Allen School of Health Sciences: Benefits of a Blended Healthcare Program

Blended learning programs provide a safer learning environment

At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we have students complete much of their coursework at home. Only requiring in-person attendance a few times per week creates a learning environment to keep staff and students safe. With fewer students on campus at a time, the Allen School can realistically practice social distancing and ensure common areas are cleaned and disinfected properly between classes.

Blended learning also allows us to be prepared in case a COVID-19 outbreak happens again. With our blended program of combining online instruction with an interactive classroom experience in place, our school can temporarily provide fully online courses until it’s safe to return to campus.

Flipping the classroom improves comprehension

When students are more engaged in the class session, their comprehension naturally increases. Blended learning calls for what many call a “flipped classroom” approach, where students learn theory remotely and practice what they learned at home during in-person class sessions with instructors present to assist. Instead of spending the time students and instructors have together listening to a lesson, the in-person portion of blended learning is spent actively practicing skills and getting hands-on training from instructors.

Students have the flexibility to take the online portion anywhere!

In a blended learning model, students can partake in the online portion of the class and look over class materials anywhere they have internet access, enabling our students to balance schoolwork and external obligations more effectively. For adult learners especially, a sense of autonomy and control over their learning experience is essential for success.

Efficient use of instructor time

Traditional in-person courses require instructors to spend time outside of class completing administrative tasks like printing out handouts, uploading attendance data, hand-grading assignments, etc. With technology in blended learning, many of those tasks can be automated, allowing instructors to spend more time helping students comprehend material and develop their skills.

Access more students with blended learning programs

Many career college students have obligations outside of school that make it difficult for them to commute to campus every day. Prospective students interested in enrolling will look for medical programs with flexibility, giving the Allen School the ability to offer blended learning to attract a wider variety of students.

 The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering our accelerated program of blended learning. Combining online instruction with an interactive classroom experience. Classes are starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu​ to learn more.

Article updated July 2024

Why Medical Assistants love their jobs

Why Medical Assistants love their jobs

Most people who want to work in the healthcare field likely aspire to become doctors or nurses. However, Medical Assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States. The Medical Assistant career path offers many of the same benefits as other healthcare professions, in addition to perks of its own. For those looking to enter the healthcare field, medical assisting might be a great fit. To showcase some of the reasons Medical Assistants love their jobs, a list is featured below:

Bountiful Job Outlook

Medical Assistant employment is projected to increase to 23% by the year 2028. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics attributes the projection to the increased demand for medical support staff in physicians’ offices and clinics to accommodate the number of aging baby boomers. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm 

Medical Assistants are essential cogs that allow offices and clinics to operate smoothly. They facilitate the flow of patients throughout the facility and handle a variety of other clinical and administrative tasks. Doctors in all specializations need Medical Assistants to help run their offices.

Starting Work Sooner

Medical Assistants can begin working in the healthcare field sooner than students who attend nursing programs at a four-year university. Many schools offer programs that can be completed in a matter of months. The Allen School of Health Sciences offers an accelerated medical assistant program that can be completed in less than a year.

Limitless Career Paths

Medical Assistants graduate with the knowledge and experience needed to excel in the healthcare industry. They are trained in both clinical and administrative tasks that are critical to running an office or clinic.

With a vast array of skills at their disposal, Medical Assistants can explore different areas of medicine and discover what they are passionate about. Medical Assistants have the opportunity to specialize in a certain type of medicine, teach students who also want to be an MA, or even decide to go back to school to further their education.

Diverse On-the-Job Experiences

Medical Assistants are capable of performing many different tasks needed to keep any clinic or office running smooth, one of which includes treating patients. Their versatility also ensures they will not be bored on the job because there is always something they can do.

Additionally, the patients who come in to be treated and what they are seeking to be treated for, varies daily. Every day on the job is different than the one before.

Helping People

Medical Assistants help physicians run their offices, but they also provide patients with compassion and understanding while doing so. Like their fellow healthcare professionals, Medical Assistants take satisfaction in knowing they are helping patients and changing their lives for the better.

