Medical Assistant Interview Assignment

I cannot believe instructors still give this mundane assignment. Although, as a former instructor (and MA student) I do very well understand the idea behind this exercise, it is unrealistic to send students out to find a medical assistant whom they can interview and then, give them a bad grade if they were not able to secure an appointment.

MA Students Being Asked to Interview a Medical Assistant

Countless MA students have approached me over the years, posted to my forums and here on facebook seeking a medical assistant they can interview, however, fact is conducting the interview online or by email defeats the intended purpose. The presumption is, that the MA student goes out and approaches a live person in hopes that it helps them to overcome any shyness and hesitation and teaches them to speak to a complete stranger when they formulate their questions. 

One student posted to our Medical Assistant Message Board:

Project help!

Hello, I am doing a career research project for a class in which I had to pick a career that I am interested in, a tool that is commonly used in that trade and interview someone in that profession on the tool; my tool is the scalpel. So, if someone could answer these questions it would be much appreciated: What is the best brand of scalpels? How could they be improved? How many different blades do you use? How much of a difference is there between a regular scalpel and a laser one?

Source: http://pub10.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=792761550&frmid=14&msgid=1318336&cmd=show   

Another MA student sent out the following S.O.S:

Need to Interview a Medical Assistant - Please help!

Hello! I am looking for a Medical Assistant that I can interview. I am currently enrolled in a Medical Assisting program at my Community College. For an English course I have to write a Memo about the career that I have chosen. One of the requirements is that I interview someone already in the field. We can do this over email, I just really need some help ASAP! Thanks in advance.

Source: http://pub10.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=792761550&frmid=14&msgid=1300914&cmd=show

The Purpose of the Assignment

Supposedly, the exercise will help to build rapport with someone they don't know who is already working in the field and solidify interpersonal communication skills, while also coming across professionally and with courtesy in a medical environment. Any thing other can be faked and put together by surfing the Web, or looking through textbooks or professional magazines. That is not the purpose of this assignment, which in the end, most medical assistant students wind up doing anyway because they just cannot find a working medical assistant who has the time for an interview, either during or after work.

Why Interviewing a Medical Assistant Is Difficult

Why not just bring a seasoned medical assistant into the classroom for 1 hour instead and then allow everyone to ask a question, or two? In the end, if everyone takes a turn, everyone gets to hear 20-30 good questions and answers and the same exposure to a working medical assistant under less stress. I find it unrealistic to expect a medical assistant student walk into a medical office and beg a medical office manager for an interview with their medical assistant. Everyone's time is limited! Most physicians and medical office managers feel their MAs should be working, and rightfully so, therefore I see this as an assignment that has gone out of style and done nothing but frustrate students, except a few lucky ones who were able to get the live interview, and earn an A.

Choosing the Right Career after High School

Author:

Danni R. Advanced Medical Assistant Custom Web Design, LLC

There are many young Americans today just graduating from High School that are looking to go right into the job market, or start new career within two years of graduating.

Let’s face it,  with today’s economy still down, unemployment remaining  high, high college tuition and college loan interest payments and immediate employment for college graduates not what it used to be, both parents and young adults are seriously considering skipping the four year college for now. An increasing amount of parents are encouraging their kids to consider post-secondary schools, vocational training, and private or public two year schools which cost considerably less than an academic degree and lead to a meaningful career in less time.

The good news is that there are many opportunities available for bright young adults who are willing to learn and apply themselves. A few opportunities available are:

• Firefighter
• Automotive Service Technician
• Accounting Clerk
• Carpenter
• Customer Service Representative
• Electrician
• Police and Law Enforcement
• Web Design and Desktop Publishing
• Fitness Trainer and more.

All of these are great careers, however the career field that offers the most opportunity for employment and for advancement is of the healthcare industry.

In particularly the career with the most promise is that of Medical Assisting. A medical assistant performs administrative and clinical tasks in doctor’s offices, ambulatory clinics connected to regional hospitals, emergency and walk-in clinics, and sometimes pharmacies. Some medical assistants can be trained right on the job, but most are opting to complete a one or two year formal training program.  Depending on the state you live in, a medical assistant can earn as much as $30,136 a year, or even more.

Another great aspect of becoming a medical assistant is that it offers opportunity for advancement into other healthcare fields like: 

Medical Laboratory Technicians or Medical Technologists; performs laboratory work to identify, diagnose, and treat diseases. They use laboratory equipment, computers to perform laboratory procedures. They may collect blood and prepare culture specimens and can earn as much as $40,000. 

Medical Library Technicians; collects and organize medical information and help practitioners find the information they need for patient care, education, research, and administration.  Most of the information is now stored in electronic databases and information systems. They can earn from $25,000 to $35, 000 per year or up to $55,000 for Librarians. 

Medical Records Specialist; obtains, post, and analyze medical, workload, finance, and insurance data.  They ensure that this information is properly recorded into medical records so practitioners can plan and evaluate health care provided to patients. They can earn $25,000 to $33,000 (Medical Records Administrator can earn as much as $40,000). 

The list of job opportunities for a medical assistant to advance in other fields goes on and on, such as Ultra-Sound Technician, Nuclear Medicine Tech, Patient Representative, Radiation Therapy Technologist, or Medical Appliance Technician, who helps patients learn to use medical devices prescribed by podiatrists or prosthetists, etc to name just a few. We could go on to list at least another 30 different job opportunities in related fields, but the main point we are driving home here is that becoming a medical assistant, especially in a large group practice, or HMO can actually put a young person in the right place at the right time for advancement; where opportunity is always knocking.

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