Traits of the Great . . .

Part II– Medical Assistants

Taking time out for a visit to our physician is always inconvenient, but dealing with the occasional medical issue is a fact of life. A great medical assistant, however, can make the process smoother, more efficient, and as pleasant as possible. For those who are interested in a career in the medical field, but don’t want to pursue becoming a doctor, nurse, radiologist, physical therapy, etc., becoming a medical assistant may be a perfect choice.

So, what does a medical assistant do? Actually he/she may wear a variety of hats, including:

Clinical duties
• Taking/recording vital signs and preparing patients for examination
• Documenting medical histories
• Drawing blood
• Administering medications as directed by a physician.

Administrative duties
• Scheduling
• Billing/coding Maintaining medical records

Of course, one medical assistant doesn’t perform all of the above duties. In fact, in a large office with more than one physician, each of the above roles can be a full-time position in itself. For example, one employee may do all the scheduling, while another prepares, processes, and submits insurance claims

Naturally, a fascination with and profound interest in the medical arena is foundational to a medical assistant career, but there are many skills and personality traits that determine an assistant’s level of success.

Hard and Soft Skills

High reading comprehension – the ability to discern scientific, medical information.
Critical thinking and research artist – Being able to think fast on your feet and knowing where to locate the correct information is essential.
• Analytical – a problem solver.
Detail Focused – An absolute must – every detail for every patient must be meticulously recorded. Coding requires perfection.
Technical skills – most of your tasks will involve computers and other technical equipment.
Excellence in communication – written, verbal, and listening skills.
Able to meet productivity and accuracy standards without direct supervision.
Adapts to changes in policies and procedures.
Strong social and teamwork skills – many responsibilities involve connecting with patients, but even if you are strictly a biller/coder working behind the scenes, you need to connect with your coworkers.
Organizational skills – each patient has specific information, tests, etc. that need to be accessible and never mistaken for another client’s info.

Personality Traits
Integrity – extremely important considering the available access to patient information.
Compassion and empathy – considering that every customer/client is there because they have a problem.
Dependability – Keeping to schedule is essential – your employer and your customers depend on you to be on time and to get the job done correctly.
Professionalism – This goes without saying.
Calm – tolerates stress well – your customers are people in the middle of a medical issue. Crisis arise and their coping skills may be lower than usual, so yours need to be higher.
Positive attitude – your attitude will make a difference for patients.

This list may seem overwhelming, but we prefer to view it as challenging. The fact is, any career in the medical field involves hard work and commitment but bring rich rewards and personal satisfaction.

Do you have the essential skills? Are you seeking a challenge? Springborn Staffing has the inside track to available positions in the Bangor and Portland, Maine area. Contact us today and discover how your career can benefit from a connection with Maine’s leading staffing firm.

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