A quality education is a crucial start to a Medical Assistant’s career.  If you’re ready to pursue a successful career in the healthcare field and are interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a Medical Assistant, contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family! Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


A Few Ways Adult Medical Assisting Students Can Prepare for Graduation

A Few Ways Adult Medical Assisting Students Can Prepare for Graduation

If you’re an adult student who is about to graduate from a medical assistant or healthcare program, you must be so excited! We’re thrilled to share this moment with you. Even though you’ve been waiting for this moment for years, there are some things you should do before you walk virtually or physically across the stage and put your last classes behind you.

Here are some ways you can prepare for your upcoming graduation:

Make sure you’re good to go. If you haven’t already, connect with your academic department to be sure that you are in fact graduating. You’ve probably already received confirmation, but it’s always good to check. Due to the pandemic, many graduations will be conducted virtually. Treat your graduation like you are physically walking across that stage. Start planning what you’re going to wear the day of graduation. Graduation is the completion of your journey and the start of a new one. So, CELEBRATE!!

Work hard until the end. With your graduation day in sight, it can be easy to lose focus and want to rush the last couple of weeks of class, but it’s important to keep up your hard work and finish strong. You might have a couple of clinical left or are finishing up an internship but remember, your final grades will depend on how well you finish. You can do it!

Send thank you cards, e-cards, or handwritten notes. Without the encouragement and support of those along the way, you might not have made it. Write thank you notes to anyone who supported you, including your significant other, family members, friends, and even your instructors.

Ask for letters of recommendation. You wouldn’t be earning a Medical Assistant certificate if you didn’t want a successful outcome. Letters of recommendation from your instructors and professional contacts can help ensure you land a great job after you receive your diploma. Future employers will be impressed by well-written, honest, and positive recommendations! The Allen School of Health Sciences career services department is here to help.

Acknowledge your hard work and celebrate. Earning your certificate in Medical Assisting isn’t easy. You put a lot of time and energy into it, so be proud! Look back at everything you’ve done to accomplish this and get excited about the future ahead.

The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today. We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Your graduation awaits!


Nervous to go Back to School?

How do you feel about going back to school? Do you dream of where it could take your career, or do you fear that because you’re a working parent or professional that you won’t have the time or energy to go back? Fear has this funny way of holding us back from exceptional things. We can think of many reasons not to take on this challenge like the additional workload, the time and energy it’ll take, and the biggest one of all- fear of failure.

How can you put these fearful thoughts aside and truly judge if it’s time for you to go back to school? School should give you something you’re missing. Why do you want to go back to school? What is missing in your life right now that school could provide? What will furthering your education bring you? A promotion, growth of your knowledge and skill of your field, or a change your career track all together? When you can articulate the reasons or your “Why statement” then you can use it to fight back your fear and leave your fearful thoughts behind.

Get Your Support System to Back You Up

There will be times when you need help with your home life responsibilities. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the extra workload, think about who your support system is and how they can help you accomplish your goals. Identify what you need help with. Will you do homework at night, early mornings, or on the weekends at the library?

Next, get that support system on board. These can be ​your spouse, partner, parents, neighbors, kids, or friends. Share with them why you’re going back to school and share any areas you need help with. You’ll feel relief knowing that your support system has your back.

Find Extra Time Blocks in Your Day

Do you feel like you won’t have enough time or energy to do homework? Then try this; Throughout your day tomorrow make it a priority to look for small blocks of free time. Did you spend too much time on social media during lunch? If so, then that could be time in your day to do work.

Keep a lookout for these blocks of time where you could give up something to make room for schoolwork. School won’t last forever and making some sacrifices can be worth it. It’s hard to contain excitement and anxiety over what will happen once you get that certificate, but all good things come to those who wait or work hard.

When fearful thoughts creep up when thinking about returning to school, take a deep breath and put them aside. You have many options for making it work for you and you could reap some big benefits going for it. Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile.” If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to going back to school.

Ready to start working towards a new career? The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit  www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


Medical Assistant: What are your options?

Becoming a Medical Assistant is one of the quickest ways to enter the world of healthcare. If you’re looking to get a good job fast in a growing field, becoming an MA is the way to go. But after you’ve completed your program and are working in the position, then what? What are the career advancement options for a Medical Assistant?

Medical Assistants can Choose from Several Specializations

Healthcare is a field with tons of specializations, and Medical Assistants are no exception. Finding an MA specialization is one of the best ways to make yourself more in-demand. It also means finding a field that genuinely interests you and that you enjoy working in. An MA can specialize in everything from internal medicine to transplant surgery and oncology. It would be impossible to name all their options, but every branch and level of medicine must have specialized experts carrying out daily administrative and clinical tasks. Your choices for a specialization are as vast as healthcare itself!

