If you’re interested in a career in the medical field, you should consider allied health. Allied health professionals are members of health care teams who provide a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient care and support services that are critical to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they serve. But what type of allied health role should you pursue? Consider a career as a medical administrative assistant.
Medical Administrative Assistant Job Description
Medical administrative assistants work in medical offices. In fact, they are likely the first people you meet when you visit the office. They function like medical secretaries who perform administrative duties such as coordinating appointments and managing inventory.
An important role of the medical administrative assistant is to act as a liaison, or coordinator, between the medical staff and the patient. Medical assistants are often responsible for explaining to the patient any upcoming procedure, answers patient’s questions about medical procedures, and relates information both to and from the attending doctor. For this reason, good communication and interpersonal skills are absolutely vital for Medical assistants. Medical administrative assistants should also be very organized, have the ability to multitask, and be able to work both independently and as part of a team.
Medical Administrative Assistant Duties and Responsibilities
Here are some of the typical duties of a Medical Administrative Assistant:
- Greeting patients
- Answering telephones
- Handling correspondence
- Scheduling appointments
- Arranging for hospital admission and laboratory services
- Updating and filing patients’ medical records
- Filling out insurance forms
- Handling billing and bookkeeping
Medical Administrative Assistant Skills
If you want to be a successful medical administrative assistant, you must master these skills:
- Scheduling
- Medical billing
- Patient communication
- Data entry
- Medical terminology
- Computer proficiency
Where Do Medical Administrative Assistants Work?
Medical administrative assistants work in a variety of healthcare settings, but you’re most likely to find them in the following medical offices:
- physician offices
- surgical hospitals
- dentist offices
- outpatient centers
The first step towards a rewarding career as a Medical Administrative Assistant is to attend a quality training program through an accredited institution. Founded in 1941 as the National School of Business, National American University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. NAU offers Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral online degree programs. To learn more about NAU and our programs, or to begin the enrollment process, call us at (855) 448-2318. Our friendly and helpful Admissions Representatives are waiting to help you. Don’t put your future on hold any longer, make your goals a reality with NAU!
NAU’s program prepares students for this career through a combination of lecture and laboratory sessions. Courses include Medical Law & Ethics, Medical Record Management, and Healthcare Coding. Graduates of NAU’s program are thoroughly prepared to test for the industry-recognized Medical Assistant National Certification by the NCCT. To learn more about this program, visit the Medical Administrative Assistant program page.
Which of the following is not required of a medical administrative assistant?
a. Perform basic laboratory tests
b. transcribe medical dictation
c. prepare insurance claims
d. record payments on account
a. Perform basic laboratory tests
All of the following are important skills for a medical administrative assistant except:
a. proper written communication skills
b. knowledge of medical terminology
c. medical records file management
d. all of the above are important skills for an assistant.
d. all of the above are important skills for an assistant
The professional organization that administers the CPC exam is the:
a. AAMA
b. AAPC
c. AMT
d. AHIMA
e. IAAP
Empathetic means:
a. Confidential
b. working well in a group
c. reliable
d. imiagining things from a patient's perspective
e. friendly
d. imagining things from a patient's perspective
Which of the following would a medical administrative assistant probably not expect to do during a typical day in a medical office?
a. arrange an admission to the hospital
b. screen telephone calls
c. prepare a billing to a patient
d. obtain a patients vital signs
d. obtain a patient's vital signs
All of the following are administrative duties of a medical administrative assistant except:
a. perform financial and bookkeeping procedures
b. assist the physician with exeminations and procedures
c. prepare correspondence
d. manage office activities
e. verify patient registration information
b. assist the physican with examinations and procedures
Which of the following is true regarding professional appearance for a medical administrative assistant?
a. tennis shoes should be worn with a business uniform
b. excessive use of perfume creates a pleasant atmosphere in office
c. nail polish should never be worn
d. jewelry and accessories shoul
d. Jewelry and accessories should be kept to a minimum
Which of the following is not part of the educational training for a career as a medical administrative assistant?
a. coding and billing practices
b. communication skills
c. computer programming
d. anatomy, physiology, and disease condition
Which of the following are possible places of employment for a medical administrative assistant?
a. nursing home
b. home health agency
c. dental offive
d. all of the above
e. only a and b
All of the following are specialties involving primary care physicians except:
a. internal medicine
b. family practice
c. pediatrics
d. endocrinology
All of the following are health care providers except:
a. nurse practitioner
b. optometrist
c. licensed practical nurse
d. Doctor of Osteopathy
c. licensed practical nurse
Which of the following doesn't belong?
a. CNA
b. LPN
c. RN
d. CMT
The specialty that treats heart disorder is:
a. Gastroenterology
b. Cardiology
c. Neurology
d. Ophthalmology
The specialty that treats intestinal disorders is:
a. radiology
b. neurology
c. urology
d. gastroenterology
The specialty that treats urinary disorders is:
a. thoracic surgery
b. rheumatology
c. anesthesiology
d. urology
The specialty that treats musculoskeletal disorders is:
a. plastic surgery
b. dermatology
c. orthopedics
d. neurology
The specialty that treats disorders of the female reproductive system is:
a. nephrology
b. urology
c. ophthalmology
d. obstetrics and gynecology
d. obstetrics and gynecology
The nursing staff and the office should wear the same uniform to enable patients to readily identify employees of the office.
Preparing a bank deposit may be the responsibility of a medical administrative assistant.
A medical administrative assistant's position usually is more specialized in a small office as compared with a large medical office.
Because of the wide variety of patients in the medical office, office dress codes usually are very liberal.
School projects and certifications of achievement are good additions to a student portfolio.
Earnings for medical administrative assistants generally are the same across the United States
Doctors of Osteopathy are more common in the United States than are Doctors of Medicine.
The term health care provider is used to describe ab individual who is chiefly responsible for coordinating and delivering care to a patient.
Once a physician is licensed to practice medicine, he/she may practice in any state in the United States without reapplying for another license.
Continuing education is encouraged but is not required of health care professionals
Managed care plans help hold down health care costs for consumers
Urgent care centers usually are located in outpatient surgery center
Many insurance companies pay for home health services because they often are less costly than other health care alternatives