’re ready to start your career in healthcare, Campus Sacramento has a fantastic Medical Assisting training program that will give you the skills you need to land your first jobs. Over the course of several months, you’ll learn about medical terminology, anatomy, clinical and administrative responsibilities, and medical office workflows. To get more information on flexible class schedules, curriculum, and financial aid, please contact our helpful Admissions team or call 888-675-2460 and we’ll help you enroll.