You’ll Have a Leg up on Further Medical Education

If you want to become a nurse, the education and experience you’ll get as a Medical Assistant will make a difference in your training. You’ll find clinicals and coursework more manageable than other students who go in without experience. Much (though not all) of the material you’ll encounter will look familiar. As a veteran of the medical world, you’ll be much more at ease with the technical and professional aspects of the material, as well as building upon your existing knowledge base. While other students are learning the ropes of the world of healthcare, you’ll be climbing them. You’ve been here before.

Medical Assistants get Valuable Real-World Experience

No matter what you choose to do after your first MA job, you’ll always have experience that makes you more dynamic and interesting as both an employee and a person. If you want to become a nurse, your MA experience will serve you well. If you want to enter another field, potential employers will certainly think highly of your MA experience. Of course, there’s always the option of being an MA for the long haul. Medical Assistants are in demand and an integral part of our healthcare system.

Are you thinking about a new career as a medical assistant? The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit  www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


Traits of a Successful Medical Assistant

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is one of the biggest industries in America with ample job openings. What might not be as obvious is the fact that you can have a prosperous career in the field without becoming a doctor or nurse. One occupation student might want to consider is that of a Medical Assistant.

A Medical Assistant is someone who aids doctors, typically in offices and healthcare clinics, with administrative and clinical tasks. Medical Assistants will check blood pressure, direct patients through the office, and perform administrative tasks. Some other common responsibilities include maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments, sanitizing medical equipment, and helping physicians with examinations. Let’s examine a few traits that successful Medical Assistants embody in their jobs.

Medical Assistants need Good Communication Skills

Communicating is a significant part of a Medical Assistant’s job. They communicate with doctors, patients, and coworkers to keep the office or clinic functioning effectively. Medical Assistants who work more on the administrative side may serve as intermediaries between the doctor and patients or the doctor and health insurance companies.

Medical Assistants are Team Players

Medical Assistants are, in many ways, the glue that holds physicians’ offices and healthcare clinics together. With this in mind, it is important that Medical Assistants are team players and willing to do the work that is necessary to efficiently provide patients with the proper care. Feeding off the prior point about communication, part of being a team player is communicating with those with whom you work. Being a team player can increase synergy among you and your co-workers, in addition to the obvious advantage of completing the work required to run the office or clinic.

Medical Assistants have Strong Attentiveness to Details

Paying attention to detail is another quality that successful Medical Assistants exemplify in their work. This is not limited to cases in which Medical Assistants are permitted to administer drugs to patients and need to accurately measure the dosage. It is also crucial in the maintenance of patient records, scheduling and taking vitals to name a few other examples.

Accuracy and attention to detail are important for the wellbeing of the patients and healthcare professionals alike.

Medical Assistants have a lot of Compassion

Compassion is another trait that successful Medical Assistants embody. They are often responsible for ensuring that patients are comfortable during their visit to the office or clinic. As mentioned earlier, Medical Assistants serve as a point of communication between patients and doctors. Offering compassion and understanding of a patient’s concerns can go a long way towards the patient’s overall satisfaction with the medical care. Medical Assistants can take comfort, pride, and satisfaction in knowing that they helped change a patient’s life for the better.

Medical Assistants always have a Willingness to Learn

Medical Assistants are responsible for performing a multitude of different tasks throughout doctors’ offices and healthcare clinics. They are skilled in both clinical and administrative aspects of running an office or clinic. It is important for Medical Assistants to show the willingness to learn new skills as required by the doctors under whom they work. Changes in technology used in offices and clinics also necessitate Medical Assistants adapting to such updates. Being a jack of many trades can provide Medical Assistants with a degree of variety in the everyday happenings of their jobs. In many cases there are things within an office or clinic with which they can help. Armed with an array of skills, Medical Assistants can work in many different realms of medicine, exploring different disciplines and discovering what they are passionate about. Medical Assistants have the opportunity to specialize in a certain type of medicine, instruct students who also want to become an MA or even become the office manager. Many also go back to school to expand on what they learned as Medical Assistants and land an even better job.

