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Why I Choose Medical Assistant

• University: University of Florida Medical School

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Words: 663 |

Published: Feb 15, 2024

Words: 663 | Pages: 1 | 4 min read

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Personal experiences, academic pursuits, career aspirations, in conclusion.

Choosing a career path is a crucial decision that requires careful consideration and self-reflection. For me, the decision to become a medical assistant was not made hastily; rather, it was a thoughtful process that involved personal introspection, a genuine desire to help others, and a deep passion for the medical field. In this essay, I will delve into the reasons that led me to choose the path of a medical assistant, discussing my personal experiences, academic pursuits, and career aspirations.

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From a young age, I have been fascinated by the human body and its intricate mechanisms. Growing up in a family where healthcare was highly valued, I was exposed to various medical experiences that ignited my passion for the field. Witnessing the compassionate care provided by medical professionals during my mother's hospitalization deeply impacted me and solidified my desire to pursue a career that would allow me to make a positive difference in people's lives.

Moreover, volunteering at a local clinic during my high school years gave me firsthand exposure to the work of medical assistants. I was inspired by their ability to multitask, their exceptional organizational skills, and their unwavering dedication to patient care. This experience not only confirmed my interest in the healthcare field but also convinced me that becoming a medical assistant was the right path for me. I realized that this profession would provide me with the perfect balance of hands-on patient care and the opportunity to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals.

My academic journey has been focused on preparing myself for a career as a medical assistant. In high school, I maintained a strong academic record, excelling in science and mathematics courses. These subjects provided me with a solid foundation of knowledge that I knew would be indispensable in the medical field.

Following high school, I enrolled in a reputable medical assistant program at a local college. This program allowed me to acquire the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to excel in this profession. Through coursework in anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, and clinical procedures, I gained a deep understanding of the human body and the skills required to provide quality patient care.

Additionally, I actively sought out opportunities for hands-on experience. Whether it was through internships at local clinics, shadowing experienced medical assistants, or participating in clinical rotations, these experiences further solidified my decision to pursue this career. They allowed me to witness the daily challenges and rewards of being a medical assistant, reinforcing my belief that this profession would enable me to directly impact and improve the lives of patients.

Looking ahead, I have clear aspirations for my future as a medical assistant. Firstly, I aim to work in a primary care setting, where I can provide comprehensive care to a diverse patient population. This setting would allow me to build long-term relationships with patients, enabling me to provide continuity of care and promote their overall wellbeing.

Furthermore, I am eager to continuously expand my knowledge and skills through professional development opportunities. I am particularly interested in pursuing certifications in specialized areas such as phlebotomy or EKG, as these would enhance my skill set and open doors for further career advancement. Additionally, I plan to pursue higher education in the future, potentially obtaining a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration or a related field. This would enable me to take on leadership roles, advocate for patients' needs, and contribute to the improvement of healthcare systems.

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Choosing to become a medical assistant was not a decision I made lightly. It was the result of personal experiences, academic pursuits, and a genuine passion for helping others. Through my dedication to patient care, continuous learning, and career aspirations, I am confident that I can make a meaningful impact in the lives of patients and contribute to the healthcare field. As I embark on this rewarding journey, I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, knowing that I have chosen a career path that aligns with my values, interests, and aspirations.

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What is a medical office assistant (moa) roles & responsibilities.

Updated January 2024

Want a healthcare career that offers a blend of clerical and clinical work? A role as a medical office assistant could be ideal.

But just what is a medical office assistant? If you took on this job, what would you actually be doing all day?

Medical office assistants (MOAs) are the first point of contact for anyone calling or arriving at a clinic, hospital, or other healthcare facility. They greet patients, update files, prep exam rooms, and carry out a range of other duties that keep the medical office operating smoothly.

In this post, we outline the essential role of MOAs and the many tasks they perform each day. Get a full picture of life on the job and see if this career is a good choice for you.

WHAT ARE SOME TYPICAL MOA RESPONSIBILITIES?

