The New Year Brings a New Career in Medical Assisting

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The New Year is traditionally a time for change, promises, goal setting and resolutions. Some of them personal, and some professional. Some realistic… and some made with the best of intentions.

Tired of doing the same old thing month after month at work? Looking to move into a role where you can thrive in doing something you love, or contribute back to society? If your New Year goal is to change careers, make the most of your New Year’s goal-setting by motivating yourself to put a plan in place.

Analysis

If you really want to make this year count towards your career goals, you need to think carefully about what it is you want. Between all the social happenings of the festive season, take some time out just for you and think about your career calling.

If you need a little help getting the ball rolling, consider:

  • ● What did you want to be when you grew up? Maybe a doctor, lawyer, accountant, nurse, Medical Assistant or just working in the healthcare field in general.
  • ● What did you love to do as a child, or wished you had more time for now?
  • ● What kind of job would you do if money wasn’t an issue?
  • ● What careers in healthcare do you always find yourself reading and thinking about?

Dedicating time to really think about what you want to do is the crucial first step to a successful career change. For nearly 60 years the Allen School of Health Sciences have assisted and trained thousands of people in their new careers in healthcare.

Research

Are you lucky enough to know what it is you want to do for the rest of your working life? Thinking and dreaming about it is important, but you’ve also got to be prepared to transfer that dream into a plan and make it a reality. It’s time to start researching how you’re going to get yourself into a position to land that much-coveted career.

Read everything you can about leaders in the healthcare industry and follow their example. What did they do to get to where they are? And what do you need to do to make your career change happen?

Upskill

Why not make a New Year resolution to commit to upskill your way into your new career in healthcare?

Enroll in a relevant program that will teach you the tools of the trade. Ensure you will receive hands-on learning that will give you real world experience and insight. Look for a program that has an externship component. It’s a great way to develop relevant transferable skills, such as anatomy, phlebotomy or learning how to administer an EKG.

Perpetual Motion

One of the greatest stumbling blocks for people making any kind of New Year resolution is the loss of momentum and motivation as the year wears on. There is never a good time to change careers or go back to school. Life happens!! Make regular dates with yourself to assess your career changing progress and adjust your goals to stay on track. The one thing in life you can’t replace is time.

Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our classes starting in the new year and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

-Allen School

Your Future Begins Here! Medical Assistant Skills Attributes

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Medical Assistants are held to a higher standard of professionalism than employees in other industries. The way the Medical Assistant approaches their job and interacts with patients is critical to the success of the physician’s practice, hospitals, outpatient clinics and other healthcare facilities. Patients expect professional behavior and put trust and confidence in those who are professional in demeanor. There are a specific set of skills and attributes that shape a Medical Assistant into a professional.

Medical Assistant Professional Skills

There are many skills that contribute to the professionalism of Medical Assistants. Medical assistants should work on being loyal, dependable, courteous, initiative driven, flexible, credible, confidential, and optimistic.

Loyalty – Medical Assistants should be devoted to the success of the medical practice and hold the belief that being a Medical Assistant there is in their best interest. Loyalty should be reciprocal and if a medical practice is offering equal pay for equal work, the Medical Assistant will feel like the practice is doing its best for them as well.  Medical assistants can go one step further and be committed to the medical practice if they support the employers’ strategy and objectives.

Dependability – a dependable Medical Assistant not only shows up for work on time but also produces consistent work. A Medical Assistant must follow through when the physician gives an order and also be counted on and given more responsibility.

Courtesy – The Medical Assistant should be friendly and kind to patients at the medical practice. Attention should be given to the patient as they arrive at the medical facility and you should offer a warm smile and friendly attitude to the arriving patient.

Initiative – the Medical Assistant should be self-motivated and ambitious. Medical Assistants that show initiative have a take charge attitude, should observe a need and make themselves available, rather than wait for a supervisor to direct them to an area that needs attention.

Flexibility – the Medical Assistant should have the willingness and ability to respond to changing situations and expectations. Flexible Medical Assistants will modify their approach to tasks based on the unique demands of each situation, especially in an emergency. In a medical facility the patient comes first, and every Medical Assistant should lend a hand wherever they are needed.