Launch your Medical Assistant career at the Allen School of Health Sciences.

Perhaps you feel that the traits in this post describe you and you are now thinking of pursuing a school for Medical Assistants. For prospective Medical Assistants there is one obvious choice for an accelerated training program: Allen School of Health Sciences. The Allen School of Health Sciences Medical Assistant program thoroughly prepares you to enter the healthcare field. The program can be completed in less than a year!

The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit  www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


Qualities of a Medical Assistant

Most of us have had the help and support of a Medical Assistant while visiting a hospital, or a physician’s office. However, to become a successful MA, there are some basic qualities that a candidate should possess. 
  • Communication Skills
Among the most important Medical Assistant qualities are communication skills, as these are the basic characteristics for this profession. An MA should listen to patients without interruption but at the same time, still ask appropriate questions to get to the source of their visit. Communication skills also involve clearly narrating the vital instructions given by the doctor to each patient. 
  • Compassionate
Besides being a good listener, it is especially important that a Medical Assistant is compassionate toward their patients. An MA should try to understand the emotional state of their patients by hearing out their questions and concerns. Handling patients in a compassionate way will help them feel more comfortable and relaxed at the time of their health assessment.
  •  Handling Stress
A physician’s office or a hospital is full of activity. The workplace can make a Medical Assistant feel quite stressed out. They will have a lot of administrative and clinical duties to perform each day and at times, all of these work-related stresses can contribute to confusion and anxiety. On the other hand, patients visit a health care facility for appropriate care and treatment; they come with their own set of stress. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the MA to check their stress at the door. In other words, figure out a way to put aside stress you’ve built up throughout the day, while in the company of your patient. This is no easy task, as you are only human, but it is a good skill to work on each day in order to give the best care you can.
  • Reliability
A Medical Assistant is expected to be a reliable person since the physician, the healthcare group associates, and the incoming patients depend on them to be reliable. Hence, an MA should be punctual, career-focused and value the conventional code of behavior.
  • Honesty
Honesty is the best policy for this lifetime career. The personal information that a Medical Assistant collects must be maintained as confidential in a healthcare setting. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a strict confidentiality rule, which requires vigilance and care in maintaining the patient’s fitness information. However, it is also considered courteous to behave trustworthy to each patient while receiving their health or personal information (even during informal conversation). Each and every MA will be introduced to circumstances where they need to prove their ethical and moral characteristics on a daily basis. Hence, honesty is the chief quality to become a professional medical assistant.
  • Willpower and Politeness
Sometimes the urge to react to a tiring physician or to a disgruntled patient who is in a lot of pain or has little patience is very tempting. However, having strong willpower towards your personal feelings in a health care environment while remaining polite is a very unique Medical Assistant trait that is necessary to remain a professional. Instead of reacting, take a breath, and respond accordingly. If you possess the above-mentioned traits, then go ahead and join in a professional medical assistant training program that will give you all the essential courses required to become a successful medical assistant. The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit  www.allenschool.edu to learn more.  

Nervous to Go Back to School?

How do you feel about going back to school? Do you dream of where it could take your career, or do you fear that because you’re a working parent or professional that you won’t have the time or energy to go back? Fear has this funny way of holding us back from exceptional things. We can think of many reasons not to take on this challenge like the additional workload, the time and energy it’ll take, and the biggest one of all- fear of failure.

How can you put these fearful thoughts aside and truly judge if it’s time for you to go back to school? School should give you something you’re missing. Why do you want to go back to school? What is missing in your life right now that school could provide? What will furthering your education bring you? A promotion, growth of your knowledge and skill of your field, or a change your career track all together? When you can articulate the reasons or your “Why statement” then you can use it to fight back your fear and leave your fearful thoughts behind.

Get Your Support System to Back You Up

There will be times when you need help with your home life responsibilities. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the extra workload, think about who your support system is and how they can help you accomplish your goals. Identify what you need help with. Will you do homework at night, early mornings, or on the weekends at the library?

Next, get that support system on board. These can be ​your spouse, partner, parents, neighbors, kids, or friends. Share with them why you’re going back to school and share any areas you need help with. You’ll feel relief knowing that your support system has your back.

Find Extra Time Blocks in Your Day

Do you feel like you won’t have enough time or energy to do homework? Then try this; Throughout your day tomorrow make it a priority to look for small blocks of free time. Did you spend too much time on social media during lunch? If so, then that could be time in your day to do work.

