Common Medical Assistant Interview Questions and Answers

Interviews can be exciting, but also intimidating and sometimes can even cause a person to freeze up or stumble over words when asked a question they weren’t prepared to answer. While your interview answers should always be original and not copied from someone else, it can be helpful to look over some common medical assistant interview questions and answers that may be asked during the interview.

Here are some common questions an employer may ask you and how to best answer them:

Question #1: Tell Me About Yourself

This is a warm up type of question and can be a tricky one to answer because it’s open-ended. Keep your answer focused on some of the professional skills you can bring to the practice, versus details about your personal life.

Here’s An Example of What You Might Say:

"I recently completed my medical assistant training and served in a three-month pediatric internship where I was given the exciting opportunity to work with a variety of young patients, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I love working with kids. Whenever they became anxious or scared, I was able to help them remain calm. This is a skill I would love to bring to your clinic."

Question #2: Why Did You Decide on Medical Assisting as a Career?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question, and your response should be authentic and come from the heart. Don’t focus on memorizing a robotic response, but rather think deeply about some of the real reasons why you wanted to become a medical assistant.

You Could Say Something Like:

"I’ve always loved working with people, and I wanted a career where I could truly make a difference in their lives."

Question #3: What is Your Training and Previous Experience as a Medical Assistant?

Before answering this question, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the typical certified medical assistant job description, as well as the medical assistant duties and responsibilities that are usually associated with the job. Include some of those specific skill sets in your answer, which you likely received during your medical assistant training. Of course, you never want to include skills that you haven’t actually practiced or aren’t trained in, as it’s important to be truthful in your answers.

Here’s One Way You Could Answer This:

"I recently completed my one-year training, including a three-month internship in pediatrics. I was trained in all aspects of medical assisting, including all of the main skills I need to know to work in both the front and back office"

Question #4: What Are Your Strengths?

This is a classic interview question asked at most job interviews, regardless of the industry. When discussing your strengths, it’s important to try not to come across like you’re bragging.

Example Answer:

"I feel my clinical skills are my biggest strength."

Question #5: What Are Your Weaknesses?

This is also a classic interview question and can leave many stumped if they aren’t prepared to answer it. It’s important not to sound too negative in your response and try to leave out the actual word "weakness" in your answer.

Here’s a Good Way to Put It:

"I personally prefer clinical tasks over administration related tasks, but I can confidently handle both"

By taking some time to prepare yourself, you will feel much more confident during the actual interview process, increasing your chances of nailing the interview and landing the medical assistant job of your dreams. Are you thinking about a career in healthcare? Becoming a medical assistant is a great way to get your foot in the door. Here at Athena, we pride ourselves in the education our students receive and help people like you every day achieve their career goals. Find out more about becoming a medical assistant and schedule a tour of our campus today!