Credibility – trust is a vital component of the Medical Assistant and patient relationship, and their credibility should be strong. The information that is given to patients must be accurate as the patient may see Medical Assistants as an agent of the physician.

Confidentiality – Patients are entitled to privacy under the HIPAA act. Confidentiality extends to the home and other environments outside of the medical office. The Medical Assistant is prohibited from discussing confidential patient information to family and friends. Consequences will be enacted if patient privacy is breached.

Medical Assistant Professional Attributes

The Medical Assistant will need specific attributes to be a professional while working with colleagues and dealing with patients. These attributes include teamwork, time management and goal setting.

Teamwork – medical staff must work together for the benefit of the patient. The Medical Assistant should accept the tasks given to them by their supervisor unless they are illegal, unethical, or place patients in danger.

Time Management – the Medical Assistant should use their time efficiently and concentrate on the most important duties first. They should make a schedule, prioritizing tasks and allowing for emergencies along the way. The key to time management is prioritizing which is a form of triage that should be used by the Medical Assistant to sort tasks into the must, “should” and “could” categories. Of course, tending to emergencies comes first, but they also must anticipate what will do the best and in what order those tasks should be completed to benefit the most.

Setting Goals – if the Medical Assistant doesn’t set goals, they will never know when tasks have been achieved. Setting goals can also help give more motivation to achieve those goals.

Learning never ends as a Medical Assistant and that is what makes this career so rewarding.

Interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a medical assistant? Don’t let your old career keep you down? Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for 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

The Allen School of Health Sciences’ Holiday Tips to Become a Better Medical Assistant

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For students in a Medical Assistant program, you may be busy learning about the clinical aspects of the job such as how to draw blood, administer an injection, or take a patient’s vital signs. These are clearly very important to your training. But in addition, there are also “soft skills” that are important to your training. Learning to be a reliable employee is a skill that can be used throughout your entire career. Try these tips for getting a strong start in your new career:

1. Be an Early Bird

Plan to arrive at work 10 to 15 minutes early every day. You will need this time to put your belongings away and get ready for your work day. This gives you time to review the list of patients who are scheduled and to check on the day’s supplies. It helps you avoid the feeling of having to “hit the ground running” the minute you step in the door. By arriving early, you can start off your work day feeling calm and organized.

2. Stay Positive

It’s called “work” for a reason — it’s hard work! Every day there may be tasks that you don’t enjoy, changes that you weren’t expecting, or problems that arise but rather than complaining, take a positive approach. Remember that handling problems is simply part of the job. Try to focus on the parts of the job that you do enjoy rather than the negative aspects. With a positive attitude, you will find that you inspire the others around you.

3. Carry Your Own Weight

As a Medical Assistant, you will be part of a healthcare team in a medical office or a hospital setting. Others on your team might include nurses, office staff, physicians, and other Medical Assistants. They are all counting on you to do your job; If you shirk your responsibilities, someone else will have to pick up your slack. Make sure you take your responsibilities seriously and put forth your best effort to fulfill your duties. As a team member, you should also be proactive. If you see a need that isn’t being fulfilled, see where you can help. This kind of approach helps make you a valuable member of your team.

4. Be Respectful to Anyone and Everyone

Medical offices and hospitals are busy places. In the course of a day, healthcare professionals can get stressed. Despite this, try to stay polite and respectful to everyone you encounter. Showing respect to others will result in receiving their respect in return. This includes everyone you work with, from the newest employees to the head honchos. Most of all, this includes patients—even those who may test your patience. Stress from a previous situation should not be taken out on the current situation. Being a respectful person is a career skill that should stay with you for your entire career.

5. Keep Up with Your Education

In a field like Medical Assisting, you need to be sure that you keep up with your learning. New technologies and medications are being created so you want to be sure to stay on the cutting edge. Be sure to attend continuing education classes, join a professional association and read their newsletters and blog articles regularly. Having up-to-date knowledge of your career field is something that you can be proud of and something that others will respect.

Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile” as a Medical Assistant. If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to your work. What’s more, the better you perform on the job, the better you will feel about your career.

Ready to walk into the new year with 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 Challenges and Rewards

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Medical Assistant Challenges: Changing Challenges into Rewards.

You’ve dreamed of a Medical Assistant career where your life’s work would be all about helping others. You wanted to contribute your knowledge and compassion to a healthcare team that helps patients get well but the profession has its challenges. So how do you turn those challenges into rewards and accomplishments that you can be proud of? How can you do the job you love? Follow these steps:

  1. Accept Diversity

Not all your patients, or even all the people you work with, are going to think just like you. If you understand that fact from the get-go, you won’t look at differences as a bad thing. Instead, you’ll come to appreciate diversity and enjoy getting to know others. Learn about their cultures and ideas and share yours. Isn’t it awesome that you get to meet so many different people as a Medical Assistant?

  1. Empower Your Patients

No one enjoys being hurt or sick; All they want to do is get better. And as a Medical Assistant, you get to help them! Share what you’ve learned through your healthcare training at the Allen School of Health Sciences and experiences you’ve learned working in the healthcare field. This will give your patients some comfort and knowledge they need to get well. For example, you probably understand the importance of following a physician’s instructions to the T. You can explain the doctor’s instructions and turn medical terminology into a language your patients can understand. All that info helps your patients take charge of their own care. The more they do what they’re supposed to, the sooner they’ll be on the mend.

  1. Advocate for Your Patients

How can doctors possibly help patients if they don’t have all the details of what’s going on? Since you might spend more time with patients than even their doctors, you could have vital information that will improve their treatment. Encourage your patients to be completely open and honest about how they feel and what they do, and to tell their doctor. When they don’t, however, it’s your job to make certain the healthcare staff knows what they need to make good decisions for the best patient care. Communication can be a challenge in any setting, but your patients rely on you to have their best interests at heart. Their good health and sincere appreciation are a great reward.

  1. Acknowledge Your Own Limitations

It’s frustrating to deal with difficult patients. It’s hard when you really can’t make someone better and when you don’t have all the answers- but you’re not supposed to! It’s important to remember what you can and can’t do as a Medical Assistant. Focus on the positive. You can offer kindness and comfort; a smile and a pleasant attitude can go a long way to turn grumpy patients into happy people. But when your positive disposition doesn’t work, don’t let it get you down.  The best reward about being a Medical Assistant is to know that you can make a difference in someone’s day, in their healthcare, and maybe even their life.

If you’re up for a challenge because you really want to do something that matters, maybe a career as a Medical Assistant is right for you. Interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a Medical Assistant? The Allen School of Health Sciences is offering virtual campus tours for enrollment for our classes starting soon.

We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family.

Contact us today to get started!

Lessons for Medical Assistant Graduates

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Lessons for Medical Assistant Graduates

Getting your first job in health care is a great step towards developing your career, and it’s something to be proud of. The transition from school to work, however, can sometimes be a challenge. While internships can give you a good idea of what it will be like to work in the health care field, there’s nothing quite like your first job. Here are lessons that new graduates may learn during their first year as a healthcare professional.

  • Being Helpful is More Important than Getting Everything Right

You won’t know everything from the first day you start on your job, so you’ll have to ask questions, and occasionally you might even get something wrong. The best thing you can do in that situation is learn from your mistake and help to rectify it. Try and learn from every experience so that you can avoid making the same mistake twice.

  • It’s Great to Volunteer on Projects

Don’t think that just because you’re a new member of the team you can’t get involved or volunteer for a specific project. It’s a great opportunity to learn and develop. If they decide that your experience isn’t quite right for a specific project, you’ll have at least been noticed as someone who is motivated to get involved.

  • It’s Worth Giving More Than People Expect

The best way to be trusted with more tasks is to show that you are competent and a hard worker who cares about the company they work for. Going the extra mile will show those who work with you that you are a member of the team and that you’re dedicated. This may mean putting in a few extra hours at the office, but it will show that you are willing to go above and beyond to help your team.

