Medical administrative assistants are some of the most hardworking, attentive professionals in the healthcare field. Typically employed in the offices of medical specialists, private doctors, public health clinics or other provincial health centers, medical administrative assistants are well versed in medical transcription, patient billing and scheduling platforms, bookkeeping and more. If you’re pursuing a career as a medical administrative assistant, interpersonal skills, attention to detail, compassion and efficiency are all qualities which will enhance your success in this role, allowing you to deliver quality healthcare service while maintaining productive operations around the office.
In order to learn more about what the job of a medical administrative assistant entails, it’s helpful to take a closer look at a potential day in the life of a professional in this career path. Below, discover an in-depth glimpse into how your day as a medical administrative assistant might unfold.
How a Medical Administration Program Grad Starts Their Day
After graduating from medical administration college, you might find employment as a medical administrative assistant at a physician’s office. Here’s how you might start the day:
- 8:00 am: Arrive at the office ahead of all other staff. You’ll turn on computers and electronics for use during the day, check the office email, and listen to any voicemail messages which have come in since the night before. Make note of any changes to the day’s appointments or time sensitive requests.
- 8:30 am: By now, the nurses and physician have arrived for the day. You’ll confer with them about the current appointment schedule, review any areas of concern, and assist with preparing the exam rooms with the right supplies before any appointments begin.
As you settle back into your desk for the day, you’re ready for patient appointments to begin!
Patient Appointments Begin
Once you’ve prepared for the day ahead, the first of many patient appointments begin at the physician’s office. As a medical administration program grad, your responsibilities will look something like this:
- 9:00 am: Greet the first patient that arrives, and escort them to an area where they can fill out the necessary paperwork and insurance information while waiting to see the physician. You’ll also answer any questions or concerns they might have about their upcoming appointment.
- 10:30 am: As patients come in and out, you’ll spend your spare time calling the next day’s patients to remind them about their upcoming appointment, creating and registering first-time patients, and answering calls from pharmacists and other medical professionals concerning patients.
After a busy morning, it’s’ finally time for lunch!
End-of-Day Tasks and Responsibilities
The afternoon pans out similarly to the morning, with patients coming and going. After each patient leaves, you’ll perform a quick run down of the examination room, making sure it’s clean and organized for the next patient. As the day comes to an end, here are a few of the tasks you’ll complete:
- 5:00 pm: Check the office email one last time, and respond to any urgent requests. Next, you’ll thoroughly clean each examination room, making sure the equipment is ready for the next day. You can also use this time to restock the office supply shelves, ensuring that there are no shortages tomorrow.
- 5:30 pm: After completing all unfinished tasks for the day and glancing over tomorrow’s schedule, it’s finally time to go home!
As you can see, a day in the life of a medical administrative assistant is fast paced, but it can certainly be rewarding when it comes to helping patients access the care they need. If this role sounds right for you, consider pursuing training to build the skills for a successful career!
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