Choosing a career is not as easy as simply matching up your skill set, but it's a good place to start. Medical assisting can be an extremely rewarding career. If you're wondering about the skills of a medical assistant, then you obviously have at least some interest in the field.
To help you determine if you should take another step toward turning your interest into a career, here are the top six abilities medical assistants need.
What Makes A Good Medical Assistant
Detail oriented
If you love getting everything just right, then the medical field is a prefect place for you. Between the appointments you'll make, insurance forms you'll work with, and vital signs you'll take, you need to be able to keep a lot of information straight, organized, and easy to follow.
Good with memorization
There's a lot to know between medical terminology and the many facts about patients you'll come across throughout the day. You'll need to be able to retain information and potentially recite it on the spot so you can quickly identify what tasks need to be done and how.
Well-developed professional skills
You'll be assisting a lot of people throughout the day, and errors can be devastating. The skills needed to be a medical assistant involve being able to see what your role is and do it to the best of your ability. You have to do everything within your power to make procedures flow and provide superior patient care.
Patient
If you can let things roll off your back easily and don't take things personally, it can be very valuable to your work as a medical assistant. People who can handle all types of people with a true smile on your face are great fits in the industry.
Prepared
You'll need to be able to prepare patient rooms and anticipate doctors’ and nurses’ needs before they even know they have them. If you're constantly thinking several steps ahead in life, then you would do well in this position.
Steadfast
Patient care isn't always about neatly taking weight and blood pressure. You may need to give injections, do patient follow-up with wound care, and assist in a variety of procedures. You'll see a lot of the human body up close and personal, so you need to be able to handle blood, knives, and nervous patients during your shifts.
Yes, That's Me!
You don’t need to have each of these traits perfected to become a medical assistant, but to do well, you should feel you have a good handle on them. And if you do have them aced, the medical field could benefit from having you! Find a school near you to get started today.
