Being a medical assistant is not an easy job, especially for someone who has never ventured into such a field before. But it is not an insanely difficult job either. In fact, there are many positives about pursuing a medical assistant career, especially when we look at the current state of the job market. Being a medical assistant means you are taking on a job that is going through a steady rise in the United States. So the demand for medical assistants is going to get higher over the next couple decades, which is an advantage for all current and prospective employees. With that in mind, here are five tips for being successful in the medical assistant position.
- Time-Management
It is vital that you are never late when you are starting off your job as a medical assistant. If your shift starts at 8AM, do not show up to the desk at 8:01AM and expect that your bosses are going to be satisfied with such behavior. It is a good idea to get there a couple of minutes early so you can familiarize yourself with the day before you begin your scheduled hours.
- Positivity
There is no doubt that working in a hospital or an urgent care center or a doctor’s office is not easy. It is grueling work at times, especially if you are constantly shifting between answering the phone or talking to patients or going through their files. There is no breather at times, or at least it feels that way. But it is very important to have a positive outlook on things, because you do not want to appear grouchy or moody when you are talking with patients or your fellow staff members.
- Respect
Going on from the previous point, it is very important to treat everyone with respect. Whether it is an intern who has just started working a part-time position, or the most senior doctor at the facility, you have to treat them with respect. If a patient is being a little rude, you should still respond calmly and in a good manner. You can always report them to your superior later on if you felt they were really rude.
- Help Others
If you have a lighter work load in a given day, or there is not much to do in the spot where you are stationed, you may want to wander around a little bit to see if anyone needs help. Do not leave your post, but you can always help out those around you who need an extra hand.
- Learn, Learn and Learn
You should never stop trying to learn when you are in such a position. There are always new things you can learn, which will help you become a more productive worker wherever you are employed. And the more you learn, the more appealing you are as a hire to other health care facilities. So make sure you take the time to learn from the great doctors and nurses around you every day!
