Identity and Role of Today's Modern Medical Assistant

Do you have what it takes to become a medical assistant?

Almost all medical offices, practices and clinics are now employing between one and three medical assistants, it not more, to help them run and manage their business. Patients are considered customers and medical assistants are the first line representative when they come to see the doctor.

While the doctor conducts an objective and subjective assessment of the patient’s medical needs and prescribes a treatment plan and medications, it is the medical assistant who is responsible for all other business and customer service aspects of the visit, directly or indirectly, since telephone calls are also answered and routed by the  medical assistant.

Traits Of The Modern Medical Assistant

Medical assistants must the flexible and responsive and caring as they assist the doctor. As now and existing patients arrive for their appointment they document their demographic and health insurance information to register them into the system, help them fill out forms, copy insurance cards and verify health insurance eligibility, take vital signs, take and route messages for the doctor, respond to prescription refill requests, manage the patient’s medical records, maintain the waiting room, reception area, examination rooms, storage, supply and archive closets, and greet patients as they arrive. For every nurse in an ambulatory medical office or facility is at least one, or two medical assistant helping with crucial tasks, however, medical assistants are not allowed to do any tasks that lie outside their scope of practice.

Politely Correcting Misunderstandings

The medical assistant should immediately correct the misunderstanding and politely tell the patient that he, or she is a medical assistant who works for doctor “so-and-so”. Such misunderstandings can easily be prevented by wearing a clearly visible name tag and via proper introduction right at the beginning of every appointment visit. It only takes a second to say, my name is Paula, I am your doctor’s medical assistant. Proper introduction at the workplace falls right in line with professional conduct, excellent communication and customer service skills in the medical office. It is only through effective communication that medical assistants are able to identify the goals of individual people and the healthcare system.

To function effectively in their role as a medical assistant they must be informed and skilled participants in all areas of the medical office. They are expected to interact well with others and communicate well under different conditions. The development of required knowledge and skills is dependent upon their commitment to seeking out continuing education learning experiences across the entire spectrum of medical office and health care services.

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