Healthcare careers do not just include clinical professionals like doctors and nurses but also includes administrative and management career like Administrator, Managers, and so on. The healthcare industry is a growing industry and a need for our society. Since healthcare is a priority, the industry grows much faster than other industries.
Clinical aspects of medicine are comparatively hard to get into and thus for those who desire to work in healthcare can choose a non-clinical pathway to build a career. A career in healthcare is rewarding as it impacts people’s lives. Any position in healthcare is secure usually with an increment in pay.
One of the most growing on-demand healthcare professionals is the Medical Administrative Assistants. Most people think that this is a fancier term for Medical Receptionist but that is not true. Read further to know more.
What you need to know about the Medical Administrative Assistant position.
A medical administrative assistant’s role is similar to that of an administrative assistant or secretary in other industries, but it requires more specialized skills and knowledge of medicine. As a medical administrative assistant, your responsibility will be to ensure that the patients have a comfortable visit by organizing the appointments, ensuring that they receive the medical attention on time, and filing the records well. By doing so you won’t just benefit the patient but also would benefit the medical professionals involved which will help them to treat the patients better.
Roles and Responsibilities
Day to day work of a Medical Administrative Assistant will include but is not limited to answering the phone, scheduling appointments, inventorying, and ordering medical supplies, managing, updating, and filing patient records, processing insurance forms, creating and processing invoices, managing and sorting mail, Coordinating hospital admissions, and lab service, transcribing medical information, notes taking, preparing medical reports, coding records fir insurance billing and billing to insurance companies, office procedures like checking vitals, collecting basic patient information and so on.
The duties may vary by the job and the office. In a smaller setting, one may be asked to perform all the above tasks but in a larger setting, there will be specific people assigned to perform tasks, this way the work is divided between individuals. In such a case, a medical administrative assistant will have the duty pertained to scheduling, billing, and coding.
Is a Medical Administrative Assistant the same as a Medical Receptionist?
Most people think that Medical Administrative Assistant is a fancier term for Medical Receptionist. This is not true. A medical Administrative Assistant is given the same tasks as a Medical receptionist but will be able to perform many other duties than a receptionist. Since Medical Receptionists are similar to other office receptionists and will have simple day-to-day tasks to perform they will not require any special training. Due to these reasons, the pay scale of Medical Administrative Assistants is more than Medical Receptionists.
Skills of Medical Administrative Assistants.
A basic understanding of the healthcare industry is important and would be the foundation for any job in healthcare. Special training to perform some tasks would be expected and necessary to become a Medical Administrative Assistant otherwise, as discussed above there would be no difference between a Medical Administrative Assistant and a Medical Receptionist. Apart from that, you will need additional skills like the ability to work with the team and work independently, Good communication skills, excellent organizational skills, great time management, strong initiative and work ethic, Problem-solving skills, and the ability to take initiative and carry the tasks that are asked of you to perform.
Many tasks performed by the Medical Administrative Assistants would require training and the employers would look for this educational background and skills in your job profile. There are ample opportunities for education and training for this job offered in various institutions and they come in different names which would confuse you and make it difficult to decide which would be the right training for you.
To choose the right training program lookout for the topics in the program. The basic requirements for this job will be knowing basic anatomy and physiology, terminology, medical coding and billing, transcription, office procedures, basic pharmacology, records management, and basic computer skills. The computer was once a luxury but today it is needed and thus the skills are learned by most people as they are taught the basic knowledge in earlier school life. Thus focus on the other requirements and attain a certificate for the same.
This is a career and not merely a job.
In today’s world, people seek career advancement rather than just a job. Medical Administrative Assistant is a good career pathway for those aspiring to work in a healthcare setting. The job is comparatively more steady and a long term job with a steady salary, the field is fast growing and thus there would be a possibility of growth, sometimes work could be remote and could have flexible schedules. The best part is you will work in a healthcare setting without having to have your hands on patients.
How much do the Medical Administrative Assistants earn?
According to talent.com, the average medical administrative assistant salary in Canada is $43,629 per year or $22.37 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $34,515 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $52,650 per year.
According to the Government of Canada - job bank, Medical administrative assistants (NOC 1243) usually earn between $15.00/hour and $32.67/hour in the Toronto Region. People working as "administrative assistant, medical" are part of this group.
Understand that in this field of growth, as you gain your experience there is a possibility you will advance in your career path with a higher salary.
Are you ready to become a medical administrative assistant? Check out the healthcare programs offered by Universal Care Academy that are made available to you so that you can pave a pathway to an exciting career and fulfill your dream with a smile.
Blended Program:
Instructor-led Zoom classes + online self-paced learning: Medical Terminology