Doctors Hiring Older Medical Assistants

"Our society is being reshaped by a rising demographic tide. Never have so many people lived into the later stages of their lives so healthy and productively," says American Psychological Association at apa.org.

Between 1995 and 2007, the number of older workers on full-time work schedules nearly doubled while the number working part-time rose just 19 percent. As a result, full-timers now account for a majority among older workers, including medical assistants working in a doctor's offices. As the population gets older due to the Baby-boomer generations maturing, so does the number of maturing adults returning to the classroom for post-secondary education and vocational training programs to learn a new trade.

Older Population Seeking Work

Studies conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau data concluded that that about 7 million new jobs will be added to the social sector between now and 2018, and that 5.9 million of the positions available will be well suited for older workers. There will be many job opportunities in teaching and care giving roles including nurses, vocational training instructors, home health aides, nursing aids, orderlies, attendants, and medical assistants.

The Department of Labor Division of Industry Employment Projections further estimates that the number of workers over the age of 54 will represent 23.9 percent of the labor force and workers between the ages of 65 and 74 will soar by 83.4 percent by 2016.

Seniors are going to need to continue to work to finance their retirement years and as these people hit the job market, hiring doctors, and other clinicians will have to determine whether they want to hire a younger, middle-aged, or older person for available medical assistant positions; see BLS Division of Industry Employment Projections chart percent of labor force by age group. Middle-aged adults are defined as persons 55-65 years of age, older are persons 65 years and older.

Benefits of Doctors Hiring Mature Workers

Mature workers are known to perform better across the range of relevant performance indicators — better interpersonal skills, better attendance, more motivated and conscientious, able to make quicker decisions and so on. As employers recognize the value they bring to their business, earnings of older workers have also risen at a slightly faster pace than the total workforce. Among these employers are doctors who find older medical assistants for their practice a perfect fit because they appreciate the fact that a mature worker has a deeper understanding and compassion for people and are dedicated to them in a meaningful way - after years of work in an unfulfilling job. Hiring an older applicant also gives them personal fulfillment knowing that they are putting a mature person to work allowing them to apply their passions to the greater good of their patients and the community.

Challenges Seasoned Medical Assistants May Face at Work

Unfortunately, working in a medical office can also become quite hectic and busy at the drop of a hat; for example in a general family and primary care practice, the busiest season is the so-called flu season, and the medical assistant must be able to handle the stress, react fast, and keep up with the fast pace.

While and older person is likely not to get as flustered under stressful situations as a younger person, fresh out of high school, there are studies which show that older workers have a harder time physically, compared to their younger counterparts and may have a harder time adjusting to new technologies and technical devices, for example technology used in this occupation are:

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• Accounting, billing and bookkeeping software
• Email and word processing software
• Medical and patient management software (e.g. EMR)
• Visual electro diagnostic software
• Business software applications
• 
  

Further more, suitable candidates for medical office position are expected to be on their feet for several hours without a break, good hand - eye coordination, and have excellent near vision to see details at close range (such as the calibration markings on syringes, reading small print on medication labels, visualization of skin changes, identifying objects and seeing veins to draw blood). They must be able to work with a professional group or team and participate in face-to-face discussions with doctors, nurses and their colleagues.

The proportion of people 65 years and older is almost 13 percent of the U.S. population, and by the year 2030 it will be 20 percent. The website Practitioners Working With Older Adults - What Practitioners Should Know About Working With Older Adults dispels myths about older adults and raises awareness among physicians and practitioners about seasoned workers.

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More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Online Job Application and Resume Submission Is A Matchmaking Process

Times have changed and so has the way your medical assistant resume is submitted to potential employers. Where some decades ago application letters and resumes were handwritten on fine paper with a small wallet size photograph similar to a passport photo attached, the typewriter eventually replaced the ink pen.

 Then, resumes were typed on resume paper, often containing linen or cotton fibers with matching envelopes, sent by mail. Today, where most jobs are advertised on the Internet, resumes sent by mail are replaced and outdone by resumes submitted electronically via email. Online application forms have replaced the written resume and often go to the front of the line when properly submitted. Those who are still combing the Sunday Classifieds and faxing, or mailing their resumes to HR departments are no longer reaching recruiters and hiring managers in a timely manner. There are now thousands of job boards and other places where medical assistant jobs are advertised.

With the Internet and easy access to computers and mobile devices, even at the workplace, everything has changed. Online job boards (Monster, DICE, Job.com, Indeed, CareerBuilder, etc.) have replaced the classifieds as the "matchmaker" for candidates and available jobs. Companies that use the job boards have built entire infrastructures around posting jobs and receiving, sorting and sifting resumes. If you use one of these online job boards to submit your resume it may also be cross-posted on their major partner sites to help you get better exposure and a greater response. Also, it allows employers and recruiters to match you to jobs you didn't even know were available. By creating your account through major online job boards you will be able to access and modify your personal information as needed.

