The interview, it’s the most important part of your job search. If you nail the medical assistant interview questions that they throw your way, you could soon find yourself with a shiny new name tag.
Graduates from a medical assistant certificate program are heading into a strong job market. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of medical assistants will grow 19% from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Figuring out what the hiring manager will ask is the easy part. Most medical assistant interview questions are, to a degree, predictable. The company is looking for specific skills and traits, and some questions are best for discovering that information.
However, knowing the questions isn’t enough. You also need a strategy, a solid approach for providing the “right” kind of answers. What’s that formula? It’s a combination of the STAR method and the Tailoring Method.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. It’s essentially a storytelling approach. You set a scene, discuss the duties you had, outline the actions you took, and close with the outcome. Easy peasy.
Tailoring is a lot like customizing. You know the company wants a particular kind of person. They have an ideal candidate in mind. You need to speak to those needs and desires.
Without further ado, here’s the list (with example answers) of the 10 most common questions you can expect.
1. Tell Me a Little About Yourself
Open-ended questions of this nature can get tricky, because you don’t want to go on and on about your goldfish or your bridge club. Focus on your experience, training, and education.
Example answer:
“I recently completed my medical assistant training at the John Doe School, and served in an internship at Jane Doe Pediatrics for three months. In my internship, I had the opportunity to work with the young patients. I talked with them, showed them to their exam rooms, and helped them stay calm before their immunizations. I especially enjoy the clinical aspects of medical assisting, such as taking vital signs and patient histories. I would like to bring these skills to your practice.”
2. What Are Your Strengths?
The strengths you pick should be relevant to the medical assisting field. For example, excelling in time management, working as a team player, and having great listening skills and compassion for others are three strengths that match the qualities of a top-notch medical assistant.
Example answer:
“My clinical skills are my biggest strength. My instructors told me my phlebotomy skills were very strong. I feel confident when doing blood draws or injections. My people skills are also one of my strengths. I am good at making people feel comfortable.”
3. What Are Your Weaknesses?
Don’t say the word ‘weakness’ back to your interviewer. Position your answer as an opportunity to improve. If you are a new medical assistant to the field, an appropriate answer may be:
Example answer:
“I am a new medical assistant and will need to learn your clinic’s processes; however, I feel very prepared and confident in the clinical skills I have gained from my externship and coursework.”
4. How much experience do you have as a medical assistant?
For this question, simply describe how many years you have worked as a medical assistant, and the facilities where you have worked. Explain what your responsibilities were. If you received any promotions or recognitions, be sure to discuss them. If you are new to the field, describe your education program, the skills you learned, and your internship.
Example answer:
“I recently served as an intern medical assistant at Jane Doe Medical Center from January to March of this year. The internship was 180 hours. It was the conclusion of my 1-year training program at John Doe Career School. I have graduated now, and am looking forward to finding full-time employment.”
5. How would you describe your primary duty as a medical assistant?
Medical assistants have a ton of responsibilities, so choosing just one as a focus is a daunting task. However, it gives you a chance to discuss where your priority lies and to position yourself as an asset.
Plus, you don’t have to talk about only one duty. You can actually squeeze a lot of information into this medical assistant interview question and answer. Just tap on a few responsibilities before honing in on the big one.
Example answer:
“During my medical assistant career, I’ve had a range of responsibilities. Along with updating patient records and performing initial exams, I’ve also spent time scheduling appointments and much more. However, I think my main duties are twofold. First, providing exceptional patient care is a core responsibility. Second, being an asset to the physicians and other members of the team, assisting with their daily duties, is paramount to overall success.”
6. How do you handle upset patients who present you with a complaint?
Not all patients are going to be happy. Many are anxious and uncomfortable, so their stress levels are high. This can lead to outbursts, some of which may be justified while others seem less so. But it’s your duty to handle the situation properly, so hiring managers want to know that you can do so gracefully.
Example answer:
“First, I give them the floor. I can’t provide them with the right kind of assistance if I don’t fully understand the issue, so active listening is key. Next, I rephrase their complaint so that I can confirm we are both on the same page regarding the problem. Then, I use empathy to ensure they know they are being heard and that I’m concerned about their well-being and what to find a solution. Finally, I take appropriate steps based on the nature of the complaint, becoming an active part of securing a solution.”
7. Why Do You Want to Work Here?
This is a chance to demonstrate that you’ve done your research. Before your interview, visit the company website (look for an “About” section) and become familiar with their background, vision, values, and mission statement. Learn about the company culture, study the job description, and check out their social media pages. You want to use your answer to show them you are aligned with their mission and excited to contribute to it.
Example answer:
“Working at John Doe Pediatrics would be a good fit for me, because I enjoy working with children, and I would be able to use the clinical skills I’ve learned in my recent training program. I would also like the challenge of working in a practice with 11 doctors, because I would learn many different working styles.” Note: You should avoid saying any personal reasons such as “the pay is good” or “because it’s an easy commute for me.”
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years (professionally)?
This question gives the employer a chance to see how long you might stay with the organization. If you have hopes of going back to school in the next five years, it is okay to say this, since it will show the employer you have ambition. It is also okay to ask the employer about any possibilities for advancement at the organization over the course of five years’ time. But be sure to strike a balance between sounding too ambitious (wanting to advance right away) and not ambitious enough (not motivated to improve yourself).
Example answer:
“In five years, I would hope to still be working here. If there are opportunities for higher levels of responsibility here, I would like to look into them. Eventually I hope to go to nursing school, but I plan to wait until I have had more work experience.”
9. How do you protect patients’ rights and protect confidentiality requirements?
The medical community is dominated by more regulations than you can shake a stick at, with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) being a biggie. Providers want to avoid lawsuits and keep their reputations intact, so they want to know that a new hire will help and not hinder that goal.
Example answer:
“I ensure patient confidentiality and protect patient rights by following all HIPAA guidelines. For example, when interviewing patients, I make sure that they are conducted in private spaces. Additionally, I take medical record safety seriously, ensuring all records are secured in areas that prevent unauthorized access. Further, I rely only on secure methods for sending or discussing patient information”
10. What makes you the best candidate for this position?
With this question, you want to be sure you do not sound arrogant. You can start by reiterating your professional skills and your “people” skills that you would bring to the job, and end by explaining why you are very interested in being a part of the organization.
Example answer:
“I am a strong candidate because of my clinical skills and my communication skills. I feel confident handling the tasks that are shown in the job description, and I think my people skills would help your patients to feel at ease and comfortable during their appointments. I am good at working on a team, and believe I would be a dependable member of your staff.”
