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What are some of the difficult situations I'll have to face if I were to be a medical administrative assistant?
I wanted to know what are the negatives of being a medical administrative assistant.
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Doc’s Answer
Let’s face it Ariana, health care is a 24 hour 7 day a week kind of job. As a medical administrator assistant, you may find yourself working five days a week 8 hours shifts, or you may find yourself working 10-12 hour days. These 10-12 hour days may have you working during the daytime hours, the evening hours, or overnight. I would also like to remind you that you may be working weekends or holidays if you choose to work in a hospital setting. The hours that you will be working can really impact your decision whether this career is right or wrong for you. The hours that you work will affect your personal and social life and hold a ton of weight when analyzing the pros and cons of being a medical administrator assistant.
Here are two possible disadvantages you may face as a medical office assistant.
MEDICAL ADMIN ASSISTANT CONS
• DEMANDING NATURE OF THE POSITION
Medical work requires attention to detail, multitasking abilities, and excellent organizational skills. As a medical administrator assistant, you may manage patient records, schedule appointments, and assist healthcare professionals. The job can be fast-paced and demanding, often requiring you to prioritize tasks and work efficiently under pressure.
• DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
In a healthcare setting, you may encounter patients who are anxious, in pain, or facing difficult medical conditions. As a medical administrator assistant, you must provide compassionate support while maintaining professionalism. This can be emotionally challenging as you navigate sensitive patient interactions.
Despite these challenges, many professionals find the rewarding aspects of being a medical office assistant outweigh the disadvantages. By understanding the potential setbacks and preparing yourself effectively, you can thrive in this vital role within the medical field.
MEDICAL ADMIN ASSISTANT PROS
• VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES
Medical administrator assistants usually have a wide range of job responsibilities. Because their jobs include a variety of clinical and administrative duties, they're often working on different tasks throughout the day. For example, on a typical workday, these professionals may help schedule new patients, update medical records, take patients' vital signs and prepare blood samples for laboratory testing. Their various responsibilities can help medical administrator assistants remain engaged with their work and continue to find enjoyment in their jobs each day.
• IMPACTFUL WORK
Medical administrator assistants can help people improve or maintain their health. They often work with patients who may feel scared or nervous about their medical treatments. These professionals can offer emotional support to patients and help them develop a better understanding of their health care plans. Medical administrator assistants can also provide encouragement to patients who are working to improve their health to help them feel motivated to reach their goals. This type of impactful work can help medical assistants continue to find fulfillment in their careers, which can give them job satisfaction.
• CAREER ADVANCEMENT
In your job, medical administrator assistants gain medical training and expertise in various areas, such as medical terminology and basic anatomy. These skills can help you advance your career, whether you want to move into leadership roles or other medical positions. For example, medical administrator assistants may transition into roles as health services managers or health information technicians. With additional education and experience, many also become registered nurses, physician assistants or nurse practitioners. As they advance in their careers, medical administrator assistants can learn new skills and increase their earning potential.
Here are two possible disadvantages you may face as a medical office assistant.
MEDICAL ADMIN ASSISTANT CONS
• DEMANDING NATURE OF THE POSITION
Medical work requires attention to detail, multitasking abilities, and excellent organizational skills. As a medical administrator assistant, you may manage patient records, schedule appointments, and assist healthcare professionals. The job can be fast-paced and demanding, often requiring you to prioritize tasks and work efficiently under pressure.
• DEALING WITH STRESSFUL SITUATIONS
In a healthcare setting, you may encounter patients who are anxious, in pain, or facing difficult medical conditions. As a medical administrator assistant, you must provide compassionate support while maintaining professionalism. This can be emotionally challenging as you navigate sensitive patient interactions.
Despite these challenges, many professionals find the rewarding aspects of being a medical office assistant outweigh the disadvantages. By understanding the potential setbacks and preparing yourself effectively, you can thrive in this vital role within the medical field.
MEDICAL ADMIN ASSISTANT PROS
• VARIOUS RESPONSIBILITIES
Medical administrator assistants usually have a wide range of job responsibilities. Because their jobs include a variety of clinical and administrative duties, they're often working on different tasks throughout the day. For example, on a typical workday, these professionals may help schedule new patients, update medical records, take patients' vital signs and prepare blood samples for laboratory testing. Their various responsibilities can help medical administrator assistants remain engaged with their work and continue to find enjoyment in their jobs each day.
