Top 5 Qualities of a Medical Office Assistant

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    Medical Office Assistant & Unit Clerk (MOA) plays a crucial role in a medical office. The task of a medical office assistant is not easy, for they have to possess the right knowledge and skills related to administration, medical, and clinical environments. Medical office assistants manage patient information, handle appointment scheduling, bookkeeping, preserve records, acquire medical histories, and other tasks to ensure that business operations within an office operate well. 

    Graduating from a Medical Office Assistant & Unit Clerk Diploma program can help you find employment in a variety of settings, including doctor's offices and clinics, hospitals, lab clinics, occupational therapy centers, and many other healthcare offices. In Addition to academic credentials, being in the medical administrative field requires a few other qualities too. Employers seek talented individuals who possess these extra qualities that differentiate them from the rest.

    In this blog, we’ll discuss the top five qualities that employers seek in a medical office assistant. They are: 

    1. Excellent communicator
    2. Highly organized
    3. Tech-savvy
    4. Calm under pressure
    5. Positive and energetic

    Let’s explore each of these qualities in detail. 

    Excellent Communicator

    Every competent medical office assistant must possess excellent communication skills. Not only do medical office assistants communicate with patients over the phone and via email to make appointments, but they are also frequently in charge of handling general office communication, which includes getting in touch with insurance providers, vendors, and other important parties. Furthermore, since they are frequently the first people patients interact with when they enter the clinic, these professionals may need to ask patients questions in order to learn vital details about their medical histories and other factors.

    It's crucial for medical office assistants to be strong communicators because a large portion of their duties entail dealing with patients and conveying crucial information to other office staff. A career as a medical office assistant may be perfect for you if you are good at writing and can connect with patients in a helpful and positive way.

    Highly Organized 

    Medical office assistants can get busy with several tasks at once and things may go haywire if you have to tackle all tasks together. Being a medical office assistant requires you to be highly organized. This entails being aware of when and how to set priorities for your workload as well as taking the initiative to establish a positive working atmosphere for both you and those around you.

    Medical office assistants handle information that belongs to patients. You must be able to take notes, keep tabs on patient health histories, manage the inventory of the medical office they work in, arrange appointments, and track sensitive documents. Billing, processing insurance claims, and accepting co-pays are additional responsibilities for medical office assistants. You can benefit from having great organizational abilities if you can juggle a variety of crucial tasks with accuracy and attention.

    Tech-savvy

    Medical office assistants enter data into computer programs and access it frequently as part of their profession. Though it may seem like a complete administrative job, it's different in technical aspects. As a medical office assistant, you use software programs to maintain documents, carry out routine bookkeeping duties, communicate with clients, vendors, and insurance providers, among other things. To navigate the different software utilized in the management of a medical office, it is crucial for MOAs to possess a few essential technological skills. To become proficient in the computer programs and applications frequently used by MOAs, anyone interested in a career in this area might enroll in a medical office assistant program to gain the required knowledge.

    Calm Under Pressure

    It’s more than just administration for medical office assistants, who often manage a range of duties and tasks in a medical office. MOAs must be able to operate well under pressure due to the wide range of clinical and administrative tasks they carry out. Due to their responsibility for managing sensitive documents and patient data, medical office assistants' jobs can occasionally be stressful. You should be able to remain composed under pressure and handle difficult circumstances with strength and logic in order to flourish in your position.

    It takes time to understand the work environment and adapt to it. You can opt for best practices at work to manage your time and workload and remain calm when the pressure of multiple tasks builds up. 

    Positive and Energetic 

    Any organization benefits from having employees that are upbeat and smile regularly. When certain days aren't as good for particular patients or families, it can significantly impact their health and mindset. There will always be good and terrible days, but it makes a huge difference if you are able to keep a positive attitude and be active while smiling through them.

    Your energy will also transfer to those around you. Being enthusiastic and amicable will help you build a rapport with patients, their families, staff, and any other stakeholders. Being empathetic is another important quality that you must possess as an MOA. Understanding and sharing other people's emotions is a sign of empathy. The medical industry is frequently acknowledged as a profession where you must set your emotions aside and concentrate on the tasks at hand. Being empathetic is an excellent quality to have while interacting closely with patients.

    Final Thoughts 

    A career as a medical office assistant may be a good fit for you if you're driven, caring, organized, and responsible. Having the above-mentioned qualities can help you be competent and represent yourself as a talented professional to employers.

    Does earning a Medical Office Assistant & Unit Clerk Diploma appeal to you?

    ABM College can help you achieve your career goals as a medical office assistant through its advanced program. 

    Contact us today to learn more. 

    You can also read more industry-related articles here.

    Graphics: freepik.com

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