The Top Traits of a Great Medical Assistant

If you’ve ever taken a trip to a doctor’s office, urgent care clinic, hospital, or blood donation center, you’ve probably encountered a medical assistant from time to time. Hopefully each experience has been a positive one. But when it comes down to it, some medical assistants do a better job than others.

It’s usually pretty easy to see who the great medical assistants are when you walk into a room. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a medical assistant, and want to be one of the great ones, here’s a list of some of the most important quality traits to share.

1. Be a Team Player- It’s important that every medical assistant be able to work effectively with a with a diverse team of medical professionals. Responsibilities may overlap periodically, and different staff positions have different responsibilities. However, it’s important to always remember that each team member contributes in necessary ways to help ensure the overall health and well-being of a patient. Getting along and communicating well with other staff members is one key way to help make that happen.
2. Have Strong Communication Skills- Communicate, communicate, communicate. This cannot be said enough. Great medical assistants must possess good oral communication skills, written communication skills, AND listening skills. As a medical assistant, you’ll be expected to communicate instructions with patients and family members, listen to their medical concerns, and explain those concerns to the physician in charge. Don’t forget about the rest of the staff; you’ll need to clearly communicate necessary information to your other team members as well.
3. Always Be a Compassionate Care Giver- Patients are often vulnerable and unsure about what they’re feeling and experiencing. As a medical assistant, you’ll be one of the first people they’ll see during their visit. Your level of compassion and understanding will help set the tone for each doctor-patient experience.
4. Your Personal Ethics Matter- You will be expected to maintain patient confidentiality in all medical matters. There is a standard level of care that must be followed in every circumstance. It is important that doctors, patients and other support staff be able to trust your character and your level of professionalism both in and out of work.
5. Are You a Problem Solver? – How do you react when problems arise? Do you look for solutions or do you wait for someone else to take the lead? Because the unexpected can happen at any moment in the medical field, it’s important that a good medical assistant can solve problems quickly and effectively. Mix-ups with charts can happen, patient billing can get confusing, and confusion can sometimes lead to chaos. A successful medical assistant will look for answers and try to be an asset to the entire medical team to the best of their ability.
6. Do Your Best to be Non-judgmental- You’ll meet all kinds of people from all walks of life when you work as a medical assistant. Some stories or cases will be unique, some patients may look or act very different from you, and some people’s personal situations may be beyond your understanding. A great medical assistant will serve each patient equally and offer the same level of medical care to every patient.
7. Develop Good Organizational Skills- A good medical assistant will be able multi-task various responsibilities throughout the day effectively and meticulously. Keeping patient information organized and up-to-date is an essential part of the job.
8. Self-Controlled temperament- Excellent medical assistants are ready to tackle whatever circumstances arise. Difficult patients, encounters with exhausted medical staff and challenging situations come and go, but medical assistants with patience and self-control won’t let difficulties phase them at work. The best medical assistants handle these cases with patience, understanding and politeness without losing their cool.

Do you think that you have what it takes to make a great medical assistant? Are you looking for an exciting medical career in a challenging field with a diverse range of employment opportunities to choose from? If so, contact Athena Career Academy today to learn more about our Clinical Medical Assistant program, and see if it’s right for you.