MightyRecruiterWhen hiring staff for your medical office, you want to find qualified individuals that will work well with your existing team. Attracting superior employees is more effective with an enticing job description that includes details, facts and a little personality. Whether you are looking to recruit an experienced medical assistant from another location, or hire newcomers fresh from school, try to think like an applicant and give the kinds of information you’d want to know if you were applying for the position. With many openings for these types of workers, setting your position apart should be a key goal of writing your job listing. In the following Medical Assistant job description sample, we’ve highlighted key details of this position and given you a rubric to follow when crafting your own postings.
Medical Assistant Job Summary
Your tasks will be two-fold and involve administrative as well as clinical responsibilities performed under the charge of the physician. Administrative jobs will include, recordkeeping, scheduling and office upkeep. Clinically, you will be expected to perform patient intake evaluations, including taking vital signs and recording pertinent information as reported by the patient.
Medical Assistant Job Responsibilities and Duties:
- Receive incoming phone calls and schedule appointments; confer with physician and contact patients with instructions when indicated
- Prepare patient for exam by taking vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature), height, weight and recording history of condition as reported by the individual
- Assist physician during exams and administer medication under doctor’s direction
- Report to attending physician and perform all tasks according to law and compassionate-care standards
- Sterilize equipment and follow legal and proper protocol for disposal of medical instruments and waste to ensure a healthy environment for patients and employees
- Prepare medical records prior to appointments and ensure all pertinent information, such as lab results and reports, are in the file prior to the physician’s visit
- Stock exam rooms and maintain all records for storage and equipment, such as refrigeration logs, medication supply inventory, oxygen availability
- Check and maintain equipment as scheduled and when breakdowns occur
- Maintain patient confidence by ensuring all privacy paperwork is up-to-date and keeping all details of patient identity and medical history confidential
- Seek continuing education as certification requires and stay updated on new techniques and practices, especially when instructed in different methods by administrative staff
- Communicate with pharmacies, patients and physicians regarding prescription information and refills
Medical Assistant Skills and Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Medical assistant certification
- Understanding of injection and phlebotomy procedures
- Excellent verbal communication skills and phone etiquette
- Organization skills and ability to work within a timed schedule to ensure patient flow
- Understanding of medical and anatomical terminology
- Sense of compassion and ability to provide gentle care to all patients
Clinic Profile
Smith and Wayne Family Practice has been caring for Newtown patients for over 20 years and has a reputation for compassionate, thorough care. Combined, our doctors have delivered over 200 babies and cared for numerous geriatric patients and growing families. Recognized and certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the Family Medicine Obstetrics Medical Board, we pride ourselves on offering exceptional care starting at birth and continuing throughout a patient’s lifetime.
Writing a Job Description Best Practices
- The above Medical Assistant job description sample is a great starting point for writing your own, but you may need to add something not listed, or create a posting from scratch in the future. For those occasions, keep in mind the following list of dos and don’ts to help you attract talented personnel and narrow down your applicant pool to qualified individuals.
- Do use job-related specifics. If your office provides specialized care, such as obstetrics, give details regarding the medical assistant’s responsibilities. If they are required to help with patient exams, or be present during physical exams performed by a male physician, include these details so that applicants have a clear picture of expectations even before the interview.
- Do use a writing style that matches your clinic’s philosophy. The tone of your job description conveys nearly as much as the details you include. Use the section about the office to portray the mission of the physicians and the expectations for bedside manner required of all office staff.
- Don’t get bogged down in the details about recordkeeping and menial office tasks.
- Do use a bullet and an action verb at the beginning of each of the items in the duties and qualifications sections.
Medical Assistant Job Responsibilities
The job responsibilities section is one of the most important sections of your medical assistant job description, because it tells jobseekers exactly what they will be doing on a day-to-day basis if they land the open position. This helps candidates understand if they’re a good fit for the job right from the start.
Make sure the job responsibilities section of your medical assistant job description uses bullet point format so things remain concise and to-the-point. You also want to include the right number of bullets, and it’s generally recommended to stick to between six and eight key responsibilities. Finally, you should make sure each new entry starts with a strong action verb. This helps candidates picture themselves in the role and how they’d fit into it.
These medical assistant job responsibilities are good examples of ones you can include in your own job description:
- Verify patient information by conducting interviews, recording medical history and solidifying the purpose of visits
- Perform preliminary tests, like blood pressure testing, to prepare patients for appointment
- Safeguard medical records, complete diagnostic coding and answer basic patient questions about procedure scheduling
- Keep important supplies ready for use by doing inventory on a regular basis and placing orders
Medical Assistant Job Specifications
You shouldn’t underestimate the job qualifications and skills section of your medical assistant job description, even though it is probably the shortest section. Jobseekers want to know exactly what qualifications they need before applying to a job, and by carefully crafting this section, you ensure no one wastes their efforts. Since reviewing resumes takes time, carefully putting together a clear skills list in your medical assistant job description ensures that only qualified candidates apply for the job. This way, you don’t spend more time than you should looking over resumes from candidates you don’t plan on interviewing.
Note that this section can include both the qualities you require and the qualities you prefer in a new hire. Make sure everyone you involve with the hiring process fully understands the difference.
Here are a few medical assistant job specifications you might want to include in your own job description:
- Exceptional verbal communication and organization skills
- At least 1 year of experience working as a medical assistant preferred
- Knowledge of general medical billing and coding procedures
- Excellent bedside manner and personable demeanor
- Medical assistant certification from an accredited institution
- Ability to work in a fast-paced office environment while managing the needs of multiple patients simultaneously
