Top Skills for Your Medical Assistant Technician Career: What You Need to Know & Do

If you’re considering a career as a medical assistant, you may be asking yourself what types of skills you will need to be successful. Most medical assistants will learn the bulk of the necessary skills in a training program like the one at Florida Career College. In addition to those practical office skills, though, you will also be expected to exercise “soft skills” like multi-tasking, organization, empathy, prioritization, and problem-solving.

Medical assistant technicians usually work in clinics and hospitals where they practice a combination of administrative and clinical skills. These offices are generally fast-paced environments with professionals wearing many hats. While the actual tasks you perform will vary by the size and specialty of the medical office in which you work, below are high-level lists of typical tasks performed by skilled medical assistants.

CLINICAL SKILLS

• perform basic life support like CPR
• give injections or medications or perform minor procedures (under the supervision of a doctor or nurse)
• remove sutures and dress wounds
• handle lab tests (draw blood, take blood or urine samples)
• act as an intermediary between the doctor and patients with questions
• use medical equipment for patient evaluation (for example EKGs)
• prepare patient rooms and equipment
• take vital signs
• gather patient history and information for the doctor
• explain procedures and treatments to patients
• help the doctor as needed during exams
• understand medical terminology and help clarify it for patients
• handle prescription refills

ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS

• answer phones
• communication (written and spoken)
• customer service
• paperwork including billing or accounting (insurance forms, co-pays, etc.)
• computer medical record maintenance and updates
• schedule and follow up on appointments
• ·oversee the front office
• ·order and organize supplies
• arrange patient transfers and/or hospital admissions

BEDSIDE MANNER

• remain calm, professional, and supportive with distressed or difficult patients
• show patients compassion and sympathy
• explain medical instructions, information and procedures in a clear, non-technical way
• receive, interview, and prioritize patients’ needs

PERSONAL SKILLS

• multi-task in a busy setting
• collect, gather, visualize and analyze details
• be precise and detail-oriented
• use effective interpersonal skills with other medical professionals, personnel or patients
• demonstrate strong listening skills
• sharpen your technical skills
• be a good team member with clear communication
• be reliable and respectful
• practice problem solving
• manage your own stress and help those around you
• grow and adapt to change

As you can see, there are countless skills that a medical assistant technician may use on the job. In your classes and during your externship you will learn how to cultivate many of these skills, and when to put them into practice. Graduates of FCC’s Medical Assistant Technician program will begin their first job prepared to use these skills across a wide spectrum of entry-level positions in clinics, labs, or medical offices.