  • Attention to Detail is Very Important

If there’s one skill that you’ll need in every job that you do, it’s attention to detail. From putting together patient records to writing emails, people will expect you to notice any mistakes. It’s always worth double or even triple checking. It’s an easy skill to learn if you put in the practice and can save so much time.

  • Work at Your Relationships

When you are offered a job, it’s not only because of your skills and experience, but also because you are seen as a good fit for the team. You will have a lot of colleagues that you get on really well with, but there may be others who you will find more challenging to work with. Work is about managing these relationships and working together.

  • It’s Tough but Worth it

It’s a big change from school, but most graduates enjoy their first year of work, despite the challenges that they face. It’s all about finding the position that offers you a chance to develop and allows you to learn a range of skills.

Ready to start working towards a career you can love? 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.

– Allen School

Tips to improve your Medical Assistant skills

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        A Few helpful tips to improve your Medical Assistant skills For students in a Medical Assistant program you may be busy learning about the clinical aspects of the job, such as how to draw blood, administer an injection, or take a patient’s vital signs. These are clearly a very important part of your training. But in addition, there are also “soft skills” that are important to your training. Learning to be a reliable employee is a skill that can use throughout your entire career. Try these tips for getting a strong start in your new career.
  1. Be an early bird
Plan to arrive at work 10 to 15 minutes early every day. You will need this time to put your belongings away and get ready for your work day. This gives you time to review the list of patients who are scheduled and to check on the day’s supplies. It helps you avoid the feeling of having to “hit the ground running” the minute you step in the door. By arriving early, you can start off your work day feeling calm and organized.
  1. Stay positive
Work is called “work” for a reason — it’s hard work! Every day there may be tasks that you don’t enjoy, changes that you weren’t expecting, or problems that arise. But rather than griping or complaining, take a positive approach. Remember that handling problems is simply part of the job. Try to focus on the parts of the job that you do enjoy rather than the negative aspects. With a positive attitude, you will find that you inspire the others around you.
  1. Carry your own weight
As a medical assistant, you will be part of a healthcare team in a medical office or a hospital setting. Others on your team might include nurses, office staff, physicians, and other medical assistants. They are all counting on you to do your job. If you shirk your responsibilities, someone else will have to pick up your slack. Make sure you take your responsibilities seriously and put forth your best effort to fulfill your duties. As a team member, you should also be proactive. If you see a need that isn’t being fulfilled, see where you can help. This kind of approach helps make you a valuable member of your team.
  1. Be respectful to anyone and everyone
Medical offices and hospitals are busy places. In the course of serving patients throughout the day, healthcare professionals can get stressed and hurried. Despite this, try to stay polite and respectful to everyone throughout the day. Showing respect to others will result in receiving their respect in return. This includes everyone you work with, from the newest employees to the head honchos. And most of all, it includes patients—even those who may test your patience. Being a respectful person is a career skill that should stay with you for your entire career.
  1. Keep up your education
In a field like medical assisting, you need to be sure that you keep up with your learning. New technologies and medications are being created, and you want to be sure to stay on the cutting edge. Be sure to attend continuing education classes. Join a professional association and read their newsletters and blog articles regularly. Having up-to-date knowledge of your career field is something that you can be proud of and something that others will respect. Following these tips is a way to “go the extra mile” as a Medical Assistant. If you follow these guidelines, you can improve your approach to your work. What’s more, the better you perform on the job, the better you will feel about your career. Ready to start working towards a career you can love? Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for our spring classes and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.   -Allen School

Being Positive in School Can Make a Difference

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Don’t let school get you down! Whether you’re frustrated with your performance or dreading your next exam, a positive attitude towards school can go a long way! Think about all the positive improvements an education can have on your life. Having a positive attitude increases your chances of better academic performance. The Allen School of Health Sciences knows how a positive attitude can brighten a student’s day and help them make the most out of their educational experience. We offer students seven steps for maintaining a positive attitude towards school.

