If you’re thinking of a career as a medical assistant, you could be on track to a rewarding career with great job prospects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for medical assistants through 2022 is expected to grow a whopping 23 percent, much faster than average compared to other jobs. But do you have what it takes to be a part of this rewarding profession? Here are the 8 essential qualities you’ll need to be a medical assistant:

1. Compassionate: Do you like to help others? A caring and compassionate attitude is one of the most important qualities you’ll need as a medical assistant. When patients are sick, in pain or just scared about what’s happening to them, they really want a friendly face and caring attitude. Could that be you?
2. Good Communicator: Medical Assistants often serve as a liaison between patients and other caregivers. You’ll need to be a good listener so you know your patients’ concerns and a good communicator to provide that information to others. You may also need to translate what doctors and other health care providers are saying so patients really understand.
3. Ethical: Everything you see and do as a Medical Assistant could be protected under rules of ethics and patient confidentiality, so you really need to be able to keep a secret. Patients are sometimes at their most vulnerable when they come to see their doctor. They shouldn’t have to worry that something they say or do will be shared inappropriately.
4. Organized: Whether you’re helping in the front office with patient appointments and insurance information, or taking patient histories, you need to keep everything you do well-organized. Small mistakes can cause big problems and one of the best ways to avoid them is to stay organized!
5. Outgoing: You’ll need to interact confidently with lots of different people throughout your day as a Medical Assistant. You may also want to speak up on behalf of patients who aren’t feeling well or aren’t able to speak for themselves. Medical Assistants often serve as patient advocates, as they help them understand all that’s going on around them.
6. Accepting: Your patients may not look like you or have the same ideas or beliefs. But you have to treat everyone fairly. Regardless of why a patient is in need of your assistance, you need to be the same capable, warm and caring person you would be if you were treating a good friend.
7. Adaptable: Healthcare environments are often fast-paced and quickly changing. You may need to help out with several patients or just one at a time. And what works really well in one situation may not be as effective in another. Your ability to roll with the punches will help you help your patients!
8. Team Player: The best of today’s healthcare systems are run like really good teams where everyone has their job to do, but they all work together. If you’re a good team player, you’ll be able to follow directions, do your job well, and always place the needs of the patients first.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a medical assistant, check out the Medical Assisting program at Porter and Chester Institute today! We offer the program at all nine of our campus locations and classes are enrolling soon.