Medical office assistants play a key role in a healthcare team. They're responsible for a variety of both front-desk and behind-the-scenes activities that help doctors and nurses deliver quality patient care.

On any given day, MOAs handle tasks like:

☑️ Greeting and directing arriving patients

☑️ Verifying and updating patient information in EMR (electronic medical records) software

☑️ Booking appointments

☑️ Scanning documents into patient charts

☑️ Processing billing and insurance

☑️ Ordering supplies and stocking exam rooms

☑️ Answering, screening, and forwarding telephone calls

☑️ Filing, sorting, and distributing mail, faxes, and lab results

☑️ Performing patient height and weight measurements

☑️ Taking patient temperature and blood pressure

☑️ Collecting lab samples

☑️ Cleaning and sanitizing exam rooms and common spaces

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN MOA AND A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT?

It can be confusing because both roles have "assistant" in the title. However, they are actually very different jobs.

Medical office assistants are entry-level professionals who have a blend of administrative and clinical responsibilities.

By contrast, physician assistants (PAs) provide primary patient care under the supervision of a doctor. They can examine patients, order diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, and assist in surgeries.

To become a PA, you must have a degree from one of four recognized university programs in Canada.

But you can get started as an MOA with a college diploma. Medical office assistant/administrator training is widely available at career colleges across Canada.

WHERE DO Medical office assistants WORK?

Medical office assistants can find work opportunities in a broad range of healthcare settings. Possible employers include:

☑️ Hospitals

☑️ Dental offices

☑️ Walk-in clinics

☑️ Chiropractors' offices

☑️ Physiotherapy clinics

☑️ Medical labs

☑️ Extended care centres

☑️ Home health care agencies

☑️ Addiction treatment facilities

☑️ Nursing homes

Some MOA jobs are part time. In some places (especially in hospitals), you may be required to work evening or weekend shifts.

Your role could vary a bit depending on where you work.

For instance, a medical office assistant in a hospital emergency room must be able to work quickly, maintain a calm demeanour, and determine which patients have the most urgent need for attention (a process known as triage).

On the other hand, an MOA in a family clinic will mostly deal with routine checkups and screenings. You will still have to juggle multiple tasks, but you likely won't have the pressure of life-or-death scenarios.

WHAT SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO BECOME AN MOA?

To succeed as a medical office assistant, you need to possess certain skills and traits. Here are a few examples of what employers look for:

☑️ Health office software

You should know your way around Microsoft Office applications like Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Many employers also look for MOAs who are comfortable with specialty EMR software like Accuro or PS Suite.

These systems are used to schedule appointments, process billing, and update patient charts.

A good MOA course will give you lots of hands-on practice with clinical software so you are fully prepared for your first job after graduation.

☑️ Organization

It takes good organizational abilities to schedule appointments, update files, and keep supplies stocked. Medical offices can be busy places, and you need to be able to keep up.

Managing your time and following proper procedures is critical to keep the office running smoothly.

☑️ Communication and compassion

As the communications hub of the clinic or hospital, medical office assistants have to be able to connect with doctors, nurses, and patients from diverse backgrounds.

Bonus points if you speak a second (or third) language! 

A big part of this role involves greeting patients, answering their questions, and helping them feel comfortable.

That means you need to be friendly, compassionate, and very clear in your communication.

EXPLORE MOA TRAINING AT HERZING COLLEGE

Think you'd like to pursue a career as a medical office assistant? Your first step is finding a quality MOA course from an accredited college.

Herzing offers MOA training online. The course includes an internship at a local clinic or hospital.

If you have questions about training or careers, we suggest speaking with an admissions advisor. An advisor can answer any questions you have about application requirements, course schedules, career options, tuition, or financial aid.

Click below to explore the MOA program and chat live with an advisor. We're here to help!

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As Doctors’ Walkout Drags On, Some South Koreans Are Losing Patience

Thousands of interns and residents who stopped working in February are testing the public’s high regard for physicians. But there is also anger at the government.