Step #1: Think positively

Positive thinking is a powerful tool! You can succeed at school if you put in the effort and attitude that your education needs to thrive. Do you have a habit of thinking negatively? Your first step is to replace any negative thoughts you may have with positive ones. You can think about the positive aspects of what you have learned from a negative situation. Start by turning negative phrases into positive ones. Use these examples to help you turn your attitude:

  • “I can’t” becomes “I can try”
  • “I can’t learn this” becomes “Can you explain that again?”
  • “I hate this class” becomes “This class is hard for me, but once I learn the material, I can appear more capable and knowledgeable.”
  • “This is too much homework” becomes “The more I do my homework, the more knowledge I can gain.”
  • “This teacher assigns too much homework” becomes “This teacher really wants us to learn how to succeed.”
  • “I’m not smart enough to learn this” becomes “I can try and practice until I succeed.”

Step #2:  Be proud of yourself

You can build a positive approach to school if you compliment yourself on your achievements no matter how big or small. Students learn new material every day so remember to compliment yourself on the small achievements throughout your training program. When you do well on a homework assignment, congratulate yourself on a job well done. When you see yourself try, improve, or succeed in your technical skills or test scores, treat yourself to something you enjoy. Staying positive towards your skills and effort can help build your self-esteem and enhance your academic career.

Step #3: Share your positivity with friends

You may have friends with whom you complain about school. Sometimes our friends’ negative attitudes and frustrations bring down our own experiences. You may want to help them see the bright side of situations. Tell your friends that having a negative attitude towards school won’t help their situation. Show them how to use positive affirmations and comments to turn around their outlook on school. Let them know that staying positive towards school may help their education open doors to success. You can also move the topic to positive topics. If your friends or classmates are having trouble, organize a study group. Try to make friends with people who can positively influence you and your environment.

Step #4: Take a pause- Respond don’t react

It is helpful to maintain a positive and peaceful environment at school. Some people may complain constantly about tests or homework while others may get emotional during tense situations. Try not to jump to conclusions and stay level-headed; catch yourself if you start complaining about a project or thinking that the rules were better the old way. Take a pause and a deep breath before you react negatively and instead, refocus your reaction and give yourself time to react positively to each situation. 

Step #5: Use the golden rule

Treat others as you would like to be treated. Being petty, aggressive, or mean to others only causes negative consequences at school. Don’t waste your time on toxic relationships; when you act kindly and treat others the way you want to be treated, you can make friends and surround yourself with positive energy. You will also need these traits in your professional career.

Step #6: Practice gratitude 

Showing gratitude helps you stay grounded and appreciate what you have in life. Make a list of the things in your life that you’re grateful for, even if they are small. They can be as simple as enjoying a TV show or playing with your kids. Numerous psychological studies suggest that gratitude can improve your attitude towards life and improve emotional and physical health. What are you grateful for in life?

Step #7: Interact with the world around you

Are you constantly plugged into your phone? Many of us use our phones for various reasons throughout the day and sometimes it can distract us from the outside world. If you spend the school day on your phone, you aren’t taking advantage of your education. Be present and prepared for school each day. Focus on learning, participating, and listening at school. You can become more passionate and engaged with your school work when you concentrate. You may like your studies more!

Do you think you have what it takes to become a Medical Assistant?  If so, contact the Allen School today! We are currently enrolling for classes starting soon and cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family.  Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about a rewarding career as a medical assistant.

-Allen School

Expectations of a Medical Assistant Externship

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You can learn a lot in the classroom, but you can’t learn everything; especially if you are studying to be a Medical Assistant. Being an MA is a job that requires extensive medical knowledge as well as skills and professional attributes that can only be gained through hands-on experience. At the Allen School of Health Sciences, as in most Medical Assistant programs, that comes in the form of an externship that is made up of 275 hours in a healthcare facility. We want to prepare our students for all aspects of the work, as such, we have developed an outline of what to expect from your Medical Assistant externship.

Working under Supervision

Probably the greatest benefit of a Medical Assistant externship is the opportunity it provides to practice skills and duties while being supervised. In your classes, you’ll learn what and why an MA does what they do. However, the moment you apply that knowledge in the real world with real patients, even the simplest tasks like taking blood pressure can be daunting but the good news is that you are not alone.

