Wouldn’t it be great to know interview questions ahead of time? It would allow you to prepare yourself, think through your answers, and put your best foot forward during the interview. Good news: we can help! Although it’s impossible to know all the questions that may come up during your medical assistant interview, you can expect these three questions in some form.
What Experience Do You Have?
Your experience is listed on your resume, but your interviewer will want to hear about it in person, too. You can give an overview of your experience as a medical assistant, but be sure to include specifics, too. That’s especially important for this position because most roles are focused squarely on either the patient care side or the administration side, but medical assistants play a hand in both.
What did you do on the administrative side? If you used the computer, greeted patients, and arranged for hospital admissions and laboratory services, be sure to note all of those things. Maybe your clinical duties included assisting the physician during the exam, drawing blood, and taking electrocardiograms. Be as specific as possible, and make sure to list all of your duties. That will give your interviewer a good sense of your background.
Tell Me More About Your Experience with….
As a follow-up question, your interviewer may ask for additional information about one or more aspects of your experience. For example, if you mention that you did computer work, the employer may ask if you worked with electronic health records (EHRs). More practices are converting to this type of records, and medical assistants must be adaptable to this change.
Your clinical experience may generate follow-up questions, as well. Specifically, the interviewer may ask whether you have experience with specific tasks, including drawing blood, delivering injections, administering medications, removing sutures, or changing dressings—because clinical medical assistants may complete any number of these tasks.
Are You in Compliance?
It is not surprising, given the nature of the position, that employers will often require medical assistants to obtain a slightly more difficult and advanced certification than CPR, the BLS certification. Make sure you know exactly which certifications you have, when they expire, and any other relevant information. Bring your certificate or certification card with you; the employer may want to see proof of your certification.
In any healthcare position, you must comply with HIPAA laws at all times. Your interviewer may ask questions about HIPAA to ensure that you’re aware of the regulations and prepared to follow them. Brush up on this topic, especially the privacy rule, the security rule, the breach notification rule, and the enforcement rule; these are the rules of particular concern for medical assistants and other staff members involved in medical record keeping.
You Got This!
At 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, we specialize in the recruitment and placement of healthcare professionals in per diem, travel, and permanent assignments in healthcare facilities across the country. Good luck with your interview! When you’re ready for your next assignment, we can help. Give us a call at 310.436.3650.