By Jin Yu Young

Reporting from Seoul

Six weeks after thousands of residents and interns at South Korean hospitals walked off the job , frustration is rising.

Patients have filed more than 2,000 complaints about surgeries and other treatments being postponed, canceled or refused, according to the national health ministry. Hospitals have closed wards and restructured staff. Nurses have taken on duties usually performed by physicians, and military doctors have been deployed to public health centers.

Much of the anger over the disruptions is aimed at President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has not backed down from his proposal to dramatically expand medical school admissions to address a shortage of physicians. The young doctors who walked out in February to protest that plan say it wouldn’t solve the health care system’s problems.

But many people are also exasperated with the doctors, despite the exalted position that physicians hold in South Korea’s hierarchical society. Critics accuse them of trying to protect their elite status, and their income, by keeping the number of doctors low.

“Doctors are one of the richest and most powerful groups in Korea,” said Lee Chun-hee, a 26-year-old office worker in Seoul. “They need to be humbled.”

South Korea has fewer physicians per capita than most countries in the developed world — 2.6 doctors per 1,000 people, compared to an average of 3.7 in the countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development . Surveys have found that most South Koreans want more medical students enrolled to address that. In one recent poll, 43 percent of respondents said the physicians who’ve stopped working — they currently number 12,000 — should face legal consequences.

For some doctors, that is a startling message to hear from their patients.

“When they’re sick and come to us for treatment, they seek us out with a heart of gratitude. But when it comes to public policies or large social issues, it appears the public wants the doctors to be the ones to compromise,” said Dr. Kim Daejung, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Ajou University Hospital in the city of Suwon.

“Public sentiment toward doctors is two-sided,” Dr. Kim said. “While they are admired and respected, they are also the target of envy and anger.”

Doctors have prestige everywhere, but that is particularly true in South Korea. Kye Bongoh, a professor of sociology at Kookmin University in Seoul, attributes that to a strong belief in the educational hierarchy. Many top students choose medicine over finance or other corporate paths — partly because of its high social status, but also because it is seen as offering more financial stability in the long term.

“When people hear the word ‘doctor,’ they assume they were first in their class since high school,” Professor Kye said. “And since they go through arduous training to be a doctor, they’re highly respected.”

Dr. Kim, who got his license in 1993, remembers when high achievers were just as likely to enter fields like engineering, which promised well-paying jobs with big firms. But medicine started looking like a better bet after the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, which put thousands of companies out of business.

“Becoming a doctor was seen as a more stable path,” Dr. Kim said.

Because South Korean health care is relatively cheap, government-subsidized and easily accessible, patients can go “medical shopping,” as Dr. Seo Yeonjoo, a 33-year-old specialist in the internal medicine department at St. Vincent Hospital near Seoul, put it. This has led to something like a star system, doctors say, as patients seek out highly regarded physicians who’ve gone to top schools.

“Lots of people come to the big hospitals seeking out these big-time doctors,” said Dr. Seo.

The young “trainee doctors” who’ve walked out say their situation is very different. They work grueling shifts, often for what amounts to less than minimum wage, once the long hours are factored in. But some South Koreans are skeptical, saying that lucrative, comfortable careers await them once they’ve put in their five years as interns and residents.

“There is no way to explain why doctors are opposed to increasing the number of doctors, other than the idea of ​​making more money at the expense of patients,” the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial .

This isn’t the first time doctors have pushed back against attempts to expand medical school admissions. There was a walkout in the summer of 2020, after then-President Moon Jae-in proposed a more modest increase. Faced with a strained medical system at the height of the Covid pandemic, the government backed down.

Around the same time, doctors at some hospitals were found to have been letting unsupervised assistants operate on patients . That led to prosecutions and a law requiring cameras in operating rooms.

But Professor Kye said that when the public’s trust in physicians is shaken by such episodes in South Korea, it tends to rebound quickly.

“While there might be animosity toward doctors now, our culture of seeking out revered doctors for treatment, and the long-held perception of them, is unlikely to change,” he said. In 2021, a year after the last walkout, surveys found that around 60 percent of the public thought the medical system had responded well to the pandemic.