Keep a lookout for these blocks of time where you could give up something to make room for schoolwork. School won’t last forever and making some sacrifices will be worth it. It’s hard to contain excitement and anxiety over what will happen once you get that degree or certificate, but all good things come to those who wait or work hard.

When fearful thoughts creep up when thinking about returning to school, take a deep breath and put them aside. You have many options for making it work for you and you could reap some big benefits going for it. Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile.” If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to going back to school.

Ready to start working towards a new career? The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon. Contact the Allen School today! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit  www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


Becoming a Successful Medical Assistant

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry is one of the biggest industries in America. What might not be as obvious is the fact that you can have a prosperous career in the field without becoming a doctor or nurse. One occupation students might want to consider is that of a Medical Assistant.

A Medical Assistant, or MA, is someone who aids doctors, typically in offices and healthcare clinics, with administrative and clinical tasks, according to the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA). An MA can check blood pressure, direct patients through the office, and perform a myriad of administrative tasks. Other common responsibilities of an MA include maintaining patient records, scheduling appointments, sanitizing medical equipment and helping physicians with examinations. Let’s examine a few traits that successful MAs embody in their job:

Medical Assistants Need Good Communication Skills

Communicating is a fairly significant part of an MA’s job. Medical Assistants communicate with doctors, patients and each other to keep the office or clinic functioning effectively. Medical Assistants who work more on the administrative side may serve as intermediaries between the doctor and patients or the doctor and health insurance companies.

Medical Assistants are Team Players

Medical Assistants are, in many ways, the glue that holds physicians’ offices and healthcare clinics together. With this in mind, it is important that they are team players and willing to do the work that is necessary to efficiently provide patients with the proper care. Feeding off the prior point about communication, part of being a team player is communicating with those with whom you work with. Being a team player can increase synergy among you and your co-workers, in addition to the obvious advantage of completing the work required to run the office or clinic.

Medical Assistants Have Strong Attention to Detail

Paying attention to detail is another quality that successful MAs exemplify in their work. This is not limited to cases in which an MA is permitted to administer drugs to patients and need to accurately measure the dosage. It is also crucial in the maintenance of patient records, scheduling and taking vitals; to name a few other examples.

Medical Assistants Have Compassion

Compassion is another trait that successful MAs embody. Medical Assistants are often responsible for ensuring that patients are comfortable during their visit to the office or clinic. As mentioned earlier, Medical Assistants serve as a point of communication between patients and doctors. Offering compassion and understanding of a patient’s concerns can go a long way towards their overall satisfaction with medical care. Medical Assistants can take comfort, pride and satisfaction in knowing that they helped change a patient’s life for the better.

Medical Assistants Always Have a Willingness to Learn

Medical Assistants are responsible for performing a multitude of different tasks throughout doctors’ offices and healthcare clinics. They are skilled in both clinical and administrative aspects of running an office or clinic. With this in mind, it is important for an MA to show the willingness to learn new skills as required by the doctors under whom they work. Changes such as new technology used in offices and clinics necessitate an MA to adapt to such updates. Being a “jack of all trades” can provide Medical Assistants with a degree of variety in the everyday happenings of their jobs. In many cases there are things within an office or clinic that an MA can help with, even though they might not be in the job description.  Armed with an array of skills, Medical Assistants can work in many different realms of medicine, exploring different disciplines and discovering what they are passionate about. Medical Assistants have the opportunity to specialize in a certain type of medicine, teach students who also want to be Medical Assistants or even become the office manager. Many also go back to school to expand on what they learned as an MA and land an even better job.

Launch your Medical Assistant career at the Allen School of Health Sciences! Perhaps you feel that the traits in this post describe you and you are now thinking of studying to start your career as a Medical Assistant. For prospective Medical Assistants there is one clear choice for an accelerated training program: Allen School of Health Sciences.

The Allen School of Health Sciences Medical Assistant program thoroughly prepares you to enter the healthcare field as a Medical Assistant. The program can be completed in less than a year.

 To learn more about our health care programs and externships, contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our classes starting soon! We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.


Successful Interviewing Tips of a Medical Assistant.

