Missing Men in Medical Assisting Careers

The above image was shared on the Medical Assistant Net facebook page. It is a great image that speaks volumes! I am glad to see different personalities and women of different ethnicity shown doing what they do best, but I immediately noticed that there is something MISSING... where are the men? Not all unsung superheros are female. 

Referring to history we find that traditionally speaking, men have been discouraged from entering care giving and nursing occupations, especially medical assisting. Nobody knows for sure how many men are working in this traditionally female dominated discipline today, but it is safe to say that the numbers remain remarkably low in comparison to the women in this field. Although when asked, most men agree that they are very interested in a medical assistant career, however when looking for jobs they run into problems. Sadly, the gender (un-) equality in medical assisting remains deeply rooted within our society.

Gender (un-)Equality in Medical Assisting

Study after study demonstrates that misconceptions about men working in a care giving positions and medical assisting role still exist. A study from 10 years ago revealed that male medical assistant students made up less than 10 percent in vocational training programs. Despite of an expressed interest of men wishing to enter into this career they have been discouraged and frequently denied access to medical assistant positions on the job market.

For nearly a decade we have put in our own efforts to change the public image of men working as medical assistant by building awareness through articles and images we post. Many male and female MAs responded in a positive manner, however, some also came forward and shared their stories with us, mostly frustrated and disappointed men who went through the training but could not find a job due to bias.  A lot of this has to do with how the media portrays medical assistants--most images posted show females in scrubs and stethoscope. Such images, of course, also influence how doctors see and hire their medical assisting staff and how vocational training institutes enroll students into the medical assistant programs. We need to reshape the image people have of what a typical medical assistant is (i.e. males and females!) and get more male medical assistant stories and images out.

The New Medical Assistant NET For Mobile Devices

We went mobile!!! 

We have built a mobile app version of the Medical Assistant NET website for those who access the Internet using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.  Best part is, the website knows whether you are using a PC or mobile device.

We created the mobile app website for medical assistants because we want them to stay informed and in touch while on the go. Medical Assistant NET was the 1st website for medical assistants on the Internet when we built it in 2002 and it remains the top site for medical assistants today, designed to fit nicely on a mobile device like your iPhone, or Droid.

Our well-designed mobile website begins with a nice, clean navigation menu and only displays the most important information to keep it lightweight and easy to read. When you compare it to the Internet version of the site, you notice we've left out much of the web design to focus mostly on text content. This improves usability for our viewers.

Try it out!!!
Just go to http://www.medicalassistant.net form your PC (your every day web browser) and you see the normal site, then use your mobile device and you will be AUTOMATICALLY taken to the mobile version of Medical Assistant NET. Yes, our website is THIS smart.

When Asked Whether You Have Experience...

Many new medical assistant school graduates seeking their first job wonder, how do you get experience when no one wants to hire you?

If you graduated successfully from a medical assistant training program, then you are a trained worker with job specific skills, you are well prepared and able to learn; a valuable asset to any potential employer. As part of the curriculum you already are trained in clinical and administrative medical office routines, medical terminology, common laboratory tasks, the proper techniques and safety measures involved, as well as venipuncture. 

If you did an externship as part of this training, then you even have direct medical office job experience. Even previous jobs, such as truck driving, customer services or cashier is experience. Why do people forget that during an interview when asked? KNOW that customer services, punctuality, accuracy, honesty, as well as planning, or multitasking is VERY important in a medical office! I don't care, even if it was "just a McDonald's cashier job! If your cash in your cash drawer was always correct at closing, that is valuable experience that can play a major role in a medical office (accuracy, honesty, detail to attention, courteous customer interaction).

Learn what doctors expect of medical assistants

Remember, that the medical assistant is the FIRST point of contact patients see when they come and go for their appointments, or call the office, and they expect accuracy, honesty, detail to attention, courteousness and satisfaction. Doctors could not run their practice without these services the medical assistant provides. Even previous jobs, such as sales clerk, customer services attendant, or cashier is experience. Why do people forget that during an interview when asked? KNOW that customer services, punctuality, accuracy, honesty, as well as planning, or multitasking is VERY important in a medical office! I don't care, even if it was "just a McDonald's cashier job! If your cash in your cash drawer was always correct at closing, that is valuable experience that can play a major role in a medical office (accuracy, honesty, detail to attention, courteous customer interaction).

Remember, that the medical assistant is the FIRST point of contact all patients see when they come and go for their appointments, they too expect accuracy, honesty, detail to attention, courteousness and satisfaction. Doctors could not run their practice without these services the medical assistant provides. Remember, that the medical assistant is the FIRST point of contact all patients see when they come and go for their appointments, they too expect accuracy, honesty, detail to attention, courteousness and satisfaction. Doctors could not run their practice without these services the medical assistant provides. 

When asked during an interview about job experience, remember your training and externship and say yes! Say it like you mean it. 10 or more successful phlebotomy draws under the watchful eyes of your instructor in the schools clinical lab = experience. 50 accurate blood pressure readings taken = experience. Setting up a sterile field as part of your finals = experience.

So, as far as the question, do you have experience goes, let a coach, or someone you trust help you to tweak your answers and rehearse them. State your skills with confidence next time you are being "grilled" when meeting with a potential employer. Use charm and honesty along with your knowledge and skills to create an aura people would expect and appreciate in a medical office setting. There just has to be a doctor who would love to have you on the team.