What Do Successful MAs Have in Common?

Medical assistants are in high demand now, and they will continue to be in the future for good reason. It’s secure, rewarding, and meaningful work, but it’s not the ideal fit for everyone. It’s essential to reflect on your reasons for wanting a career in healthcare. What qualities make a successful medical assistant, and why do they matter?

Employers know that possessing the right qualities makes employees more successful, but on a personal level, your attributes can also make or break your satisfaction with your career. While some character traits can be learned or nurtured through quality training and experience, it’s difficult to succeed in an environment that doesn’t support your strengths and passions. 

If you’re interested in becoming a medical assistant, these qualities will help you thrive.

Strong Communication Skills 

As a medical assistant, strong communication skills are essential. Relationships with patients and coworkers depend on a delicate balance of listening, understanding, and responding. Communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Medical assistants work with physically and emotionally vulnerable people, so emotional intelligence, or the ability to sense what people are feeling through observation, is essential for good communication and success in this field. 

Time Management Skills 

Busy days can be stressful, but being punctual and dependable is crucial. People born with good organizational skills recognize wasted time and have an uncanny ability to manage a full schedule with poise and confidence. Others aren’t so fortunate and need guidance to keep the day on track. Fortunately, with experience and the right tools, anyone can develop better time management skills.

Compassion for Others 

Compassion is best defined as practical empathy. It’s more than being sensitive or aware of the pain of others, but having the initiative to do something about it. When patients are experiencing pain or are exhibiting fear or anxiety about a test or procedure, successful medical assistants are there to comfort and support them.

Professionalism 

Medical assistants are usually the first point of contact for patients, so first impressions matter. As a representative of the healthcare team, your appearance, demeanor, and behavior reflect on the entire practice or facility. Approaching clients courteously and thoughtfully promotes the team’s goals, enhances reputation, and improves patient confidence and satisfaction with the care they receive. 

Critical Thinking Skills 

Successful medical assistants are problem solvers. Critical thinking, or the ability to gather facts and come to sensible solutions, is how you prioritize tasks and make accurate decisions under pressure. It’s the medical assistant who recognizes a patient having difficulty breathing and should be seen by the doctor before someone in for a routine visit. Critical thinking helps a medical assistant function effectively in a fast-paced environment. 

Willingness to Learn 

Graduating from a medical assisting training program is just the beginning of your learning process. No matter how high quality the program is, it can’t possibly cover every situation you’ll encounter throughout your career. The healthcare industry is technologically advanced and ever-changing, so there’s always something new to learn. A commitment to continuing education helps medical assistants maintain and develop relevant skills. 

Ready to Get Started? 

If you’re anxious about not having these qualities, don’t worry! You don’t have to be perfect to be a successful medical assistant. There’s plenty of room for growth, and many of these traits can be developed with the proper training and experience. You are choosing an exciting, rewarding, and stable career that’s highly in demand and full of opportunities for advancement. If you’re serious about becoming a medical assistant, contact Athena Career Academy to learn more about our no-wait-list training and information about how to enroll.