A Guide To Successfully Interviewing For A Medical Assistant

Are you preparing for a job interview for a Medical Assistant position? Familiarizing yourself with these common interview questions will help you have answers ready and feel more comfortable. When attending the Allen School of Health Sciences, our career services team will assist you using these questions to give you a practice interview:

  1. Tell me a little about yourself.

This is a basic interview question that can be tough to answer due to its open-ended nature. Instead of sharing hobbies or personality traits, keep your answer focused on your professional experience and education.

Example: “I recently completed my Medical Assistant program at Allen School of Health Sciences, where I learned to work with patients while taking their vital signs and assisted doctors in physical exams and other procedures. I especially enjoy communicating with patients and helping to make their experience easy and comfortable.

  1. How much experience do you have as a medical assistant?

If you have prior experience as a Medical Assistant, tell them where you have worked, and how long you worked there. If you are new to the Medical Assistant field, tell them about your experience with the Allen School and the 275 clinical hours earned from your internship (which is part of the Allen School of Health Sciences Medical Assistant program.)

Example: “I recently completed a 275-hour internship at City Medical, where I got valuable hands-on experience in the responsibilities of a medical assistant. Now that I have graduated and completed my internship, I am looking forward to finding a full-time position and continuing my professional growth.

  1.  What are some of your strengths?

When answering this question, it’s important not to brag. Simply discuss the areas that you feel you are strongest in.

Example: “Phlebotomy is one of my biggest strengths. I feel confident when drawing blood. I am also good at communicating with patients and making them feel comfortable as well.

  1.  What are some of your weaknesses?

When answering this question, do not put yourself down or say you are bad at something, simply mention areas where you are looking to improve.

Example: “I am currently more comfortable with clinical tasks than administrative responsibilities, but I am good at communicating, so am confident that I can adapt to that role quickly.

  1.  Tell me about your computer skills.

When answering this question, be sure to mention your medical billing and coding training as well as your electronic health records training at the Allen School, as both are very important when employers are looking to hire candidates

Example: “I am trained in Electronic Health Records software, specifically the Example program. I am also trained in medical billing and coding and have learned how to process claims. I am also experienced with all Microsoft Office programs.”

  1. Are you experienced in front office administrative responsibilities? Are you comfortable on the phone?

It is common for Medical Assistants to do a combination of clinical tasks and administrative work. Be ready to talk about the office tasks you have been trained to do; this is another good opportunity to bring up your EHR and medical billing and coding training.

Example: “We learned many front office duties in my training program at the Allen School of Health Sciences, with an emphasis on customer service and professionalism. I have been trained on medical billing and coding and Electronic Health Records, and I am comfortable talking to patients both on the phone and in person.”

  1. Have you been trained in phlebotomy? Are you comfortable drawing blood?

Phlebotomy is an important part of a Medical Assistant’s job, so employers will want to make sure you are trained and ready to take on that responsibility, even if you have not had any experience in the field yet.

Example: “I am comfortable with drawing blood and all phlebotomy procedures and did well in my training at the Allen School of Health Sciences. I have had a lot of practice drawing blood from fellow students, family, and friends as a core component of my training, and continued receiving experience throughout my internship.”

  1. Are you experienced in taking patient vital signs and medical histories?

These are important responsibilities for a Medical Assistant, so be sure to detail the procedures you learned in your training program.

Example: “I have been trained in taking weight, temperature, blood pressure, and pulse. We practiced in the lab at school, and I had the opportunity to take these measurements on patients during my internship.”

  1. Why do you want to work here?

It’s important to research a company before you interview with them. If this question comes up, have a specific answer about what you can bring to the company. Avoid talking about personal motivations such as the good pay or easy commute.

Example: “Example Hospital’s pediatrics department would be a good fit for me because I enjoy working with children. Working with six different doctors would give me a great range of experience.”

  1. Why are you the best candidate for this position?

When answering this question, you do not want to come off conceited. Simply reiterate your training and experience, and that you feel you would make a valuable member of the team.

Example: “I feel that my training, internship experience, and communication skills make me a strong candidate for this position. I am confident in all of the responsibilities in the job descriptions, and my personal skills will allow me to make patients comfortable during their visit.”

Think you might have what it takes, but afraid to ask? Take part in one of our virtual career planning sessions and discover the many healthcare pathways available to you. Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our classes starting soon and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

-Allen School