Vacant positions for medical assistants advertised will feature information about the position, including employer's expectations, job summary, salary, geographic location, essential qualifications, merit criteria and other important messages. This is your cue. When filling out your application use the wording used in the ad to match your qualifications, skills, expectations and anything else you are bringing to the table as close as possible to the ad; don't hesitate to copy and paste. Many utilize automated word recognition and screening software and if your application doesn't match the job to a "Tee" it will get dropped right into an automated resume database without a recruiter ever looking at it.

Staffing and recruitment specialists work away from the public's eye; you don't know them and they don't know you. To put the odds in your favor state three or more reasons why you should be chosen for an interview. If you are multilingual and have multicultural experience through a job, sports or leisure activity, mention it! Show that you can get along in a community, even under stressful conditions. Show that you are adaptable and can deal with unplanned events in specific, or unexpected situations.

Should you have a personal contact name and email address and you decide to email your resume to a hiring manager then remember:

• carefully choose the subject line for your email 
• send directly to hiring managers and recruiters 
• use your main email address (and don't use a silly name) 
• attach a personal cover letter (MS Word document or PDF)
  

Unless you have carefully read the job description for the position and match your application and resume accordingly efforts are pretty much a numbers game. No matter how qualified you may be, no matter how many hours you spend combing the job boards it won't work unless you know how to make the online job application process work, and work it to your advantage.

Don't be tempted or persuaded to use a so-called resume blaster service; it isn't personal and job specific enough and it gets recognized by receiving email systems as a "blasted" resume and filed in the bin for later use (if that much). You can pay $69, $99, $129, or more for these services but do not provide the edge you sought. Your resume is just lost in the pack of hundreds of indistinguishable other candidates.

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More at Medical Assistant NET website.

Medical Assistant Job Description and Application Process

Medical assistants are sought for full-time, permanent, and per diem, part time positions everywhere. Per diem is just another word for as needed. Medical offices and other facilities offer per diem positions to fill in staffing gaps and  cover for shortfalls when one, or several of their full time personnel are suddenly sick or absent for other reasons. In this case, a per diem position opens for temporary work, where work hours are scheduled as needed.

Medical assistants who work per diem pretty much do the same thing the permanent medical assistant would do, which includes prepare patients for office visits, take their weight and height, vital signs, blood glucose check, medication list and document information in patient's chart. The per diem medical assistant might be asked to man the front office and reception area where they must process incoming and outgoing patient telephone calls and patient-related correspondence and manage the appointment schedule.

Medical Assistant Job Description

We recently spotted a typical medical assisant job ad on our affiliate partner site Indeed.com. It included a list of expected duites, qualifications and benefits:

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Medical Assistant is a key member of the Physician Practice and provides clinical expertise to ensure all patients receive high quality, efficient care.

DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
·         Provide overall support for Physicians and office operations.
·         Prepares patients for examination and treatment.
·         Takes patient histories and vital signs.
·         Prepares exam and treatment rooms with necessary instruments.
·         Gives injections and assists with lab testing and Phlebotomy.
·         Prepares and maintains supplies and equipment for treatments, including sterilization.
·         Assists physicians in preparing for minor surgeries and physicals.
·         Assists with scheduling of tests and treatments.
·         Screens telephone calls for referral to physician.

EDUCATION
·         A high school diploma or GED is required.
·         Graduation from a Medical Assisting training program is highly preferred.

This example is typical for most medical assistant job announcements. Most doctors and facilities expect a certain amount of job experience before they are willing to hire someone new. Medical assistant job applicants should add into their application and cover letter that they are able to schedule appointments, accurately take and record vital signs in patient’s chart, explain policies and procedures and any medical office management software skills you have, such as MediTech experience. Also add in that you are highly organized, able to pay attention to detail, and very good at multi-tasking and computer skills.

If you are trained in drawing blood, point out your phlebotomy experience. Highlight your knowledge in customer services and care of patients, patient flow and properly taking and routing telephone messages. These are all important medical assistant skills doctors value and expect since these are areas where things can quickly go wrong and become a headache for the rest of the staff. So, again, make sure this is clearly marked in your medical assistant job application and medical assistant cover letter and resume.

Special Prerequisites and Requirements

Don't be surprised if a potential employer asks whether you have certified medical assistant credentials and many many also expect you have current CPR certification. If not, some doctors will stipulate that you obtain it within 3 months of hire. Furthermore, potential employers might ask you to take a pre-employment physical, and sometimes a breath alcohol and DOT drug screening test before or within 6 months of hire. Yes, they do have the right to do that.

Most medical assistants who land the job, whether full-time permanent, or part-time per diem, can expect excellent benefits packages, competitive salaries and growth opportunities.