• IMPACTFUL WORK
Medical administrator assistants can help people improve or maintain their health. They often work with patients who may feel scared or nervous about their medical treatments. These professionals can offer emotional support to patients and help them develop a better understanding of their health care plans. Medical administrator assistants can also provide encouragement to patients who are working to improve their health to help them feel motivated to reach their goals. This type of impactful work can help medical assistants continue to find fulfillment in their careers, which can give them job satisfaction.
• CAREER ADVANCEMENT
In your job, medical administrator assistants gain medical training and expertise in various areas, such as medical terminology and basic anatomy. These skills can help you advance your career, whether you want to move into leadership roles or other medical positions. For example, medical administrator assistants may transition into roles as health services managers or health information technicians. With additional education and experience, many also become registered nurses, physician assistants or nurse practitioners. As they advance in their careers, medical administrator assistants can learn new skills and increase their earning potential.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Ariana
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Ariana !
It is great that you are looking into being an Administrative Assistant in a medical office or hospital setting. I am not sure if you will base whether or not to go into it on what people tell you, but if you really want to pursue this, you should do it regardless of other people's experiences because the difficult situations are going to depend on way too many things. No one can tell you of the difficult situations you will have happen where ever you work. Difficulties are mostly spontaneous and unpredictable in many careers.
It would also be hard to say because although a title may be Administrative Assistant, each place assigns different responsibilities to their administrative assistants. I have worked in places where all the administrative assistant did was typing, delegate phone calls, errands, memos and reports and office work. Then again, I've worked in places where the administrative assistant had hands on contact with whom they served and participated in program decisions. So it's really going to depend and at first, you should review what job duties or skills are usually involved for that position in general and sharpen those skills. That would be the best approach.
To be qualified to be an administrative assistant in a medical setting, here are some general duties that MAY BE expected of you, but remember that the employer may assign some, all or different duties than these. Generally, you will need very good communication skills, verbal and written, be detail oriented, able to schedule travel for staff for trainings, conventions, meetings, in-services, have good clerical skills, know how to use the usual computer programs and internet, Data Entry, coordinate projects, events or any similar activities, office management skills and some secretarial skills. If you find that these duties are a good fit for you, you will enjoy being an administrative assistant.
In this position in any setting as in any career, difficult situations may arise. It's all going to depend and sometimes they are spontaneous and not able to be anticipated or predictable. We all learn what difficulties are on our job by working at our job, day to day. Try not to worry or base any career on possible scenarios. You will end up not working anywhere if you do that. Just take each day as it comes and depending on what the situation is, you will instinctively know how to handle it or you will have had on the job training for how to handle it. It's really nothing to worry about.
It is great that you are looking into being an Administrative Assistant in a medical office or hospital setting. I am not sure if you will base whether or not to go into it on what people tell you, but if you really want to pursue this, you should do it regardless of other people's experiences because the difficult situations are going to depend on way too many things. No one can tell you of the difficult situations you will have happen where ever you work. Difficulties are mostly spontaneous and unpredictable in many careers.
It would also be hard to say because although a title may be Administrative Assistant, each place assigns different responsibilities to their administrative assistants. I have worked in places where all the administrative assistant did was typing, delegate phone calls, errands, memos and reports and office work. Then again, I've worked in places where the administrative assistant had hands on contact with whom they served and participated in program decisions. So it's really going to depend and at first, you should review what job duties or skills are usually involved for that position in general and sharpen those skills. That would be the best approach.
To be qualified to be an administrative assistant in a medical setting, here are some general duties that MAY BE expected of you, but remember that the employer may assign some, all or different duties than these. Generally, you will need very good communication skills, verbal and written, be detail oriented, able to schedule travel for staff for trainings, conventions, meetings, in-services, have good clerical skills, know how to use the usual computer programs and internet, Data Entry, coordinate projects, events or any similar activities, office management skills and some secretarial skills. If you find that these duties are a good fit for you, you will enjoy being an administrative assistant.
In this position in any setting as in any career, difficult situations may arise. It's all going to depend and sometimes they are spontaneous and not able to be anticipated or predictable. We all learn what difficulties are on our job by working at our job, day to day. Try not to worry or base any career on possible scenarios. You will end up not working anywhere if you do that. Just take each day as it comes and depending on what the situation is, you will instinctively know how to handle it or you will have had on the job training for how to handle it. It's really nothing to worry about.
Updated
Martin’s Answer
All I can contribute to the ongoing conversation is this: you are an administrative assistant. Depending on the environment, your job could be thrilling and rewarding, or you might end up handling all the less glamorous tasks. The level of appreciation you receive can also vary greatly, depending on who you're working under. You could be highly valued, or unfortunately, you might feel like you're at the bottom of the pecking order.