Your supervisor will work with you closely, especially at the beginning, to ensure you remember everything you’ve learned in class.  This will enable you to feel comfortable administering your duties. In addition to acting as a guide, your supervisor may also serve as your safety net to ensure you don’t miss anything. This aspect of supervision can and should relieve a lot of pressure. It is common to feel nervous before you’ve gained your skill, practice, and habits, but a supervisor’s presence should assuage your fears.

You will also be able to observe them as well as others who perform procedures that you will eventually do yourself. It’s one thing to read about Medical Assisting in a textbook and quite another to witness it in a working environment. The example your supervisor and others set will give you more opportunities to learn before you perform a task yourself.

Asking a Thousand Questions

Your Medical Assistant externship should be a time to unleash your curiosity. These 275 hours may be training hours, but they are also an opportunity to learn all aspects of a job from the professionals who are doing them. In class, you will learn about best practices and may have already asked why different medical procedures are done a certain way. In your externship, you can ask the less technical questions such as “How do you help nervous patients calm down?” and “Why do we put away files like this?” Asking questions that interest you will make all aspects of the work more personalized and help the answers stick.

Learning the Role

A major part of the job is communication. The authority with which you carry yourself and the empathy you bring to patient interactions can’t be taught in a lecture. They are skills, critical to the position, that you can only learn in your Medical Assistant externship.. As you practice and watch the professionals around you, you’ll understand the interpersonal aspects of the work and you will excel at them. When you begin your externship, you may feel like a student but ideally by the time you leave, you can expect to feel like you fit the role of Medical Assistant.

Gaining Confidence

At the end of your externship, you can expect to feel confident in your abilities to be a Medical Assistant. Self-confidence is a huge part of any healthcare job.  This can be challenging for educators as it cannot be learned in a textbook or seminar. Gaining confidence in your ability to perform administrative and clinical duties requires practice, real life experience, and supportive supervision; in other words, an externship. You won’t just learn how to be a Medical Assistant: You will become one.

At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we are committed to preparing our Medical Assistant students for employment as soon as they graduate.  This is the reason why externships are such a critical component of our curriculum. If you are interested in becoming a medical assistant, you can earn your certificate in less than a year. We are enrolling now for classes starting soon.  As always, we would love to hear from you!  Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more about an exciting career as a Medical Assistant. -Allen School

Medical Assisting: Turning challenges into rewards

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You dreamed of a Medical Assistant career where your life’s work would be all about helping others. You wanted to contribute your knowledge and compassion to a healthcare team that helps patients get well but the profession has its challenges. So how do you turn those challenges into rewards and accomplishments you can be proud of? How can you do the job you love? Follow these steps:

Accept diversity

Not all your patients, or even all the people you work with, are going to think just like you. If you understand that fact from the get-go, you will be able to approach certain situations from a medical standpoint, and not a personal one. You also may not look at differences as a bad thing. Instead, you’ll come to appreciate diversity and enjoy getting to know others. Learn about their cultures and ideas and share yours. Isn’t it awesome that you get to meet so many different people as a Medical Assistant?

Empower your patients

No one enjoys being hurt or sick; all they want to do is get better and as a Medical Assistant, you get to help them! Share what you’ve learned through your healthcare training at the Allen School of Health Sciences and experiences you have learned working in the healthcare field. Will give your patients some of the tools they need to get well. For example, you probably understand the importance of following a physician’s instructions to the T. You can explain the doctor’s instructions and turn medical terminology into a language your patients can understand. All that information helps your patients take charge of their own care. The more they do what they’re supposed to, the sooner they’ll be on the mend.

Advocate for your patients

How can doctors possibly help patients if they don’t have all the details of what’s going on? Since you might spend more time with patients than even their doctors, you could have vital information that will improve their treatment. Encourage your patients to be completely open and honest about how they feel and to tell their doctor everything. In the case when they don’t, it’s your job to make certain the healthcare staff knows what they need to make good decisions for the best patient care. Communication can be a challenge in any setting, but your patients rely on you to have their best interest at heart and their good health and sincere appreciation is a great reward.

