5 Medical Assistant Interview Questions to Prep For
Thinking of pursing a career as a medical assistant? You need to know the medical assistant interview questions to prep for. Here are the top 5 to know.
With projected job growth of 23%, medical assistants in the Cincinnati area are in serious demand.
If you want to start working fast (even if you haven’t completed college yet!) it could be a good fit for you.
But before you get the job, you’ll need to nail the interview. That’s why we’re sharing the 5 most important medical assistant interview questions to prep for:
What kind of experience do you have with patients?
This medical assistant interview question gives you the opportunity to describe your previous experience, whether through work, externships, or as a volunteer in greater detail than it appears on your resume.
It’s important to emphasize that you’re comfortable working with people of all ages and backgrounds in the community. Emphasize experience that you have with the practice’s specialty or specific patient population. Perhaps working with older adults at your previous position developed an interest in specializing in elder care.
Any question about your experience is also an opportunity to show your willingness to learn. Perhaps you read professional journals or take classes.
Do you like working with people?
Technical skills may land you an interview, but medical assistant interview questions will also test your “soft skills,” like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Since you’ll be interacting with patients throughout the day, it’s important to have good people skills. Enjoying helping others is a must for medical assistants.
Your answer also demonstrates that you’ll be a good team player and that you understand your role in the practice.
Can you describe a challenging experience with a patient and how you handled it?
Be prepared with a true story. Maybe the patient was upset or you had to work under pressure. You don’t need to go into every single detail, but be ready to show how you handled the incident with courtesy, professionalism, and respect.
Don’t use this question to describe all the things you didn’t like about your previous position.
Stay positive, and show how you were able to use problem-solving skills or conflict resolution skills to diffuse a situation.
What experience do you have with patient documentation?
Describe both electronic and paper medical records experience and training that you have. Perhaps you’ve used Medent, charted prescriptions, or billed insurance companies. It’s worth mentioning your HIPAA knowledge.
This question tests your hard skills and training. If you don’t yet have experience with documentation, emphasize your willingness to learn.
What patient counseling experience have you had?
This medical assistant interview question tests hard skills since you will likely have patient counseling duties as a medical assistant.
But the question also reveals how you think about patient care.
Be sure to stress the importance of listening to your patient, allowing them to ask questions, and showing empathy. This is also a good opportunity to discuss how you manage workloads.
These are 5 medical assistant interview questions to prep for. If you think of others, please share them in the comments!