Examine closely the pros and cons of your career choice.
If you are considering becoming a medical office assistant, you may have a long and viable career ahead of you. As the baby boomer population continues to age, many of them will need substantial medical care, giving you many options when it comes to working for a physician's office. However, it's important to consider a job's negative aspects as well before you embark on your professional journey.
Flexibility
With many medical offices being open nights, and sometimes even weekends, flexibility regarding hours may be a benefit in this career. Medical office assistants may be able to work part time or full time and with schedules that meet their needs. For instance, in addition to the normal 9-5 schedule, some physicians allow their assistants to only work nights, or exchange working one night for working half of another weekday. This can be an especially helpful arrangement if you juggle childcare responsibilities in addition to your job.
Making a Difference
Although not as directly involved in medical care as the physicians themselves, their office assistants often go into this career because they enjoy being around people and making a positive difference in their lives. Whether it means comforting an ill or grieving patient, or helping them with a tough insurance case, the benefits of working in a medical office can go beyond the economic aspects of the job.
Stress
However, no one said being a medical office assistant was going to be easy. It is often a high stress job -- one that mandates juggling constantly changing priorities and deadlines. Assistants are often caught in a triangle between the physicians, patients, and insurance companies -- each of whom want their needs meet immediately. Incessantly ringing phones, endless interruptions and impatient coworkers can all take their toll on the frazzled medical office assistant.
Change
If you are an individual who thrives on change, this aspect of the job may not be a problem for you. However, many assistants find themselves confused among a whirlwind of alterations -- whether this be the physician's office policies, rules of insurance coverage or complying with state medical regulations. If you cannot think fast on your feet, you may want to consider another career choice.
Promotion
If it is your dream to become a physician's office manager, then starting out as an assistant is a viable option. However, you may want to keep in mind that as far as promotions go, this second-tier managerial role may be the only one available to you -- in every doctor's office.
Tags: medical office, medical office assistant, office assistant, physician office, career choice, medical care, office assistants