Acknowledge your limitations

It’s frustrating to deal with difficult patients. It’s hard when you really can’t make someone better and when you don’t have all the answers but you’re not supposed to! It’s important to remember what you can and can’t do as a Medical Assistant. Focus on the positive. You can offer kindness and comfort; a smile and a pleasant attitude can go a long way to turn grumpy patients into happy people.

The best reward about being a Medical Assistant is to know that you can make a difference in someone’s day, in their care, and maybe even their life. If you’re up for a challenge because you really want to do something that matters, maybe a career as a Medical Assistant is right for you.

Interested in learning more about developing the skills and attributes of a Medical Assistant? Ready to start a Medical Assistant Program?  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.  -Allen School

Medical Assistant: Tips for a Virtual Interview

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The global pandemic has up-ended how we connect and how we work. Working from home has become a new normal for now but may have lasting repercussions on how healthcare providers view the necessity of an office, in-person appointments or patient care. A video interview may well become the new norm and nailing a video interview is likely to become another requirement for successful job seekers in the medical field. Here’s how:

Acknowledge the situation:  We’re all adjusting to a weird new normal, working from our homes with family members and pets nearby. Of course, your interviewer would much rather meet you in person in their office environment but here’s the bright side; your video interview can be an opportunity to connect a little more authentically, with grace and good humor. No doubt your interviewer’s business has been radically affected by the global pandemic. Express your appreciation for the interview taking place, despite the chaos unfolding all around.

Practice the technology: Make the time to have a video call with a tech-savvy friend ahead of time on the platform that you’ll be using (Zoom, GoToMeeting, Skype, FaceTime, etc.). If you are unfamiliar with the technology, fumbling with it 15 minutes before the video call is a rookie move. Select a place to have the video call where you’ll be uninterrupted and figure out the lighting and background that appears professional. Be sure that your computer audio is working and make sure that if you have to accept a connection ahead of time (as with Skype) that you’ve done so and your user name is professional. Make sure your technology is charged up and that your Wi-Fi signal is strong or that you can toggle off your cell phone at the last minute if your service goes down. If all else fails, ensure you have the phone number of your interviewer on hand so that your interview can continue even if the video technology fails.

Dress and act the part: Dress as you would for an in-person meeting. You’ll want to appear professional, serious and ready to get to work; even if it’s from your basement. Dressing up beyond your normal work from home sweatpants and a tee shirt will also shift your mindset to a more professional one as well as help you stay focused during the interview. Remember to maintain eye contact, no quick movements and pause your communication to allow for transmission delays.

Make a friend first:  As with any interview, you’ll want to be friendly, relatable and establish rapport at the outset. Your goal is to come across as a potential colleague so be yourself but look for common points of connection (mutual friends, experiences, academic background, interests).

Have answers to important questions: Every Medical Assistant candidate should be prepared with solid answers to the following:

  • Tell me about all the experience you have as a Medical Assistant? Internship work counts.  It’s good to know how much experience other candidates have as a Medical Assistant.
  • Why are you right for the role?  Be able to explain what you bring in terms of experience, leadership, personal attributes that make you a good fit for the company, the situation and the role as a Medical Assistant?
  • Do you have experience handling front office obligations? Are you comfortable answering phones and greeting patients? Medical Assistants are often tasked with doing a mix of administrative and clinical work.
  • What phlebotomy training have you had, if any? Drawing blood is part of the Medical Assistant’s job. Be ready to talk about your phlebotomy training, comfort with taking blood and your ability to take patient vitals.
  • Follow up, even if they don’t. After your interview is over, send a warm email thank you within 24 hours and express your enthusiasm for the company and the role, and make sure to reference something from your conversation. If you are interviewing with multiple people, make each email slightly different (yes, colleagues compare thank you emails).

At the Allen School of Health Sciences, we are devoted to fostering positivity, empathy, professionalism, and integrity in our future medical assistants.  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.

-Allen School