Yoon Jong Min, 54, who had surgery on his leg in October, was due for a follow-up visit last month. Because of the walkout, it was postponed to mid-April, and the Seoul hospital where he was treated could not guarantee that it wouldn’t be delayed again, he said.

But he blames the government more than the doctors for the standoff. “I’m being harmed by the administration’s political show,” he said. He said that medical school admissions should be increased, but gradually.

President Yoon’s plan would raise medical school admissions — to around 5,000 students per year, from around 3,000 — starting next year. It would also spend 10 trillion won, or $7.5 billion, over the next five years on improving health care services, especially in rural areas that the government says are underserved.

The doctors, along with other critics of the government, say the plan was hastily put together to win votes in legislative elections this month. The doctors say it would do little to alleviate the physician shortage, which they say is concentrated in certain departments, like emergency care.

Civic groups have urged the doctors and the government to end the dispute. “Will they put this abnormal situation to end only after patients die from not being treated on time?” the Korea Alliance of Patients Organization said in a statement last week.

In a televised speech this week , Mr. Yoon defended his plan, saying that 2,000 more medical students per year was the “minimum” needed. But he also invited doctors to submit a counterproposal and offered to meet with them. A major doctors’ group welcomed that offer but said any talks would have to be “meaningful.”

Dr. Kim, the Ajou University Hospital professor, said the country’s attitude toward his profession was unlikely to change, whatever the outcome of the dispute. “People might be angry at doctors now, but they will still want their children to become one,” he said.

Jin Yu Young reports on South Korea, the Asia Pacific region and global breaking news from Seoul. More about Jin Yu Young

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Zelenskiy calls for operational changes to Ukraine military after sacking commander

President demands ‘new level of medical support for soldiers’ as questions mount over speed of counteroffensive against Russia

Volodymyr Zelenskiy has demanded rapid changes in the operations of Ukraine’s military and announced the dismissal of the commander of its medical forces.

The Ukrainian president’s move was announced on Sunday as he met defence minister, Rustem Umerov, and coincided with debate over the conduct of the 20-month-old war against Russia , with questions over how quickly a counteroffensive in the east and south is proceeding.

“In today’s meeting with defence minister Umerov, priorities were set,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. “There is little time left to wait for results. Quick action is needed for forthcoming changes.”

Zelenskiy said he had replaced Maj Gen Tetiana Ostashchenko as commander of the medical forces.

“The task is clear, as has been repeatedly stressed in society, particularly among combat medics, we need a fundamentally new level of medical support for our soldiers,” he said.

This, he said, included a range of issues – better tourniquets, digitalisation and better communication.

Umerov acknowledged the change on the Telegram messaging app and set as top priorities digitalisation, “tactical medicine” and rotation of service personnel.

Ukraine’s military reports on what it describes as advances in recapturing occupied areas in the east and south and last week acknowledged that troops had taken control of areas on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River in southern Kherson region.

Ukrainian commander in chief, Gen Valery Zaluzhny, in an essay published this month, said the war was entering a new stage of attrition and Ukraine needed more sophisticated technology to counter the Russian military.

While repeatedly saying advances will take time, Zelenskiy has denied the war is headed into a stalemate and has called on Kyiv’s western partners, mainly the United States, to maintain levels of military support.

Ostashchenko was replaced by Maj Gen Anatoliy Kazmirchuk, head of a military clinic in Kyiv.

Her dismissal came a week after a Ukrainian news outlet suggested her removal, as well as that of others, was imminent after consultations with paramedics and other officials responsible for providing support to the military.

Meanwhile on Sunday, air defence units in Moscow intercepted a drone targeting the city, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.

Sobyanin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said units in the Elektrostal district in the capital’s east had intercepted the drone.

According to preliminary information, falling debris resulting from the operation had caused no casualties or damage, Sobyanin said.

• Volodymyr Zelenskiy

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